The Alaska daily empire., 1921-01-13
SENATE ASKED TO RAISE TARIFF ON CANADIAN WHEAT
McCumber Supports Amend ment Increasing Duty to
 50 Cents Per Bushel. PERSECUTION ALLEGED Witnesses Before Senate Fi- nance Committee Blame
 Government for Slump.

WASHINGTON, F. C.. Jan. 13.-- To stop enormous importations of Canadian wheat, United States Sen ator Porter J. McCumber of North Dakota, today announced that he would ask a tariff of probably 5G cents a bushel be included in tho Fordney emergency tariff bill in stead of the 30 cent import duty carried in the measure as passed by the House.
 Consideration of the bill by the Senate Finance Committee developed charge by witness that the Govern ment was responsible for the present economic conditions through encour agement of a buyers strike. Not withstanding warnings by Acting Chairman McCumber and Senator Reed Shoot, Republican, of Utah, that the committee must obtain speedy action on the bill to prevent further losses for the farmers, Sen ator Charles S. Thomas. Colorado, and Senator A. A. Jones. New Mex ico. Democrats. indulged in spirited arguments with Col. John P Wood of Philadelphia, who appeared in behalf of the wool manufacturers. Col. Woods assertion that the Govern ment had been "unwise", in promull- gating campaign against high prices met with the rejoinder 5y Senator Thomas that 'one man was willing to see another lose money but very anxious not to lose any himself"
 Persecution Alleged
 Atty. Gen A Mitchell Palmer ; amounted, the witness asserted, to persecution of all business through establishing a dscredit of it's prao- ices"
 Senator Thomas asked whether the general methods, which the wit ness referred to- could not be applied to the activities of Senator William NJ. Calder's committee Investigating housing
 Mir Wood replied that he was un Calder committee but that he did know that the newspapers of the country had kept up "continuai cry" against business.
 "The campaign to reduce the cort of living has been successful" said the witness Tt has broken the high prices and il has also been sue cessful in throwing hundreds of thousands of men out of work.
 Many Witnesses Up
 Mir Wood then told the committee that the wool manufacturing industry had lost in 1920 all of the profit it had made during the war and saw no immediate hope of getting back on it's feet
 Senator McCumber interrupted ar euments with George D. Briggs, rep resenting the National Sheep and Wool Bureau, witness. to insist that the hearing be not delayed by committee members.
 Senator Smoot. of Utah. then de clared there were many witnesses who wanted to be heard
 This is an emergency tariff anf we must have action on it." Senator Shoot said.
 MT Briggs said the wool industry was dying out adding to the number of farmers and farm workers de sertine the land for life in the city.
 What about manufacturing inter ests?" Senator Thomas inquired. Hundreds of industrial plants have been closed and thousands of men are out of work Won't those people eventually be compelled to return to the farms? They have-got to make q living"
 The witness said he could not agree that there ever would return to the farms.
 SEATTLE, Jan. 13.-A commit ee was appointed at a conference or Alaska fisheries here today to pres ent facts in connection with the salt fish industry to Congress in an effort to secure a protective tariff It was pointed out by speakers at the con ference that the industry has grown since 1918 until eighty plants are