Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-01
The Attempt to Bring About a
Speedy Agreement.
NEGOTIATIONS ARE SATISFACTORY
What the Friends of the Admins
traton Say.
CON s ERV ATIVES ON TOP

Active negotiations are proceeding. both
inside the tariff conference and in infiucn-
tial quarters outside the conference. to
bring about a complete and speedy agree
ent on the tariff bill. These negotiations
are said to be proceeding satisfactorily
that congressional leaders assert that the
end is very near at hand. Those familiar
with the details of the negotiations say
they include fair concessions from both
Senate and House. On the three great
items of sugar iron and coal 1t is denied
with much emphasis on the House side
that the Senate sugar schedule and the
Senate rate on iron would prevail, and that
the House would be compensated by reci-
procity clause on coal. The House leaders
resent this report, saying that 1t would be
equivalent to a complete surrender to the
Senate. 1t is stated by those leaders in
formed of the facts that the sugar schedule
will not be that fixed by the Senate, nor
the free sugar of the House bill, but mid
die ground
Free Raw Materials.
Friends of the administration say there
is a good prospect that the Presidents s
insistence free raw materials-free iron
and free coal-will receive substantial rec
ognition, and deny as impossible all reports
that any agreement would be on the basis
of accepting the Senate rate On coal and
iron. There is good reason to believe that
Chairman Wilson and the friends of the
administration will not yield TO such
proposition. The democratic conferees
were together again for two hours today
and at the close of the meeting the House
members expressed the same confidence OF
speedy settlement that they had after the
meeting yesterday. Chairman Wilson and
Mr.. Montgomery went at once to Speaker
Crisp's private office and conferred with
him for half an hour.
Chairman Holman of the democratic eau
Gus committee also conferred with the
Speaker. Mr.. Holman said afterward that
the tariff situation had changed so material
would not be held for the present. The
oonferees would be given every opportunity
to get together. he added.
Senate Conferees Reticent.
The Senate conferees can be induced to
say but very little on the situation, and
what they do say is unsatisfactory from q
news point of view. One of them was quoted
on the floor of the Senate today saying
that there were more indications of reach
ing an understanding than there had here
tofore been. Speaking to representatives
OF the press, they say that the deadlock
continues, and that so far no common
ground has been found on the three essen
tial items of dispute, the questions of sugar.
coal and iron ore. They admit that various
propositions have been submitted to the
conference by its members, providing in
some instances for modification, and in
others merely a change of form, but de-
Care that no amendment mas yet been
proposed that can be agreed upon.
In the Senate, as whole, there is a per-
petual growth of sentiment in favor of an
early report of the bill in some shape. The
argument most frequently heard is that the
business interests of the country demand
action at as early period possible And
the bill should be no longer held in confer
ence than is necessary.
Outside the conservative Senators, those
who have demanded a duty on refined
sugar, coal and iron ore, the belief Is grow
Ing that slight notifications will in the end
be made and on the sugar schedule
Conservatives Hold the Key.
Conservative Senators, if they remain
firm and united. hold now as they have held
from the beginning the key to the situation
in the Senate. The Senate conferees feel
evidently that it Is useless to report any
bill that cannot receive forty-three demo-
cratic votes, and unless some other way
Is found out of the difficulty which would
present itself in the Senate upon the report
of a bill materially changed the chances
now appear to be that the action of the
Senate confereeS VIII be controlled largely
by this element. There are Senators who
declare that the conservatives will support
any bill reported, but they do not appear
to have so far given any intimation to this
effect