Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-05-16
SENATE TARIFF
BLOC LOSES IN
TEST.STRENGTH
Shy 3 Votes in Amend
ment Offered by
johnson
Absence Of Some of Group, Rea-
son for Defeat, Leaders Alibi
Has Already Forced Ac-
ceptance of it's Rates on Pro-
ducts of Farm and Ranch

Washington, May 15.-The Senate
Republican tariff bloc, which sue
ceeded in having the finance COM
mittee accept most of it's tariff rates
on products of the farm and ranch
was defeated today in the Senate in
its first test of strength against the
committee. The margin was only
three votes, however, and leaders of
the bloc expressed confidence that
they would be successful in future
efforts as some of their group were
absent today or paired.
The test came on an amendment
by Senator Johnson, Republican,
California, to increase the committee
rate of six cents a pound on citrate
of lime to cents. The vote was
thirty one to twenty eight, seventeen
Democrats joining with fourteen Re-
publicans in opposing the Johnson
amendment. Three Democrats, AS
hurst, Arizona, Broussard Louisiana,
and kendrick, Wyoming, voted with
the tariff bloc, as did several nom
member Republicans, including Sem
ators Moses, New Hampshire, and
Wadsworth, of New York. Republi-
cans opposing the amendment We're:
Brandegee. Connecticut, Cummings,
Iowa; Curtis, Kansas; Edge, and
Frelinghuysen, New Jersey; Elkins,
West Vagina; Hale, Maine; La Fol-
lette, and Lenroot, Wisconsin;
Lodge, Massachusetts; McCumber,
North Dakota; Mclean, Connecticut;
Smoot, Utah and Spencer, Missouri.
After rejecting the amendment, the
Senate approved the committee rate
and also approved the committee
duty of is cents a pound on citric
acid, the finished product of citrate
of lime.
Another fight over products of the
far west followed disposition of the
| citric acid, the Democrats, opposing
committee rates of sixty cents a
gallon on olive oil in containers
weighing not more than IA pounds
and so cents a gallon on all other
such oil. These rates We're approved
after the Senate had rejected by
overwhelming majority amendments
! by Senator Walsh, Democrat, Massa-
chusetts to cut the figures to the 80
cents and twenty cents in the In
derwood law
| Supporting his amendment. Sena-
| tor Walsh declared that no question
! of protection could enter into the
| matter because the American pro-
| duCers OF olive oil in California and
| Arizona. could supply only about five
| per cent of domestic consumption.
| He charged that this was an effort
| plainly to increase the price of the
| product for the benefit of the pro-
! ducers in the two western states and
asserted that this would work a hard
! hip on COnumerS, especially Italian
| Americans in New York and other
| eastern cities.
you are abandoning entirely the
old theory of protecting infant in
| dustries," he declared. You are now
proposing to protect every man in
this country who produces one half
| of one per cent of any commodity
used by the American people. You
are going to such an extent that
! there is bound to be a collapse of
the entire economic system in this
country"
| Chairman McCumber disputed that
the duty proposed would work a
hardship on any one, asserting that
Italian Americans should be willing
to pay a little more for olive oil
under a system which enabled them
to make from five to ten dollars a day
| as against the fifty cents a day they
made in Italy.
| Outlining the committee policy as
to protection, the North Dakota SEN
ator said that whenever I'VE find an
| industry capable of producing in
| reasonable quantities commodities
used in this country, we believe in
affording it protection" He also
! said that the increase in duty did
| not necessarily mean an increase in
| price to the consumer any more than
| a decrease in the duty had been a
| lowering of prices.
The North Dakota Senator also said
that the government could obtain
from s., SOC, 900 to 100000 of revenue
yearly from the proposed duty and
| that never had it been in greater need
| of revenue than at this time.
| A committee rate of five cents
pound on the hydrogremated or
hardened oils and fats was agreed
upon without a roll call. The COM
mittee rates on castor. lineed and
rape seed oils went out fter some
| discussion.
| Senator Lodge objected to the
proviso under which the duties on
! oils used in the manufacture of non
| edible products such as soaps would
be refunded.
IF you are going to let in such
oils, duty free, do it openly" he said.
s.Dn NOT do nv tho hack door of