The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-08-01
Wool Rates
Approved
by Senate
1mposts Proposed on Blankets,
Wearing Apparel and Floor
Coverings Adopted With.
out Changes.
Ends Long Controversy

Washington, July 3l.-(By A. P.)
Consideration OF the wool sched,
ule, which has furnished the one big
fight in the administration tariff bill
was completed by the senate after
the approval without change OF i'm.
posts by the finance committee ma
jority on blankets, wearing apparel
and floor coverings. The silk
schedule then was taken up and lead
crs were hopeful that committee
amendments TO this could be dis
posed OF Tuesday.
After the silk schedule will come
those dealing with paper and books
and sundrics. including laces, the
free lis, and the administration pro-
visions with the flexible tariff plan
proposed by President Harding.
When the senate winds up work on
these. it must 60 back over the en-
tire bill, paragraph by paragraph,
for action on individual amendments.
There was divided opinion as to
when final vote on the measure
could be had, but republican leaders
were unanimous in declaring that the
senate would pass the bill. Taking
cognizance OF report published in
Washington that the senate would
abandon the measure, Senator Lodge
of Massachusetts,. the majority lead
er, made this statement:
Bill Will Be Passed.
This bill is going to be passed
by the senate and that at the first
opportunity. We are going to stick
to it and pass it as soon as we get
a vote. Reports that it might be
laid aside or allowed to fail are abso-
lutely without foundation. The bill
will be passed and put on the statute
books as soon as possible"
As was the case Saturday, the SEN
ate had difficulty i'll keeping
quorum, with result that the SER
geant-at-arms was directed to re-
quire the presence of absentees.
After 4 quorum had been obtained,
Senator McCumber, republican,
North Dakota, in charge of the bill,
said he wanted it understood that the
order about absentees was to stand
for the remainder Of the present leg
islative day-now more than three
months old--if that day lasted until
March 4. Later kilograms were sent
to absent senators urging their pres
ence.
~ Only One Controversy.
While the split in, the republican
ranks was noticeable, there was only
one sizeable controversy over wool
duties, some republicans and most of
the democrats voting against the
duties on clothing. Senator Smoot,
republican. Utah, in charge of the
schedule, said, and Senator Walsh of
Massachusetts,. conducting the fight
for the minority. agreed that only
novelties were imported; that the
American ready-made clothing indus
try could compete with the world.
Senator Walsh argued, however, that
the duties were an invitation to do
inestic manufacturers to combine and
increase their prices TO the level of
the tariff.
Senator Smoot told the senate the
duties would affect largely those
Americans who sought to "ape the
English dude" by wearing only
clothes made in London. He said
also there were Americans who de-
sired ito ape the prince of Wales,
wearing baggy trousers when he
wears them"
Added Funds Necessary.
Opening debate on the silk sched-
ule, Senator McCumber said that
since the government had lost $780,
100000 in revenue yearly through
the operation of the prohibition
amendment, added funds had to By
obtained from some source and th9t
there was no better source, in his
judgment. than luxuries, such as silk.
He explained. however. that the
duties proposed, ranging from IS
per cent to 80 per cent ad valorem,
were for protection of the domestic
industry as we'll as for revenue.
In considering the silk schedule,
he continued, it would have to be
borne in mind that since 1914 the
manufacture of silk had been moved
from the occident to the orient. and
that as a consequence the committee,
in framing the rates, had to take
into account the very cheap labor OF
Japan and China. Illustrating his
argument, Senator McCumber said
that in 1914 81 per cent Of American
silk importations were from France:
20 per cent from Switzerland, zo
per cent from Japan and ] per cent
from China: whereas. in 1921.
Japan's contribution was II per cent,
China's & per cent. Frances 10 per
cent and Switzerland's 5 per cent.