New-York tribune., 1922-07-19
Reads Riot Act to Re.
publicans and Wins s.
Per Cent Cut in so Per
Cent Underwear Rate
Blindly Following
Leaders, He Charges
Assails Senators, Insisting
They Neither Know nor
Care Why T h c y Vote

From The Tribune's Washington Bureau
y WASHINGTON. July 1s.-Senate Re-
publican insurgents, led by Senator
Lenroot, staged another revolt to-day
which upset the calculations Of the
Finance Committee. BY a vote of %
to II an amendment to the cotton
schedule was adopted fixing the rate
on underwear and all other wear
Ing apparel not specially provided for,
finished or unfinished, at 45 per cent
ad valorem. The Finance Committee
had sought to fix the rate at 30 per
cent.
Ten Republicans voted with the Dem
ocrats for the lower rate. They were
Senators Borah, Capper, Jones, of
Washington; Kellogg, Lenroot, Nelson,
Norbeck, Rawson, Sterling and Willis.
In addition, it was announced Senator
Townsend was paired for the lower
rate.
Just prior to this Senator Lenroot
sharply criticized Republican Senators
for blindly following the lead of the
Finance Committee as to rates. He
charged them with not only not know
Ing what were the facts, but not car
ing. The remarks of Senator Lenroot
had All immediate effect and undoubt-
edly resulted in the adoption of the
40 per cent rate on underwear and
other wearing apparel.
Threatened With Reprisals
Senator Lenroot charged thar Senate
Finance Committee leaders and their
aids on the Republican side have been
threatening Senators interested in the
agricultural schedule with reprisals if
the rates in the cotton schedule are
reduced. He made it clear that this
explained why some of the RepubIi-
can Senator'S who voted last week to
lower the rates on cotton goods have
since faced about and followed the lead
of the Finance Committee.
Previous to voting on the 45 per cent
amendment Senator Lenroot offered
one providing for 40 per cent duty.
Ihls was beaten by 26 to 20. On this
vote Senators Borah, Jones, of Wash
ington; Kellogg, Lenroot, Willis. Can
per, Keyes and Sterling supported the
lower rate.
lt was after this vote and his 40 per
cent amendment was lost that Senator
Lenroot took the floor for few min
ntes and "read the riot act, to his
Republican colleagues.
senator LenroOt said the rates pro
posed by the committee would increase
rates on articles the imports of which
were absolutely negligible" He said
that while Senator Smoot said the i'm
ports for the eleven months ended in
May were more than $3.ooo,Oo0, inves-
tlgatlon showed they were only $4,000,
and that the present rate Of 80 per
cent was practically prohibitive.
1T is not for me to make any COM
ment upon the action of Senators" ;"
went on Senator Lenroot, "but I doubt
II there were 10 per cent of the Sena-
tors who have just voted upon this in
crease upon this side or upon the other
side who had any knowledge or infor-
nation or apparent care as to how they
were voting"
"Blindly Following Committee"
He declared it was the duty of Sena-
tors to form some independent judg-
ment on the rates.
"They are blindly following the
committee" he continued, "and the
committee might make a 80 per cent
increase and Senators would come in
and vote in the affirmative, with the
committee.
rs it any wonder that this hill is
being criticized the country over when
Republican Senators take the attitude
with reference to it which they have
taken, when Republican Senators do
not take the pains to try to inform
themselves as to the correctness of the
rates"
Recalling that last week the Com
mittee on Finance had been defeated
as to number of rates, Senator Len
root said:
Immediately word went around the
Republican side of the chamber that
there would be retaliation il that were
continued, that If these cotton rates
were to be disturbed and if the COM
mittee was not to be blindly followed
with reference to them the agricultu-
raj schedule would suffer when this
not these threats have had any effect, it
Is not for me to say, but the way these
amendments are being voted upon is
not to the credit of the Republican
side"
The rates on underwear and other
| wearing apparel are provided for in
paragraph 916, which was taken up
| after the Senate had sustained the
committee without roll calls on the
rates ON gloves, hose and cloth con-
| tanning silk. On reaching paragraphs
| 918 Senator Smoot announced that
the committee had concluded to elimi-
| graph and provide straight so per
cent ad valorem rate. He insisted
| this was 10 per cent under the House
bill and that it was under the Payne
Aldrich rates.