The Washington times., 1931-02-26
TARIFF BATTLE
SPL|TSPARTY
IN HOUSE
Kansas Representative Hits
New England Opposition;
Sees Industry in Danger

Republican harmony in the
House today was threatened with
the prospect of being "bOiled in
oil" as leaders reSOrted to extraOr-
dinary measures to avert a wide
open party split over oil tariff
and embargo demands.
While a special Republican COM
mittee named by Speaker Long
worth was toiling in an effort to
find compromise to satisfy both
the independent oil producers and
the consuming East, a canvass
was made to enlist so oil State
members in a boycott OF the Re
publican caucus slated for to-
night.
Party DiSOrganized
The House, overwhelmingly Re
publican, and usually ready to do
the bidding of the triumvirate,
composed of Speaker Nicholas
Longworth, Republican Floor
Leader Tilson, and Chairman
Smell, of the Rules Committee,
presented a picture of utter dis
organization.
The party caucus was called
to renominate Speaker Longworth
for that post in the next Con-
greSS, which, on the basis of the
election of last November, is
Republican only by hair-trigger
majority.
With about Is Western progress
SiveS refusing to attend because
they demand assurance of a
liberalization of rules before they
will commit themselves on party
organization, the oil situation put
new troubles Ln the shoulders of
the party leaders.
Representative John E. Nelson
(RO of Maine insists nothing
shall be done to prevent New En-
gland factories from obtaining
cheap fuel oil from Venezuela and
other foreign countries.
Representative James G. Strong
(R0, Kansas, aSSailed the New
England bloc which waited upon
Speaker Longworth and demanded
that the Oil bill be killed.
PACSCAOoOAVC SOIOAS dCCuSCU
the New England members of
wanting protection for their own
industries, but free trade in oil"
Independents Face Ruin
The Kansas member described
the situation in the Mid-Western
oil belt as a precarious one. with
the independent producers facing
ruin because of foreign importa-
tions of petroleum and approx
mately 100000 men out of work.
Representative Strong said:
There must be legislation
restricting foreign oil impOrta-
tionS, as proposed in the Cap
per-Garber bills, or the dOmes-
tic industry is in danger of de-
StructiOn.
"In Kansas alone we have
about 10000 oil wells ar be-
cause of Over-production the
oil men of Kansas, Texas, Okla
hOma, Wyoming and other
States have cut down produc-
tiOn to about 10 per cent of the
normal output. Some large
wells are operating only a few
days year. While this goes
on here oil imports are in
CreaSing.
Calls Viewpoint Selfish
81 understand the New Eng
land members of Congress have
gone to the Speaker in OppOsi-
tiOn to any oil embargo. This
is a selfish viewpOint-the en-
cOuragement of importation of
a foreign product which will
have only the effect of depreSs-
ing our American industry and
the destruction of our independ-
ent operators. Such a policy is
both un-American and unecO-
nOmic.
New England seems strong
for protection on its own in
duStrieS but now wants free
trade in oil.
"A number of Western Re-
publicanS have gone along with
New England for a protective
tariff on various things, al
though we have cOntended for
years that the East has had a
greater proportion of the bene-
fits than the West. Now, in
return for our help heretofore,
we find New England interests
for free trade in oil and stand
ing for the unrestricted import
of petroleum, which jeOpardizes
our home industry.
Killing Great Industry
I'm other words, New Eng.
land wants to enjoy the pro
tective tariff on the goods it
produces and sells but wants
free trade in foreign oil, which
1t purchases for manufacturing
fuel, regardless of the fact that
1t is killing great industry out
in my section of the country.
Unless this situation improves
thousands of oil wells in the
Midwest will have to be cap
ped and that means deteriOra-
tiOn."
The special House Subconmit-
tee wrestling with the conflicting
demands of the Eastern and
Western groups in the House
comprises Chairman Hawley (R.O
Oregon. of the Ways and Means
Committee, and Representatives
Treadway (R0, Massachusetts,,
and Bacharach (RD, New jersey
Sitting in as advisors are Rep
resentative Nelson CRD, Maine
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