Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-04

The Tariff Talked OF at the Meeting of tn
Columbian Commission.

The Tariff Talked OF at the Meeting of the
Columbian Commission.
CHICAGO. Sept. AT the opening of the ma
tional Columbian commission this morning
a communication from President Baker
OF the local worlds fair corporation
asking the cooperation of the ma
tional commission in securing loan
of $4,000, 900 from the government for the use
Of the fair to be repaid out of the first receipts
and a resolution of the executive committee of
the commission indorsing the request were
read and referred to the committee on Judi
ciarv.
Commissioner Towsiey of Minnesota pre-
scented q resolution to the effect that the reso-
luton heretofore passed for the appointment
OF a committee to recommend certain modii-
cations of the tariff law in the interests of the
exposition be reconsidered and expunged from
the minutes
In speaking to his resolution Mr.. Towsley
said that the rules of the Treasury Department
provided for the whole work which it was pro-
posed for the committee to do in the matter of
the admission of the goods intended for ex-
hibition at the fair.
This action Of the commission, he said was
liable to misconstruction; it had been publicly
nlisconstrued as an attack by the commission
on the Mckinley law. Furthermore, il would
put the commission at odds with Congress and
would interfere with its work in securing the
proposed S5,00O,000 for the fair. Com
missioner Hams of Virginia. the author
of the resolution which 1t was proposed to
rescind. said the resolution was not aimed at
the Mckinley law it would apply alike TO the
old tariff law or to the Mills bill had il become
Law.
The resolution was entirely non-political: its
object vas merely to relieve foreign exhibitors
of unjus, burdens After a long discussion
the resolution for the appointment OF 4 COM
mittee was reconsidered by vote OF 81
yeas TO % nays. and ii was referred TO
the committee on legislation after Commits
sioner Walker Of Connecticut had made a
speech deprecating the political turn which
the matter had taken in the public
press ard IN the commission. He
declared that no politics was thought of when
the resolution was passed and said that when
the democrats got ready to fight the Mckinley
law they would do it openly, not under cover
OF an Insignificant resolution.
A resolution pledglug the commission to take
mp and consider the sunday closing question as
soon if should properly come before that
body unanimously passed.
The auditing committee presented its report.
showing an estimated excess of expenses BY
the commission for the year ending July LIST
next over the appropriation of SIS. 900. In
order 10 avoid this the committee recommended
the April meeting of the commission be post
poned to July; that the pay roll of the director
general be reduced by 5000; that the salaries
of 5000 each of the president OF the commits
sion and the vice chairman of the executive
committee be discontinued after October /.
Vice Chairman Mckenzie of Kentucky said
that the report seemed to be aimed at him. II
appeared that there was a conspiracy to elimi-
nate him from the commission. This was I'M
necessary. as in his own good time he
would eliminate himself. The whole trouble
was that he had refused to sanction
a report Of the finance committee which lac
had not had an opportunity to see. The repor,
was referred to the committee on bylaws and
the commission aijearned till 2 o'clock this
afternoon.