The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-10
WANT FREE COAL.
Sudden Flop of the House
Conferees.
AN AGREEMENT IN SIGHT.
When the Tariff Tinkerers Went
All to Pieces.
WILSON DEFENDS CLEVELAND.
Strange That the Trouble Should
Have Arisen Over the Duty
on Coal.
WILSON DEFENDS CLEVELAND

WASHINGTON, aug. - lie DeInOcIdtiC
tariff conference had expected to be able
to announce an agreement to-day. 1n-
stead of reaching any definite conclusion
the day closed with the bill in quite as
uncertain state as ever before In its his
tory, with the situation in no wise i'm
proved. with the feeling between the
friends OF the Senate and House bill in
tensified instead of allayed. and with no
one prepared to say what the outcome
would be or when the end would be
reached.
1t was apparent at the very beginning
of the conference that those who had con-
cluded at the adjournment of the session
yesterday that an agreement would be ar
rived at to-day had not taken sufficiently
into account the possibility of misunder-
standing or change of mind. This dis
covery was made when the Senate COME
rees prepared to go on with the bill upon
the basis of duty OF go cents per ton on
coal and free iron ore, whereupon the
House conferees announced their unwill
ngness to assent to this arrangement,
and stated that they would insist on re-
versal of these terms. with coal free and
iron ore dutiable if either was to be. as
they understood they were to have choice
between the two.
The avowal OF this position produced
great confusion and led to an exchange of
remarks which were not altogether polite.
The Senate copferees thereon decided TO
report the state of affairs to the conserva-
tive Senators and when the conference
adjourned called Senators German, AL
drich, Smith and Murphy into cOnsulta-
ton. The whole situation was outlined
TO them. They were not only made ac-
ouainted with the demand of the House
conferees for free coal. but were also given
70 understand that other material conces-
sions would be expected by the House con-
ferees along the entire line of the bill, in
Guiding wooden, cottons. metals, glass and
earthe ware. They decided on an en-
phatic negative in reply to these PROPOSE
tions, saying if the body of the bill was
not preserved virtually as it passed the
Senate the report of the conference when
made would not be accepted by the
Senate.
Senator Brice proposed an innovation In
the shape of proposition that the House
conferees be given an opportunity to Sc
cure free sugar. His idea in detail was
that the Senate conferees should volunteer
to recede entirely from the Senate sugar
schedule. The question was, therefore,
updisposed of when the conference ad-
journed for the day
The House conferees have their side OF
the situation 10 tell. Chairman Wilson
authorized the statement that at the close
of the conference to-day the reports cur
rent during the day that President Cleve-
land had intsrfered with the formal agree
ment reached last night were wholly
uufounded and untrue. Wison said the
Chief Executive was very careful about
exerting any influence with the conferees
and was leaving the members to shape
their courses as they saw fit.
AS to the Misunderstanding throughout
the day the House men understood when
the conference adjourned last night that
the Senators had conceded that either iron
ore or coal was to go on the free list, the
other remaining on the dutiable list.
While the House men had given no def
mite announcement of their choice be-
tween the two Items. 1t was generally
understood that they would prefer to have
iron ore on the free list. Whom, therefore,
they entered the conference to-day ttey
had concluded among themselves that it
would be preferable to have coal on the
free list. leaving iron ore dutiabls at 40
cents a ton. This conclusion was def
nitely announced to the Senators, but the
House members were surprised to find
that the willingness to concede them the
choice was somewhat abated. What had
caused the change was not made clear,
but in discussing il tonight the House
confeIees said. with no little feeling, that
it was clearly due to the influence of those
interested in the sugar schedule.
Whether the difficulty would be solved
tomorrow or would be declared off en-
tirely was not clear to the House con-
ferees. In the event of an understanding
on coal and iron tomorrow the conferees
expressed the hope that the Republican
conferees might be called In late In the
day or on Saturday. although the differ
ences developed to-day on coal and iron.
as we'll as on some of the other schedules.
made the chances of a full conference less
hopeful tonight than they were last night.