The New York herald., 1922-05-13
Senator Simmons Declares
Passage Will Lead to
Business Debacle.
FIGHT ON WOOD ALCOHOL
Tax of 10 Cents q Gallon
Agreed To-King Attacks
Lobbyists.

the tariff, the controversy centering
around the attacks of Republican
newspapers on the measure and on
the duty Of ten cents a gallon pro-
posed on wood alcohol by the Finance
Committee. .s-
There We're charges from the ma
jority side that the reading of anti
tariff editorials was the beginning of
a filibuster. The Democrats indig-
nantly deny this. and make counter
charges that the members Of the COM
mittee were refusing to give infor-
nation about the rates on which the
Senate could act intelligently.
The editorials were presented by Sem
ator Simmons IN. c.. Democratic
leader, who closed general assault
on the bill with the prediction that if
it were passed in it's present form it
would lead the business Of this coun-
try into a debacle from which it will
take US a quarter of century to res
cue it. and the dire consequences OF
which to the American people cannot
be measured in words or figures"
Calls Editorials s'Propaganda.''
Senator McCumber IN. 3D., Rep).
in charge of the bill, countered with
a charge that tho editorials were
a part Of a propaganda to discredit
the bill and the assertion that the pre-
diction Of Senator Simmons as to the
result OF the passage Of the bill was
not "one-half as startling as would
be the dire results IL the Underwood
tariff law remained in effect for an
other year.
Denying the charge that the Demo
Gratis were filibustering. and asserting
that there was a Combination" on
the Republican side to put the bill
through without even considering the
schedules" Senator Hitchcock (Neb..
.Dem), said IL there were no Re-
publican Senators who would stand up
and fight this bill. as did Senators
Dolliver. Beveridge and others when
the Payne-Aldrich measure was UP. the
Democrats would make the fight and
would continue to make it until the bill
was passed.
Senator Borah (Idaho, Rep.). re-
marked that IL the Democrats would
present reasonable rates In substitution
for the committee rates you will get
some votes on this side" He added,
however. that those on the Republican
side would not vote for free trade"
Declaring. there was no information
on which to base a tariff at this time,
Senator Borah said he would vote un-
hesitatingly to postpone consideration of
the bill. adding that he would support
an amendment to the emergency tariff
law to take care of the situation until
world conditions had become more set
tied and there was information on
which to act.
For Free Wood Alcohol.
Senator Hitchcock read a tariff COM
mission statement that the wood alco-
hol industry in the United States was
one OF the largest in the world, and in
sisted that the commodity should be
on the free list. as in the Payne-Aldrich
and Underwood laws.
In presenting the metropolitan news
paper editorials Senator Simmons said
he did so because he wanted the news
papers of the country and the people
of the country Ito begin study of this
question" Denying he was conducting
= filibuster. the Senator declared that,
on the contrary, he had advised Demo-
cratic Senators that they should make
the Democratic position on the bill
clear to the country. and as soon as
that had been done, II the Republicans
persisted. they should be permitted to
pass the bill, the minority showing
their disapproval of 1t by their votes In
opposition to the various items and the
bill itself.
Senator King utah. Dem.). de-
cared Senator McCumber ought not to
stem the fountain of light coming from
Republican newspapers.
speaking or propaganda he con-
tinued, IF the Senator from North
Dakota will go out into the corridors
he will find propagandsts Of the special
interests. lobbyists. in large number
They sit in the galleries OF the Senate
chamber and look down upon us with
approval or disapproval, according to
their sentiments. However. that is
their right
Demanding Pound of Flesh.
THEY are demanding their pound Of
flesh, not their own flesh. but the
flesh that is to be grated in strips
from the bodies Of the American
people"
Renewing his assault on the metro
politan newspapers. Chairman McCum-
ber challenged them to point out
specific rates in the bill which were
too high.
Turning to department stores, the
North Dakota Senator said he could
present to the Senate "the awful
spread" between what those stores paid
for and charged for goods. and asserted
they were making profits from 100 to
500 per cent. as great as ANY of those
excess profits you are talking about in
this BILL" He added that he did not
want American manufacturers to make
unreasonable profits. asserting that
they we're not making such profits now.
because IL they were their mills would
be open.
The 10 cents a gallon rate on wood
alcohol was agreed to after an amend
mont by Senator King to reduce the
figure to cent had been rejected,
II to 81.
Senator Nelson (Ninn.. Rep.).
wanted to know II the rate on wood
alcohol would operate to lessen the
use of that liquid In bootleg liquor.
After sharp fights the Senate ap-
proved committee rates of cents a
pound on amyl and butyl alcohol and
10 cents a gallon on ethyl alcohol for
non-beverage purposes.