Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-07-10
OLD STRAW HAT
IS Hailed INTO
TARIFF DEBATE
BY DEMOCRATS
Prayed Chapeau Is JSed to
Illustrate Their C0nten-
ton That Rates in New
Bill Are Excessive.
SOLID WEEK OF TALK
FACES HOUSE MEMBERS
Garner of Texas Leads At
tack; There Are Many
Sharp Exchanges While
He Occupies the Floor,
(By The Associated Press.)

Washington, July Am old
straw hat was the article used by
democrats in opening their attack
in the house today on the Fordney
protective tariff bill to illustrate
their contention that its rates were
higher than anything written into
the -Aldrich bill a decade
ago.
Representative Garner of Texas,
ranking democrat on the ways and
means committee, in the course of
a two-hour denunciation of the
measure, seized the hat as the first
object within sight and challenged
republican members of the COM
mittee to say off hand what duty
had been imposed upon it.
Moments Hesitation.
There was a moments hesitation.
Then in the midst of a shout from
the minority side, Representative
Green, republican. Iowa, arose and
brought an answering shout from
the republican side by announcing
that 1t was printed in the bill.
Still waving the faded headgear,
Mr.. Garner declared that in the
Payne-Aldrich bill the duty on that
product was SO per cent but in the
Fordney measure it was $40 a
dozen, plus an ad valorem duty of
20 per cent which made the actual
import tax, he added. 81 20 per
cent. Comparison of the two bills,
he said, would show the same
scales running through the 346
pages of the Fordney measure.
The average rate of the Fordney
measure he added, was higher than
any ever proposed before by con-
gress.
Attacking the American valua-
tion provisions Mr.. Garner charged
that If it had been applied to the
present Underwood law rates now
being paid would exceed the Payne
schedules in every instance,
Many Sharp Exchanges.
There were many sharp ex-
changes while Mr.. Garner had the
floor Most Of the verbal battles
ragged around the valuation .provi-
sion and Mr.. Garner declared that
tho most glaring evidence Of how it
would shoot rates skyward was to
be found In the case of reed furr1i-
ture, much of which Is shipped
here from Japan.
In quoting from a letter received
from a manufacturer at Grand
Rapids, Mich. Mr.. Garner charged
that because Of the peculiar condi-
tions entering into foreign produc-
tion the reed furniture rate figured
exactly 1.497 per cent higher than
the Underwood tariff, which stipu-
lated duty Of Is, per cent against
Fordney's so per cent.
Debate Starts With Rush.
With the principal speeches for
and against the bill out of the way
the debate was turned over to
members generally and it started
with rush under an agreement
calling for a solid week of talk.
The name of Secretary Mellon
was brought into the discussion by
Representative Oldfield of Arkan-
sas, a democratic member Of the
ways and means committee, who
described the treasury secretary as
one of the beneficiaries of the high
tariff. He said that "the MELONS
control the aluminium Industry of
the United States and called at
tention to the increase in duty to
5 cents a pound on alumium.
Doesn't Blame Mellon.
"Of course" he added II am not
blaming Secretary Mellon. He did
not write this bill, had nothing to
do with it. His group paid IL per
cent dividend on $20,000.OO0 of
capital last year and I want to
know why it Is necessary to give
them more"
Representative Green sought to
explain that the five-cent duty
"means nothing to the consumer.
He illustrated his statement with
the cost of the old kitchen stew |
pan, saying that less than half a |
pound of aluminium was used in its |
but Mr.. Uldfield as
serted that whether the amount
was great or small, the consumer
was being taxed for the benefit of |
the manufacturer.
Representative Mondel, the re-
publican floor leader, spoke brief |
ly near the close of the day, pay |
ing tribute to the republican men, |
bers of the ways and means COM |
mittee for the work they had done |
In drafting the bill. He declared |
that Notwithstanding the many |
under which the bill was |
framed, this bill has met with a |
more favorable response from the |
country than from any like meas |
IRE presented in a generation" and !
! ddn1 fhof Ntbic