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'AUGUST 18, 1911
The Commoner.
11
WASHINGTON NEWS
President Taft has signed the reap
portionment bill increasing the house
membership from 391 to 433 with
two more for Arizona and New
Mexico when admitted.
General P. H. Barry, of Greeley,
Neb., has' been appointed a member
. of the board of trustees of the na
tional soldiers' home.
Senator W. P. Frye died at his
home in Lewiston, Me., aged seventy
nine. He began service in the senate
In 1881 and his present term would
have expired in 1913. Governor
Plaisted, democrat, will appoint a
successor.
The steel trust investigating com
mittee has asked Mr. Taft for more
documents in the steel trust case.
George W. Perkins, director of the
steel trust was a witness and was
asked about the trust contributions
to the republican campaign fund. He
refused to answer and Chairman
Stanley threatened him with con
tempt decision. It was later de
cided to abandon this on the theory
that the committee did not have
authority to press contempt proceedings.
An Associated Press report says:
Charges across the committee table
that technical questions were being
raised to keep back evidence in the
investigation of the Dr. Wiley case,
created excitement in the house com
mittee on expenditures in' the agri
cultural department during the fur
ther examination of Solicitor McCabe
of. that department. Solicitor Mc
Cabe admitted to the committee that
in officially publishing for the de
partment of agriculture a court de
cision in a' Missouri pure food case,
he had changed several words in the
judgment of the court. The change
eliminated benzoate of soda from the
decree holding certain substances
deleterious. Solicitor McCabe ad
mitted that William H. Harris, a
coffee expert, is employed in the bu
reau of chemistry under terms ex
actly similar to those in the case of
Dr. Rusby, which McCabe refused to
sanction and which brought about
the charges against Dr. Wiley. Mc
Cabe insisted there was a difference
in that Harris was the only coffee ex
pert the department could employ.
An Associated Press dispatch says:
The investigation of the "Wiley inci
dent" in the department of agricul
ture revolving aTound the charges
that Dr. Harvey W. Wiley, as chief
chemist, employed an expert scien
tist at an illegal rate of payment,
reached an acute stage in the Moss
committee of inquiry of the house
of representatives. Evidence show
ing that words "benzoic acid" and
substituted the word "caffein" before
circulating a judgment rendered
against a food manufacturer in a
Missouri court, was only one Incident
in a session full of lively clashes be
tween members of the committee and
attorneys.
An Associated Press dispatch said:
Oakleigh Thorne, president of the
Trust company of America, which
became involved in the financial
panic of 1907, the affairs of which
have been linked with the taking
over of the Tennessee Coal and Iron
company by the United States steel
corporation during that crisis, fol
lowed George W. Perkins as a wit
ness before the house committee of
inquiry into the affairs of the steel
mrnnration. Mr. Thome forcibly
declared, contrary to the testimony I
given by Mr. Perkins and many other
witnesses, that the Trust company
of America was not the "chief sore
point" of trouble at the time it was
necessary to save the brokerage firm
of Moore & Schley. He surprised
the committee with the declarations
that he was certain undue attention
had been directed toward his com
pany in that crisis, and he denied any
knowledge of the agreement testi
fied to by Mr. Perkins, that the tak
ing over of the Tennessee Coal and
Iron company by the steel corpora
tion to save Moore & Schley from
ruin, was dependent upon the bank
ers of New York raising money to
save the other horn of the dilemma,
the Trust company of America and
the Lincoln Trust company.
The New Mexico and Arizona state
hood bill passed the senate by a
vote of 63 to 18 after rejection of
the Nelson amendment which pro
posed striking out of the Arizona
constitution its judiciary recall pro
vision. The bill compels Arizona to
submit the recall proposition to the
voters for final decision as to whether
it shall remain in the constitution.
It is freely predicted that President
Taft will veto the bill.
Senator Bailey, of Texas, has re
signed from the national monetary
commission. He said that he would
have objected to the majority report,
but if the commission is to be dis
charged December 4 he would not
have time to prepare his minority
report.
Senator Cummins of Iowa says
the monetary commission is a piece
of useless extravagance.
The house has passed the senate
bill relieving homesteaders in Ne
braska, South Dakota, Colorado,
Oklahoma, North Dakota, Wyoming,
New Mexico, Arizona, Washington
and Oregon from residence and cul
tivation on their lands was passed
in the house. The president will
undoubtedly sign the bill when he
returns from Beverly.
IT IS NOW UP TO MR. TAFT
The conference committee agreed
August 11th on the wool bill and
farmers' free list bill. The Associ
ated Press report of the conference
proceedings follows:
The bill was so amended as to re
quire that the proposed law shall
take effect October 1 instead of
January 1, as provided in the senate
and house measures. The conferees
hope to have the report adopted in
both houses tomorrow and the bill
quickly staTted on its course to the
white house, where the president is
expected to veto it.
The free list bill was under con
sideration for about fifteen minutes,
but the conflict between the repre
sentatives of the two houses was so
pronounced that it became necessary
to postpone action until tomorrow
afternoon.
After fixing 29 per cent ad valorem
as the duty on raw wool-, and chang
ing the wool classification so as to
conform to the language of the house
bill, the agreement on other features
became a matter of detail. At times
there were sharp differences of opin
ion, but at no time was l disagree
ment on that measure threatened.
The change of classification has
the effect of fixing a flat duty on all
wools, and while It reduces the rates
on ordinary wools from 35 per cent, J
as provided In' the senate diu, ana
increases those of the house bill
from 20 per cent it also Increases
the rates on carpet wools from 10
per cent, as provided In the senato
bill, to 20 per cent fixed by the con
ferees. In most respects the duties on tho
manufactures of wool .wore increased
ovor tho rates of the houso bill and
reduced below those of the senate
bill so as to make them correspond
with tho raw wool but In some in
stances they were made higher than
those of either measure.
A rate of 29 per cent on noils and
wastes was agreed to while a rate
of 35 per cent was determined upon
for combed wool and tops, including
roving and roping, and of 39 per
cent on yarns.
There was a compromise In the
matter of classification on cloths,
dress goods, clothing, webbings,
blankets and flannels. In the Iioubo
bill these subjects were covered in
five paragraphs, whereas Mr. La
Follette in tho bill as adopted by
tho senato embraced all In one para
graph. As the subject will be covered in
tho conference report, blankets and
flannels will be treated in one para
graph, with a rate of 30 per cont,
the house rate, while tho other ar
ticles are made dutiable at the rate
of 49 per cent, which is an Increase
over the house rate of from 4 to 14
per cent, and a reduction from tho
senate rate of 6 per cent. This
paragraph will cover cloths, knit
fabrics, unwoven gelts, women's and
children's dress goods, coat linings,
ready made clothing, shawls, web
bings, flouncings, fringes, laces and
embroideries.
A similar compromise was effected
on carpets, resulting in the fixing of
three classes, Instead of one, as In
the senate bll, and nine classes In
the house bill.
Class one of today is compromise
and includes Aubusson, Axmlnster,
Moquette, Chenille, Saxony, Wilton,
Tournay, velvet carpets and oriental,
Berlin and similar rugs and the rate
is fixed at 50 per cent, which Is 15
per cent higher than the senate rate
and 10 per cent higher than the
house rate on most of the articles.
On the second class of carpets tho
rate was made 40 per cent. It in
cludes Brussels carpets and velvet
and tapestry velvet carpets against
30 and 35 per cent In the house bill
and 35 in the senate bill.
The third class rate of 38 per cent
Is made to cover tapestry Brussels,
treble ingrain, druggetts and car
petlngs not otherwise provided for.
These are the cheaper carpets, and
the house bill fixed a rate of from
25 to 30 per cent on them while the
senate rate was 35 per cent.
After the disposal of the wool bill
the free list bill was laid before the
conference. Mr. Underwood an
nounced tho absolute refusal of the
house to accept the senate amend
ments confining the free admission
of meats and cereals to those con
ing from countries with which the
United States has reciprocal trade
agreements, which would confine the
free importation of those articles to
imports from Canada. He stated
also that the house would Insist
upon adding lemons to the free list.
"I will never sign a conference re
port on those lines," said Senator
Bailey, almost before the chairman
of the house conferees had oppor
tunity to complete his outline of the
house position.
With this decided difference of
opinion, which marked the expres
sions of all the conferees, making
agreement impossible at the time,
Mr. Underwood made an effort to
obtain the consent of all parties to
report a disagreement. Mr. Bailey
was again obdurate.
"I am frank enough to say," said
he, "that I am never going to agree
to a 'disagreement unless I am sure
that wo can sustain ourselves In the
senate."
Soon aftor tho conferees met it
was learned definitely that Represen
tative Underwood and Senator La
Follotto, tho sub-committee in con
ference, had boon only 2 cents
apart on raw wool. Mr. Underwood
hold out for a duty of 27 per cont
ad valorem, while Mr. La Follotto In
sisted on 30 per cont. The full com
mittco split the difference and com
promlsed.on 29 per cent.
Tho free list bill, it wns said,
could be agreed on In short ordor,
but there seemed to be a disposition
In the conference to hold It back
until an agreement was forced on
wool.
At the beginning of tho conferonco
Mr. La Follette urged 30 per cent
on ordinary raw wool. Mr. Under
wood would not consent to a higher
duty than 27 per cont. Ultimately
Mr. Bailey huggCBted a compromise
of 28 per cent. Mr. Underwood
said he would accept 29 per cent If
the houso classification should pre
vail. Mr. La Follotto agreed to this.
In the absence of Senator Penrose
Senator Cullom presided and for tho
first time In history of tho conferonco
was, on motion of Senator Bailey,
opened to the press.
Continuing its work, tho con
ference fixed the rate on wool wastes
and shoddies at 29 por cont to cor
respond with the rate on regular
wastes. This was an Increase over
the house rate, which was 20 per
cent. It was also a practical In
crease over tho sonnto rates, which
ranged from 25 to 30 per cent, but
tho change was made to meet a sug
gestion of Mr. Underwood that a
rate lower than that fixed on wool
itself would result in flooding tho
country with wastes.
At this point a recess was taken
until 2:15 p. m.
Confidence was expressed that
complete agreement would bo
reached on both tho wool bill and
the free list bill In time to report
them tomorrow, thus Insuring action
early next week.
Today's action Is expected to effect
earlier adjournment.
President Taft has indicated that
he would veto any wool bill growing
out of the conference.
No doubt is expressed in either
house of congress regarding tho ac
ceptance of the conference report on
tho wool bill. Members of the ways
and means committee of the houso
say that no other meeting of that
body will be necessary, as Mr. Under
wood has authority to close the ne
gotiations. Tho eleven insurgent republican
senators who voted for the La Fol
lette bill originally and who here
tofore have held out for not less
than 30 per cent, will accept 29 in
view of the Increase made on wasto
and carpet wools.
Most senators and members are
counting confidently on a final ad
journment of the session late next
week.
IN TIIE SWIM
A reviewer in tho Now York Na
tion illustrates his own comments on
a certain new volume of essays by
a story that is worth putting Into
circulation. Three hearers, he says,
of the admired Dr. X., were talking
In the vestibule after the sermon.
"We must admit," remarked tho
first, "that the doctor dives deeper
into his subject than any other
preacher." "Yes," said the second,
"and stays under longer." "And.
comes up drier," added the third.
Western Christian Advocate.
A LOVING CHILD
Pupil (to schoolmaster) "Sir,
would you mind taking great care
how you draw up my report? My
parents suffer dreadfully from
nerves." Fliegendo Blaetter.
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