The Ward County independent., 1921-02-10
WASHINGTON NEWS LETTER
Especial to The independently

tSpecial To 'rhe independently
The refusal of the Senate to adopt
the cloture rule by the necessary two
thirds vote has, it is feared, sealed
the fate of the emergency tariff bill
at the present session. The Fordney
bill is still. the unfinished business Of
the Senate and could probably COM
mand sufficient votes to insure it's pas
sage if the question could be brought
to showdown. However with an ac-
tive filibuster being conducted against
the measure this does not seem possi-
BILE. Senator Harrison, of Mississippi,
who for three weeks managed to keep
the tariff bill from coming to vote,
has retired, momentarily, perhaps, in
favor Of his colleague from the same
state, Williams, and the latter is now
holding out with all Of the steadfast-
ness Of his predecessor.
Senator'S McCumber and Penrose
continued to fight for action through
out the week, however, and Capper Of
Kansas made vigorous appeal for
the adoption of the bill, citing statis-
tics to show the present predicament
Of the western farmers as result of
the falling market.
The memorial from the state legis-
lature, requesting Federal aid for the
grain growers, sponsored at Bismarck
by Bond and Baker, was presented to
the House of Representatives on We'd
nesday by Congressman George M.
Young. The day following Congress
men Young and Sinclair introduced a
Joint bill to authorize the Secretary of
Agriculture to contract with farmers
in North Dakota, South Dakota and
Montana for the production Of grain
through advances of portion of the
cost.
The House on Thursday fixed the
size of the army at 10000 for the
coming fiscal year, in face of deter
mined attempts on the part of men,
bers Of the Military Affairs Committee
to authorize the maintenance Of a
greater number. The army at the
of about $4,000 men.
George Brodie, formerly student
at the University Of North Dakota,
Grand Forks, is to be private secretary
for Representative Burtness, when
the latter takes his seat in the next
Congress.
Mr. Brodie, who is now in Washing
ton completing his law course at
Georgetown University, is well known
in the state, serving on the Mexican
border with Company K Of the First
North Dakota Infantry in 1916. He
will assume his new duties as soon as
Mr.. Burtness opens his Washington
office
It is not known just what committee
assignments Burtness will have in the
coming Congress. Congressman Baer,
who represented the First district in
the past two congresses, however, had
places upon the Expenditures in the
Department of Agriculture, Irrigation
of Arid Lands, Public Lands, and Ter
ritories committees. Young, Of the
Second district, is a member Of the
Ways and Means committee, while
Sinclair's chief assignment is upon the
Indian Affairs committee. North Da-
kota is not now represented upon the
Committee on Agriculture and prob
ably will not be in the new congress.
However, the northwest is we'll taken
care of on that committee, with Rid
dick of Montana and Sidney Anderson
of Minnesota both included in the ma
jority membership.
When Senator Gronna retires in
March the chairmanship Of the Com
mittee on Agriculture and Forestry
will probably pass to George w. Nor
ris of Nebraska, at present chairman
of the Committee on Patents. Gron-
ma is also member of the Appropria-
tions and other important committees.
DR.. E. F. Ladd, senator-elect, should
make strong bid for place on the
Agricultural committee and in all lik-
lihood he would prefer such an as
signment to any other Of the major
committees. South Dakota is repre-
sented upon that committee by Edwin
S. Johnson, democrat, who retires in
favor of Peter Norbeck, Republican,
and former governor of the state.
II i:
With representative Of various
manufacturing interests isteadfastly
appealing for high tariff rate on
manufactured products, it is but nat
ural that members Of the Ways and
Means committee, which is preparing
the new tariff bill, who are represent
ing agricultural states, should be in
clined to turn deaf ear to petitions
from the same interests requesting
that hides and other raw products be
placed upon the free list.
Congressman George NJ Young,
member of the committee, maintains
that everything which leaves the farm
is the farmers finished product and
is therefore entitled to the tariff pro-
lection of the finished products Of
other industries.
This view was rather pointedly set
forth in recent letter written by Mr..
Young to the Western Association Of
Shoe Wholesalers, Chicago, in answer,
to an appeal for free hides in the "in-
terests Of the consumers of footwear"
Mr.. Young said:
"Your letter Of February 1st is at
hand, in which you strongly protest
against duty on hides, which you de-
clare will be detrimental to the entire
leather and shoe industry as well as
to the consumers of footwear.
"Just why you express tenderness
for those who use footwear, in view
Of the prices you have been charging,
is beyond my comprehension.
1T will be recalled too that few
4 y y