The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-07-18
TARIFF CONFERENCE.
The Republican Members of tho
Committee Present,
ONLY IN SESSION ABOUT AN HOUR

When An adjournment was Taken Until
This Afternoon.-A General Disagree
ment Likely to be Reported to Both
Houses in a Day or Two.
WASHINGTON, July 1s.-The first formu-
lation conference on the tariff bill with
all the senate aud house members, both
Democratic and Republican, present was
held yesterday and continued only about
an hour. An adjournment was then taken
until o'clock this afternoon. The pro-
oeedings of the full conference consisted
in an effort on the part of the Democra-
tic members to enlighteu their Republi-
can colleagues upon the elements of dis
agreement between the Democratic mem
| bers Of the two houses, without revealing
the methods by which they have sought
to get together or the details of the pro
ceedings of the Democratic conferences. !
1t had been expected that the Republi-
can conferees would at the outset indulge
I'm some criticism on having been kept out
Of the conference during its initial stages
| But the Republicans had little to say be-
| yond the formal greetings, and waited
until Senator Voorhees,, as head of the
| Democratic conferees, made somewhat
| formal and full statement of the situa-
| tion. He said that no discOurtesy to the
Republicans had been intended. The
meetings had not been conference meet
J ings, but had been confined to an effort to
| bring about some settled policy among
the Democratic conferees.
Senator Voorhees, added that he was
frank to confess that the efforts toward
J agreement had not proved successful.
| The features of disagreement were then
gone into at considerable length by Mr.
| Voorhees, and his associates. They stated
that the sugar, coal, metal and wooden
and cotton schedules had been tough
bones of contention, but did not give par
ticulars in any case except in that of
sugar, with reference to which they stated
that the house members had indicated a
willingness to grant some duty on that
article, but had objected to the differen-
tial duty on refined sugar.
On the other articles which had been
the basis of disagreement Senator Voor-
hees and other Democratic members of
the conference contented themselves by
saying that the Democratic conferees of
the two houses had contended, each side
for its own bill. This had been especially
true on the metal and wooden schedules,
the senate amendments TO which had
been strongly objected to by the Demo
|
other special articles in the metal sched.
ule the house members had held out for
free iron ore, and for the house rates on
lead ore containing silver, cutlery and
steel rails. They had also demanded-sc
it was reported to the full conference
free coal, In the general discussion the
Republican conferees gathered that
sugar, iron ore, coal and wooden schedule
cotton schedule and silver lead bearing
ores were the chief questions of disagree
Iment
The question finally arose as to wha
would be done now that the full confer
ence had assembled. 1t was suggested by
Senator Aldrich that the bill should bt
e taken up item by item aud be considered
by Republicans and Democrats, but the
point was raised that this appeared to bD
{ hardly worth while in view of what tn,
Democrats had just disclosed that there
was no prospect of agreement on the mali
, question.
The meeting yesterday was not marked
4 by any sharp controversy or criticism auC
only once did the sarcasm of Mr. Reet
| find utterance. 1t was when Chairman
Wilson, speaking rather personally o
J. the amendment urged by certain Demo
y cratic senators, said that it might be wei
. to inform the public of the situation b,
? printing in the tariff bill the names of tn
senators alongside their respective amend
ments. To this Mr. Reed responded tina
4 the public would probably mistake tn
3 tariff bill for biographical dictionary.
AS result Of the meeting the Repub
! lican conferees concluded that a genera
. disagreement could be reported to bot
l. houses within few days. There was n
!. distinct statement or proposition to thi
effect, but it appeared to be the only con
clusion to be drawn from what had oC
/ Cured. Senator Aldrich and Mr.. ReeC
9 said there would be no disposition on tn
y part of the Republicans to delay repor
q of disagreement. At the close of today
O. meeting Chairman Wilson stated that II
exact plan was in view for reporting bac
to congress.