The New York herald., 1922-06-27
LUMBER BLOC LOSES
BATTLE ON SHINGLES
Tries. to Obtain Tariff Duty
of so Cents a Thousand,
but in Vain.
IN ALL DAY REVOLT
Pacific Coast Republicans
in Fight, Citing Compe-
tition Of Canada.
M'CUMBER IN BACKDOWN
Yields to Pressure on High
Rates Advocated by Nc
Lean Comm
M'CUMBER IN BACKDOWN
peetar Dispatch to THE NEW Yo.x HERALD.

washington. ID. c., June 28
The Senate Republicans got into a
family row to-day during the con-
sideration of the Fordney- -McCumber
| tariff bill when a group of Pacific
coast members, forming a new '1um-
Der bloc" tried to obtain a duty Of
90 cents a 1000 on shingles. regard
less OF the effect such a duty might
have toward increasing the costs of
homo building. The revolt lasted al
most all day. but shingles finally went
on the free list.
In final voting the Democrats joined
with the members of the Finance
Committee. led by Senator McCumber
(Rep.. N. d. against any duty on
shingles. On this item the Senate
Committee had cut out the rate
originally contained in the House bill
The fight was sectional and not with
out politics. The fixing of a duty was
sought by-the Senators in whose States
the shingle industry exists and they
asked protection against the competi-
ton OF Canadian shingle mills. particu-
larly those, in British Columbia.
senator McCumber. still yielding to
the public pressure against the inexcus-
ably high and unscientiflc rates of the
tarir bill, backed down on the duties
proposed on shade-grown wrapper to-
pacco. On unstemmed tobacco of this
grade the Senate rate of S2.35 a pound
was abandoned and the House rate of
S2.1o a pound reestablished on stem
med tobacco OF this grade. the Senate
rate of SO a pound was replaced by the
House rate Of $2.75 pound.
Tobacco in Connecticut.
Senator Mclean, Republican. one OF
the Finance Committee members. and
In whose State most of this tobacco
Is grown, had been responsible to a large
extent for the high rates. The tobacco
In the open market, sells for around
ffty cents a pound. and the rate Of
s2.lO, four times as much, was con-
demned by some Democrats as unjusti-
fed. $500
The opposition, however. was not in
tense. for the reason that even the
Democrats have regarded tobacco as a
legitimate commodity to tax The I'm
derwood law. at present in force, fixes a
rate OF $1.s5. This. In every way. is a
tax, since the quantity of shade-grown
tobacco Is In no way adequate for
American demands. The chief import
ations. are from Sumatra.
In the consideration of the tobacco
schedule Senator Shortridge tcai.)
fought the action of the Finance Com
mittee Is cutting out the House rate
OF 81 pound .on so-called Turkish to-
bacco. He said California Is now
raising 100000 pounds of Turkish to-
hnnnn n
tion the industry there would be de-
stroyed. The Senate, however. kent
Turkish tobacco on the free list. upon
the ground that the Turkish tobacco
grown In California does not meet the
requirements in quantity or quality.
The fight for tariff on shingles was
started by Senators McNary (Ore.) and
Jones (Wash.). and Senator Poindexter
(Wash) instantly came 10 their aid
They drew a sorry picture OF the pre-
dicament of the shngle manufacturers
OF their States. saying the British
Columbia mills. employing Oriental la
Dor. we're putting the American shingle
makers out Of business.
Figures were presented by these Sem
a.ors to show that the importation Of
shingles increased from 5000, 900 in
1913 to 2.163,6i1.oo0 in 1921, due to the
placing OF the commodity on the free
list by the Underwood law. American
production. on the other hand, dropped
from 14.907,3 900 in 1909 to 9.453.00O,-
900 in 1919. The Pacific coast Senators
attempted to show that the Canadian
mills, with cheap labor. were capturing
the American markets and that IL q duty
were not established virtually all the
American mills eventually would have
to close.
The shfngIe Battle.
Senator McCumber and Senator Kel-
logg (Minn.) led the fight to keep
shingles on the free list, as proposed by
the committee. They introduced a re-
port by the Tariff Commission showing.
that even with the Canadian mills en-
ploying Oriental labor The cost OF pro-
duction In the United states is slightly
lower than In Canada. They appealed
TO the Democrats for support on the
ground that with a shortage OF homes
in the United States the cost Of living
would be increased II n duty on shingles
were TO be established.
The real inside story back of the
shingle situation Is said to be that Amer
ican capital is interested largely in the
Canadian mills and that this influence
has been exer.ed to prevent any duty
being fixed on shingles. The American
mills. for the most part. are locally
owned and small.
Shingles as rule are made from
stumps Of trees and fallen timber. The
Senator's who wanted duty established
declared that to encourage the shingle
making industry in the United States
would be to encourage conservation.
They said that forest fires we're caused.
in many instances. by the ignition of
lust such dry timber as goes to make
shingIes--dry cedar that catches fire
easily and sets forests ablaze with large
economic loss.
In the vote that came finally the
proposal to restore duty on shingles
was defeated, Al to 1S. The only COM
mittee Republicans to vote against the
committee action were Senators Wat
son Ind) and Curtis (Kan.). Senator
Broussard (Dem.. La.) a protectionist.
voted with the Republicans. The rest
of the shingle tariff votes came from
the newly formed lumber bloc" com
posed of Senators In whose States there
is anything OF shinele industry.
Borah offers Amendment.
Senator Borah (Rep., Idaho). In
whose state some shingles. are made,
refused TO vote for tariff of so cents
a thousand. He offered an amendment
cutting the rate to 25 cents a thousand