Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-18
.25 MORE CALLED
IN TARIFF HEARING
Committee May Hold Night
Sessions in Efforts to
End Work.
BY the Associated Press.

OCtCAH1AicO W COHCiuue the HEARINGS
1t began June 10 on the House tariff
bill, the Senate finance committee today
called IS witnesses to continue testi-
mony on the measures administrative
provisions.
Chairman Smoot said night session
would be held If the proceedings Jagged.
He wants to have the hearings printed
in time for the Republicans to begin
rewriting the bill in executive session
by Monday.
Opposition to the proposal of railroad
and ferry interests to exempt them from
the provision requiring these carriers
and steamship companies to pay for
overtime of customs inspectors was
voiced by w. H. Bond, on behalf OF the
National Association Of Customs In
Spectors. The opponent of the pro-
vision claim 1t places an unjust burden
on them.
Customs Mems Preference.
Bond said the customs men who work
eight hour a day and are under civil
service prefer to have the interests
accommodated pay for services rendered
beyond eight hours. Requiring the rail-
roads and ferries to pay these emer-
gency expenses, he said, acts as a
deterrent to overtime work.
duty of 81 a barrel on petroleum
with compensatory duties on its products
was requested today by representatives
of Mid-Continent Producers before one
subcommittee.
The domestic producers were per-
mitted to appear because none were
present to oppose the demands last
week of representatives of American
companies operating in Latin American
countries that petroleum be kept on the
free list Senator Pine Of Oklahoma,
said the importation of cheap Foreign
oil was largely responsible for the de-
preston in the oil producing business
in this country and protection from
foreign production was needed.
Advocate Of Oil Duty.
w. Scott Haywood of Jennings. La.
representing the independent producers.
ard Royalty owners of Louisiana, and
Gov. Huey P. Long of Louisiana. said
he had advocated duty on foreign i'm
ported petroleum since 1926.
Haywood charged the major oil COM
panies in this country, through their
influence with State officials, had sue
ceeded in inaugurating the present
production curtailment program in
States. and then had sunk their own
wells and added to surplus production.
The majcr companies. he said, have
used importation of cheap foreign petro-
leum as "a club to beat down the
domestic production and its price"
The Standard Oil companies, Hey
wood said, have fought the proposed
tariff because 1t was producing most of
the foreign OIL in Venezuela and Colon
bia imported into this country.
He said the Standard and its afi-
lated companies had placed low price
on the foreign oil SO they could drive
the price of domestic production so low
they could buy it for song"
Opponents Dominate Price.
Haywood said the companies opposing
the proposed petroleum duty donli-
mated the price and production of petro-
leum in this country and controlled the
importationS of foreign oil.
He said that If the independent pro-
ducers were not protected by tariff on
petroleum they would demand con-
greSSional investigation into the policies,
practices. price-fixing records, books and
relationship of control of the major
oil companies.
Senator Reed, Republican, pennsyl-
vania, asked If it were not true that
the Standard interests would not also
profit on their domestic production if
a duty Of 81 barrel was applied.
Haywood said he thought the pipe
line ard gasoline refinery interests
would absorb the duty. He said also
he would like to see the Government
take over the regulation of the oil in
dustry, ascertain the costs of produc-
ton and Ak the prices.
Standard Doesn't Want Change.
Representative Howard Of Oklahoma
f{v1rr fIaa Tv1Inny1Innf Dat
Association of America, who said the
group advocating q duty on petroleum
had agreed to ask for 81 barrel
duty appeared in support of the amend
mentS of Senators Thomas and Pine,
Oklahoma, for a tariff on petroleum
and its products.
IT want to correct an impression that
some are trying to make" Howard said,
that the Standard Oil and its asso-
ciates are asking for or are favorable
10 a tariff on oil. think it but fair
this tariff and I challenge any one to
prove to the contrary
He said that as a result of the ex-
cess supply of crude petroleum, thou
sands of small oil properties are being
operated at loss and thousands OF
employees are idle and thousands of
the smaller oil wells are being pulled
nLlQ anu QdLldkG
is being done by the extremely low
price paid for crude petroleum. Ten
per cent Of the American consumption
of crude petroleum is imported from
foreign countries by the master oil
companies to the great detriment of
the individual oil producers and the oil
business generally"
Two More Complaints.
The State Department yesterday for
warded to the committee two more for
eien communications complaining of
the House rates on granite and matches.
The protests came from the Swedish
Match Co. and the Association of
Swedish Granite Industries.
John E. Edgerton, president Of the
National Association Of Manufacturers
and James A. Emery, the organizations
general counsel, witnesses, yesterday in
dorsed the provisions continuing in force
the flexible tariff clause, which permits
the President to raise or lower import
duties and changing the formula for
the basis Of administrative rate adjust
ment to equalizing the difference be-
tween foreign and domestic conditions
of competition in the principal domestic
markets. The present formula Is based
on differences in cost of production
alone.
Alfred p. Thorn, counsel for the As
ISOLATION of Railway Executives, urged
amendments to the bill to exclude fer
ries and railroads from the provision to
require steamship lines to pay for over
time OF customs employees.