Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-28
The Vote on Lumber,

The tariff bill, in its final legislative
tnroes in the Senate, is giving the
coalition" unexpected trouble. The
peril which leaders of the coalition have
feared ever since the consideration of
rates began In the Senate has raised
its head. They feared that local and
sectional interest would combine to
stand for rates Of duty which the
dyed-in-the-wcol coalitionist would OPP
pose. Yesterday it appeared that this was
about to happen. Proponents of duty
on lumber, now on the free list, came
forward with a proposal to provide a
tariff Of So a thousand feet on i'm
ported lumber, and this was eventually
reduced to 81. The coalitionists were
able TO defeat the amendment by .
scant i've votes.
Opponents of the duty on lumber in
the coalition raised the cry in the
Senate that 'logrolling" was under way.
They charged that supporters OF in
creased duties on sugar, duties on hides,
q duty on oil and the proposed duty on
lumber were pooling their strength in
order to bring about duties on all OF
these articles. Despite this cry, the
coalition would have lost its fight
AGAINST duty on lumber had not some
Of the so-called regular Republicans
voted against the duty. Among these
regulars who opposed the duty were
Smoot of Utah, chairman Of the finance
committee; Metcalf Of Rhode Island
and Robinson Of Indiana. Such
coalitionists as Dill of washington,
Ashurst Of Arizona. Pine and Thomas
Of Oklahoma, Pittman of Nevada and
stephens Of Mississippi went over to
the side Of the duty on lumber.
The fact that the coalition was able
to defeat the proposed duty on lumber
may be considered evidence that the
proposals to levy higher duties on sugar
and to take oil and hides from the free
list and impose duties on them will
suffer q like fate. Had the lumber
duty been voted into the bill, the coali-
ton today would be in . desperate sit
uation. Today the Senate tackles the
proposed duty on oil.
The tariff, after al, Is . local is
sue" when it comes TO the details Of
fixing rates and of placing articles on
or on the free list. Progressive Demo-
Gratis support duties on industries in
their own States, and progressive Re-
publicans apparently are willing to 60
any lengths in support Of increased
duties On products Of the farm. sena-
mr. Fraxier Of North Dakota has pro-
posed an amendment to levy duty on
bread, which has always been on the
free list. The fact is that in this great
group Of States, bound together in the
Union. the interests are so diverse that
no tariff bill could be framed that would
satisfy all. The wage. Garner in the
industrial East Is against high duties
on fccdstuffs which he must buy, and
the farmer on the prairies is against
high duties on the manufactured cloth
ing, shoes and implements which he
must have.
The tariff bin, held 80 long in the
Senate, gives promise now Of emerging
from that body, tattered and torn, but
ready TO be made over In conference.
The conference bill is the hope of the
administration. OF the two houses of
Congress and Of the people generally.
The House went to one extreme In
dealing with the proposed limited re-
vision" Of the tariff. and the Senate
apparently has gone to another. Some.
where between these extremes lies the
hope Of the American people. To delay
the passage Of the bill longer in the
Senate merely continues business in
unsettled condition. The time for talk
has passed. The time to vote has long
since arrived.