The herald., 1894-08-01
THE TARIFF SITUATION.
Conference Deadlock Break
ing Up.
Prospects Of Agreement Much
Improved.
House Members of the Conference
Show Great Hopefulness.
An Agreement on Coal, Iron and Sugar
Now Possible Acceptable to Both
Parties and the House OF
Representatives
By the Associatsd Prsss.


deadlock 10 breaking up. After being to-
gether two hours this afternoon, the
house conierees said positively there
would be an agreement this week. One
of the conferees added that substantial
CONCESSIONS would be made to the house.
The senate conferees say it stands very
much as it has stood all along. The
house conferees insist, If the bill is re-
ported back on the lines they propose,
it will be found that there are votes
enough in the senate to pass it. and
urge the senate conferees to give the
bill trial on those lines.
The prospects OF an agreement ON the
tariff were much improved today. For
the first time in many days the house
Democratic conferees came from the
meeting with the statement that previ-
GUS irrsconcilable differences were in
process Of amicable sdjustment. With
much satisfaction the house members
stated to their associates that the SEN
ators had shown . disposition for the
frat time to meet the house half way.
AS to when full agreement would be
perfected there was some differences oil
opinion. One house conrersv said ii
would probably bs this week. Another
thought it would be "soon."
Chairman Wilson would not even
admit that the understanding had gone
far enough to warrant the prediction OF
spsedy report. he said, however, that
the conferees had at least done business
and made progress today, which was
more than could have been said of past
meetings. The senate conferees came
from the meeting without showing the
hopefulness OF the house mem bers.
They said the conference was as far from
an agreement as it had been. While
there was this conflict among those
thoroughly informed OF the inside work.
ings of the conference. the general belief
prevailed that the hopefulness of tho
house conierees had some substantial
foundation.
One OF the conferees said that while
no final agreement had been made ON
iron, coal and sugar, yet sufficient had
been developed in conference to show
that an agreement could be reached on
these three most important items, which
would be acceptable to the senate and
house conferees and to the house of
representatives. Whether it would be
acceptable to the full senate this con fer.
once expressed some doubt. In this
connection it developed today that Sen.
ator Caffery of Louisiana, who has been
most active on the sugar question, had
long, and it is said, satisfactory, confer
ence yesterday with Speaker Crisp and
Chairman Wilson.
While the house conferees were 90
pleased at the bright outlook. their sem
atorial colleagues contented themselves
with saying that while they were hope
full OF reaching an understanding, moth
ing had transpired in the conference to
base this hope upon. They declare that
on the essential items OF disagreement
the conferees are as far apart as they
ever were.
An increased hopefulness that . bill
will be sgreed upon is noticeable. how
ever, upon the part of the Democratic
senators who are not members of the
conference. One of the leading conserva-
tive senators said, as he was leaving the
senate chamber tonight. that the tariff
bill would be finally sgreed upon by
next Monday, and he added that the
bill would be virtually the senate bill.
The day developed the possibility OF 4
report Of partial agreement, and while
this report at fret appeared as a vague
rumor, its probability was afterwards
confirmed by senators not members OF
the conference committee. The fact that
the conferees had the schedules other
than those relating to sugar, coal and
iron ore under consideration today is one
fact in confirmation OF the report.
WILSON'S FRIENDS sANGUINE.
Friends OF the Wilson bill were full OF |
hope today. They assured the chairman
and others OF the house oonferees on the
tariff that the house Democrats could |
now be depended upo TO stand by this
bill to the end. Chf4rman Wilson and
his friends are likely to takc conspicu-
ous part in the caucus.
Short Senate Session.