The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-04-25
REAL BEGINNING
OF BIG BATTLE IS
BEGUN In SENATE
SmOOt Opens Debate With De
tailed Explanation of the
4lastic Proposals.
FRAMED IN INTERESTS
OF TRUSTS, SAYS KING
Utah Senator Characterized the
Measure as More Inquituous
Than Other Bills.
(Ry rhe AssoeIated Prss,l


WASHINGTON. April 24.-The tar
if debate today in the senate marked
the real beginning of weeks, and per
haps months, of battling over the sd-
ministration measure which the fl
nance committee reported two weeks
ago.
Discussion was opened by Senator
Smoot, republican, Utah, with q de-
tailed explanation of the elastic tariff
proposals written into the bill at the
suggestion of President Harding, and
1t included an attack on those propos-
ais by Senator Jones, democrat, New
Mexico, and the opening of a general
assault on the whole measure by Sen
ator King, democrat, Utah.
Characterizing the measure as more
iniquitous than the Payne Aldrich and
Dingley measures, Senator King
charged that it was a bill to increase
the price of everything that people
buy. and was framed in the interest
of the dye trust, the steel trust, the
chemical trust, the wooden mill trusts,
some of the cotton manufacturing
trusts and the multitude OF great or
ganizations that in the past have
preyed upon the people and that in the
future will continue their policy OF eX-
ploitation."
Senator King declared the address
OF Chairman McCumber of the finance
committee. IN calling UP the measure
last week was an appeal to the preda-
tory interests of the United States to
merciful to the poor consumer, and
said that when the nation was at war
4 ~
ed to be at stake, some oc the same
vultures that dictated schedules in this
bill were robbing the American people
and the American government.
Chairman McCumber later denied
that his address was an appeal. He
said that in discussing conditions in
the world and in this. country ne
thought the time opportune TO call at
tention of manufacturers, retailers and
factory labo-ers that the American
public could consume only as much as
it could purchase and that If produc-
tion was to be increased prices would
have to be brought down to within
the reach of the consumers pocket
book
In the course of his remarks Senator
King took fling at the agricultural
tariff bloc, the manufacturers bloc.
and what he described as other blocs
and groups He declared the death
knen OF political parties was sounded
when there was a division into farm
ers' groups, worllmen's groups and
manufacturers groups.
Reading from an announcement OF
the Southern Tariff association that
It had laid its appeal for higher rates
than contained IN the senate bill before
the tariff bloc, Senator King demanded
to know what had become of the able
senator's who constitute the finance
committee who are supposed TO write
tariff bills.
THE tariff bloc is supreme" he add
ed, and I suppose the manufacturer
bloc and the tariff bloc squeezed the
finance committee as strong man
squeezes clay in his hands, or sought
to do So
Referring to American valuation.
Senator King warned that the senate
would be IN session many weeks If not
many months before an American val
uation plan is written into this bill
ITS infamous enough without that
provision" ne asserted. TT would be
intolerable with that provision"
As to the elastic tariff provisions.
Senator King said they would operate
to make the tariff commission a foot
ball of the predatory interests" would
make for stability and would result
in the permanent presence In Wash
inKton of a tariff lobby which would
dangle before senator's and represen-
tatives all the spectres the brains OF
the interests could conjure up"
In his prepared address explaining
the elastic tariff proposals, Senator
Smoot declared that they not only Of
fered a solution of the particular tar
ifs problem now before congress. but
also suggested practical basis for
continuing scientific adjustment Of the
tariff IN the future.