Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-25
DAY OF OLD Time
TALKFEST ON TARIFF
BY RIVAL SENATORS

Washington, April 24.-There was
an old fashioned tariff debate today
in the Senate. 1t marked the real
beginning of the weeks, and perhaps
months of battling over the admin
istration measure, which the finance
committee reported two weeks ago
The discussion was opened by Sen
ator Smoot, Republican. Utah, with a
detailed explanation of elastic tariff
proposals written into the bill at the
suggestion of President Harding and
it included an attack of those pro-
posals by Senator Jones, Democrat
New Mexico, and the opening of a
general assault on the whole measure
by Senator King, Democrat, Utah.
Characterizing the measure as
"more iniqutous" than the Payne
Aldrich and Dingley measures, Sem
ator King charged that it was a bill
ito increase the price OF everything
the 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 cot
ton manufacturing trusts and the
multitude of great organizations that
in the past have preyed upon the
people and that in the future will
continue their policy of exploitation.
Senator King declared that the ad
dress of Chairman McCumbcr of the
Senate Finance Committee, in call
ing upon the measure last week, was
IAN appeal to the predatory inter-
ests of the United States to be merci-
ful to the poor consumer" and said
that when the nation was at war and
the very fate of civilization seemed
to be at stake. "some of the same
vultures that dictated schedules in
people and the American govern
ment
Chairman NcCumber later denied
that his address was an appeal" He
said that in discussing conditions in
) the world and in the country, he
thought the time opportune to call
attention Of manufacturers. retailers
and factory labOrers that the Ameri-
can public could consume only as
much as it could produce and that
if production was to be increased
prices would have to be brought
down to within the reach of the con
sumers' pocket book.
In the course Of his remarks Sen
ator King took fling at the agri-
cultural tariff bloc, the manufacture
crs' bloc and what he described as
other blocS. He declared that the
death knell of political parties was
sounded when there was a division
into farmers groups, workmens
groups, and manufacturers groups.
Reading from an announcement OF
the Southern Tariff Association that
it had laid before the tariff bloc"
its appeal for higher rates than con-
tanned in the Senate bill Senator
King demanded to know what had
become of the able Senators who
constitute the financial committee
and who are supposed to write tariff
bills"
1.-THE tariff bloc" he added, land !
suppose the manufacturers blocade
and the tariff bloc squeezed the fin
ance committee as a strong man
squcczes clay in his hand, or sought
TO do So"
Referring to American valuation,
Senator King warned that the Sen
ate would be in session many
weeks, if not many months. before
an American valuation plan is writ
ten into this bill"
Its infamous enough without that
provision" he asserted. 1T would
be intolerable with that provision"
Germany and the thr-a, Of German
invasion had been the spectre held
up in the committee room when the
bill was drawn, he continued: add
ing that there never was "a more
hypocritical demand for legislation
than that for protection against a
nation that was bankrupt; unab bic
to meet its rcparations, and saddled
with taxes such as no other nation
had ever known.
In his prepared address explaining
the elastic tariff proposals. Senator
Smoot declared they not only offered
solution of the particular tariff
problem now before Congress, but
also suggested a practical basis for
q continuing scientific adjustment of
the tariff in the future.
Dn~0y~k M"