The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-07-15
START FIGHT
FOR TARIFF
ON co TON
Duty OF Seven Cents a Pound
on Egyptian Cotton is
Ado5ted

ing consideration Of committee
amendments to the agricultural
schedule after two weeks work,
the senate launched today into
what promises to be several
weeks fight over tariff duties on
textile cotton. ssrool, linen and
six The cotton schedule was the
first IN order but only one amend
ment was disposed Of, this provid-
I ing for a duty of seven cents a
pound on Egsptian cotton, design
cd to protect the growers of long
staple cotton in Arizona and South
ern California. !,
food Of amendments to some
sections of this schedule were of
fered by Senator Smoot. Repubii-
can. Of Utah on behalf of the
finance committee ajorityJ these
representing the work Of the COM
Hittee in rewriting rates. Senator
Snaeot explained that the reduc~
tions approxin1ated 4 per cent on
thread and fabrics and much larg-
er decreases In the duties on ho-
siery and gloves representing a cut
efs5e pr cent. H the case of cheap
sr grades of gloves. -
5 E1nder quest saning & from the
Democratic side, Senator Smoot
said the committee majority also
would propose some reductions on
woolen goods. but said that these
could not exceed more than per
cent. Al sharp controversy over
the WooIen schedule is forecast.
The .7-eent a pound duty on long
staple cotton was approved only
after a long fight and unsuccess-
full efforts by Senator'S Cameron,
Republican, and Ashurst, Demo
craf. Arizona. to have this figure
increased first to- Is cents and
then to 10 cents Supporting the
higher rates, Senator Ashurst told
the senate that while he was a
Democrat believing IN the policy of
tariff for revenue only, ne would
be untrue to- his trust if when a
protective tariff policy was to be
writfen into the statute books. he
sat idly by and peSnlitfed discrim-
ination against the interests OF his
state.
Opposing any rate on the staple,
santaor Stanley. Democrat, Ken
lucky. declared that itswould be a
blunder for the government to adj
vance millions to reclaim the arid
lands of the Southwest SO cotton
could be produced and then impose
a. tax on all ofgsthe people Of the
country so that the cotton might
be grown. Thfs brought a fiery
reply from Senator Ashurst who
bold of the great consumption of
Eastern made goods by the people
in the Southwest to show that re-
c,amation of the land had benefited
the whole country.
Attacking the rate with eharac-
teristic wgor. Senator Simmons of
North Carolina. the Democratic
leader in the tariff fight, declared
this was mere. illustration of
the character of tilis bila."
ssTalk about the ship subsidy
he exclaimed. This hTl is reek-
ing with subsidies. more in the ma
ture Of gratuities than the ship
subsidy will be. This is subsidy
to the growers of 100000 bales OF
cotton to be paid by the people OF
the country -nlanyt times over. In
the case of the ship subsidy the
government collects the money and
pays It over to the ship owners
hut in this case the government
would authorize and empower the
manufacturers of cotton goods to
collect the subsidy from the peo-
PIE, paying over part of it to the
cotton growers Of Arizona and put
ting the rest in their pcekts.
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