Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-02
Prospects for An Agreement Are
More Hopeful.
If BRICE AND GORMAN WILL AGREE
The Matter Can Be Probably Set.
tied This Week.
HOUSE CAUCUS POSTPONED

The tariff conferees started their work
this morning in a spirit Of hopefulness.
The compromise propositions being nego-
tiated yesterday still under considera-
ton, AMI the prospect of agreement Is still
held out by Ihose whose consent will be
necessary before 1t will be worth while for
the conferees to agree. 1t was hoped that
today some sort of definite reply would be
received, but what further delays CIR serious
cbstructions may be yet encountered no one
can tell. If they get the consent Of Cor
man. Brice and Smith to the propositions
nade. 1rby, Murphy and the populists may
bob up with oLjectiors. The trouble is that
there are SO many rocks in TIE channel that
when they steer away from one they are In
danger Of striking another Still the expec-
tation Of those most concerned now Is that
they can get an agreement which will have
The support of forty-three democrats and
which will let both houses down easy. IL
they succeed in this they will still have the
republicans to deal with, and the minority
party can give them deal of trouble ii so
disposed.
The Probable Compromise.
In the compromise that 1t is suggested may
be agreed to an effort will be made to meet
the complaint that the ad valorem gives the
trust special benefit in addition to the
one eighth difrerential. There is no proba-
b:lity of the one-eighth being taken of.
AS to coal and iron ore. a proposition is
made to accept the Senate rate of ~ cents
ton for this year, with a provision for a
gradual reduction. until at the end of four
years all duty shall be abolished. These
propositions have not been agreed to, nor
are they the only ones being considered but
they appear to be the most promising.
The House VIII Yield, Too.
Whatever the Senate yields on these three
items, however, is apt to take SO much off
what the House might otherwise expect to
get as to other schedules In the bill. AS far
as tariff legislation may affect the public,
there are other schedules in the bill of
greater Importance than those which are in
public dispute but public attention has
teen directed toward these as the questions
at issue, and therefore there is more poll
tics In them. On account of this situation
the House may sacrifice matters of more
real consequence in trying to get conces-
sions on sugar, iron ere and coal.
What Senator Jones Says,
|. Senator Jones came out of the tariff con-
ference committee room about Il o'clock
today and said that the conferees were still
at work. and he hoped that a basis of
agreement might be found. He said that up
to the present time there had been nothing
done with view Of preparing a report, and
he could say that nothing had been agreed
upon absolutely. He indicated that there
might be some changes. nut maintained
that the Senate conferees knew they could
not depart far from the Senate BILL He
believed the House conferees were beginning
to realize this feature Of the contest and
intimated that some schedules would be re-
written. There seems to be a general feel
ing among members Of both houses that
compromise between the confcress will be
reached within a day or two.
The House Caucus Deferred.
Chairman Holman Of the House demo-
cratic caucus committee conferred with
Representative Springer as to the proposed
caucus today, and then authorized the fol-
lowing statement: while the call for the
caucus Is signed. 1t has been considered de-
sirable, after consultation with MrSprrg ger
that the caucus be deferred until the cen
ferees reached the conclusion that there
was no hope Of breaking their deadIo ck
There has never baen the remotest desire
to interfere with the con nrc-ces N their eff
fort to reach an agreement.
The caucus Was proposed and will lie
held only as maaus of considering a rem
edy when the chance of breaking the dead
lock Is hopeless"
An Unusually Long Session.
The democratic tariff conferees held an
unusually long session today, lasting from
10 am. until 80 pm, and then, after a
few minutes for lunch, continued through
the afternoon. No agreement had been
reached up to the noon recess. The con-
ferees said, however, that fair progress was
being made. One Of the House men said 1t
would take two or three days yet before 1t
could be said. with certainty, that a bill
would be agreed on. As heretofore sugar,
iron ore and coal are the items at issue
AS to iron and coal, there seems to be
good ground for the report that a sliding
scale compromise Is under consideration, by
which the 40 cents per ton duty will be
gradually reduced during the next three or
four years until entirely extinguished. 1t
is understood that this plan commends
itself to the President and Mr. Wilson, as
1t will In time bring realization Of free
raw materials