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Show I mm says TARIFF BILL IS INDEFENSIBLE Senator Bristow Charges That Free Trade Is Apparently Purpose of Underwood Measure Advocates. AMENDMENT URGED TO SUGAR SCHEDULE President Wilson Does Not Propose to Commit Himself Him-self to Minor Changes Being Suggested. WASHINGTON", May 13. Senator Simmons, chairman of tho finance committee, com-mittee, and Senator Penrose, leading tho Republican fight to refer (.ho Un-denvood Un-denvood bill with instructions for pub-lie pub-lie hearings, delivered oratorical broad sides against each other in tho senate today in debato on the Penroso amendment, amend-ment, which .will bo resumed tomorrow. I Senator Ponroso likened tho secret caucus cau-cus of tho Democrats of tho house on tho tariff bill to tho "modes of tho Spnnish inquisition," and brought Jaughtcr from both sides whon ho declared de-clared that no ono was present at tho caucus to witness "tho murder of American industries." Senator Simmons declared that if tho Democratic purpose to climinato hearings hear-ings could lie called reprehensible it was tho first time tho Democratic party par-ty had copied tho methods of tho Republicans Re-publicans and he argued at length why public hearings wcro not necessary, averring that they wcro not oven demanded. de-manded. In tho debate Senator Ponroso referred re-ferred to Senator Simmons 's nttitudc on tho lurabor schedulo four years ago whon the Payno-Aldrich bill was under consideration. Senator Simmons an-wa an-wa swerod that tho Underwood bill pro-l pro-l vided for everything ho advocated four I I years ago if lumber was to bo placed Kb on tho frco list. III "That being so," ho said, "I will fl voto with plcasuro for freo lumber." II Amendment Offered. Kg Senator Bristow offered an amend- fiS inent to tho sugar schedulo providing jjff for graduated reductions for two throo- W year periods, at tho ond of which time. Bl refinod pugnr would bo taxed at 1.27V6 M conts per hundred pounds and "AO" B- Cuban sugar at .0972 conts. B "I am vory earnestly in favor of B revision of the tariff," said Senator B Bristow. "But I am not in favor of B free trade, and as inconsistent and faul- B ty as this bill is, that apparently is B tho purposo of its advocates." B llo dcuounced tho Underwood bill as B "moro indefensiblo from tho stand- B point of principle than the Payno-Ald- B rich law." B When the senator had concluded his B attack on tho Democratic bill, Senator IB La Follotto proposed an amendment to H tho Underwood bill providing public IB hearings. H Senator Bacon then moved that tho fll eonato go into dxecutivo session. This B motion provailod, -iS to 'M, Senators La IB Follotto anil Works voting with tho B Democrats. This forced further consid- fl oration of tho tariff over until toraor- H Question to Answer. B Sonator La Follctto's amondmeut, B which was accepted by Senator Pon- B rose, provides that manufacturers who B might appear or filo briefa before the B finauco committeo bo required to an- H BWpr under oath sixteon questions re- B Jating to tho commodity through manu- Hj fucture: raw material used; tho amount B of production; tho amount of goods B consumed in this country; tho amount fl of labor consumed in tuoir manufac- B turo; the markot price in this and com B poting countries; the percentage of la-B la-B nor cost hero and abroad; transporta tion cost to principal markets here and abroad; what part of tho existing tariff tar-iff duty represents difference in cost of production hero and abroad, and what part of the tariff duty represents profit of tho American manufacturer. Error Is Admitted. Senator Thomas admitted during tho debate that his statement to tho sonato last Friday that laborers in the western beot fields received 22 cents per dny was incorrect. Ho said that ho found adult laborors in those fields were paid from $1.50 to $2 a day, but that women wom-en and children received much Joss. Senator Smith of Michigan, referring to a batch .of telegrams which ho said camo from boot raisers in the west, declared de-clared that according to figures in them, laborers received from $2.50 to $3 per dny. He added that the fact that Senator Thomas, a membor of tho finance committee, admitted that he had made fuch a mistake was a good reason for holding hoarings on tho bill. "It wns just such inaccuracies as this showing tho lack of reliable information in-formation that prompted me to sueccst that wo ought to havo hearings," said Mr. Smith. Senator Lippitt characterised the nnance sub-committee privato hearings of manufacturers as "star chamber ses sions." Replies to Charge. Iiepl3-ine; to this, Senator Simmons said: "Tho Democratic party has copied the exact methods of the Republican Repub-lican party four years ago." lie asked tho Republicans why. if thoy were sincere sin-cere in their domand for public hearings, hear-ings, they did not demand them immediately imme-diately after tho financo committee had voted three weeks ago against holding them, Senator Ponroso said he did give notice no-tice then that ho would make such a domand ns soon as the motion would bo in order. "At that time," said Senator Sen-ator Penrose, "tho tariff bill was be-ine; be-ine; considered in a secret caucus -over in the house, a most ex'trnordinary method for treatment of such an important im-portant monsure with no one present in tho galleries to witness the murder of American industry. T would not re-for re-for to it as a 'staT chambor ' proceeding, proceed-ing, but rather a vigorous imitation of tho methods of tho Spanish inquisition." Scheme Is Alleged. Senator Simmons charged that what the Tfopublicans sought through public hearings was an opportunity to arrange for "stump spocchc by the intorosts and to give tho gentlemen representing the interests grown rich uuder Republican Repub-lican administration another opportunity oppor-tunity to declare that if the Payne-Aldrich Payne-Aldrich rates are reduced 1 per ccut thoir industries will bo dcstro3Tcd; to civo them a chance to make an appeal from the judgmont of tho country expressed ex-pressed in thq last election." Tho amendment ofored by Senator Bristow of Kansas to the sugar schedulo would fix the duties on "ninoty-six Cuban sugar" at $1.M for three years, $1.50 for the next, throo years, then to bo reduced to $0,972. Tho amondmont would eliminate tho provisions relating relat-ing to the Dutch standard. These duties, Senator Bristow said, ho was convincod. would ho ample protection in view of tho development of the beet sugar industry, Wilson Is Cautious. WASHINGTON", May 13. President Wilson Iihh taken tho position that he ought not to commit himself in any way with respect to numerous minor amendments to tho tariff bill being iuggested by Democrats. Socrotary Tfedficld had a half hour's talk with tho president beforo tho cabinet cabi-net meeting tu'lay and declared he believed unimportant changes would bo made, but that if the president consented con-sented to certain ones he would be besieged be-sieged with requests to open up other schedules. Secretary Redncld said that sinco it had bcomo known that an inquiry in-quiry was to be made by tho bureau of domestic and foreign commerco into wages and industrial conditions in connection con-nection with the tariff bill, some requests re-quests had come from manufacturers themselves invitiner such an investigation. investiga-tion. These wcro based, however, raoro on tho belief that the. inquiry would be tho basis for tariff rates than an examination as to the effects of tho bill lifter it had become a law. |