The record-union., 1894-07-18
TARIFF BILL.
Formal Conferences of Senate and
House Conferrees.

Formal Conferences of Senate and
House Conferrees.
WASHINGTON, July IL. = The first
formal conference on the tariff bill with
all the Senate and House members, both
Democrats and Republicans present, was
held to-day, and continued only about an
hour. An adjournment was then taken
until o'clock tomorrow. The proceed
ings of the full conference consisted in an
effort on the part of the Democrats to en-
tighten their Republican colleagues upon
the elements of disagreement between the
members of the two houses, without re-
vealing the methods by which they have
sought to get together or the details OF
the proceedings OF the Democratic con- :.
ferenceS.
1t had been expected that the Repupli-
can conferrees would at the outset indulge
in some criticism on having been kept
cut of the conference during its initial
stage, but the Republicans had little 10
say beyond formal greetings, and waited
until Senator Voorhees,, as head OF the
Democratic conferrees, made somewhat
formal and full statement of the situa-
ton. He said no discourtesy TO the Re-
publicans had been intended. The meet
ings had not been conference meetings,
but had been confined to an effortto bring
about some settled policy among the DEM
ocratic conferrees.
Voorhees, added that he was frank to
confess that the efforts toward agreement
had not proved successful. The features
of disagreement were then gone into an
considerable length by Mr.. V oorheeS and
his associates. The result is that the coal.
sugar, wool and cotton schedules had
| been the bone and contention, but he did
not give particulars i'll any case except
that of sugar, with reference to which it
was stated the House members had indi-
Gated willingness to grant some duty on
that article, but had objected to the differ
entail duty on refined isugar.
On the other articles which had been
the basis of disagreement Senator Voor-
hees and the Democratic members of the
conference gave their views, saying that
the Democratic conference had con-
tended on each side for it's own bill.
This had been especially true in metal
and woolen schedules, the Senate amend
ments to which had been strongly OBJ
jected to by the Democratic House con-
ferrees. They said among other spe-
cial articles in the metal schedule the
Senate members had held out for iron
ore, and the House their rates on ore con-
tanning silver, cutlery and steel rails.
They had also demanded-so it was re-
ported to the full conference-free coal.
In the general discussion the Repub-
lican con1errees gathered that sugar, iron
ore, coal, the wooden schedule, cotton
schedule and silver lead-bearing ores
were the chief questions of disagreement.
The question finally arose as to what
would be done now that the full confer
ence had assembled. IT was suggested
by Senator Aldrich that the bill should
be taken up item by item and considered
by Republicans aud Democrats, but the
point was raised that this appeared to be
hardly worth while, in view of what the
Democrats had just disclosed, that there
was no prospect of agreement on the
main question.
There was no further proposition SUBJ
mitted and no programme outlined and
the conference adjourned until o'clock
tomorrow, the Democratic conferrees
agreeing to meet prior to that hour to
further consider the course to be pur-
sued.
AS result OF the days meeting the
Republican conferrees concluded that
general disagreement would be reported
10 both houses within few days. There
was no distinct statement or proposition
to this effect but it appeared to be the
only conclusion to be drawn from what
had occurred.