Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-08-09
SEEMS INCREDIBLE!
Report on Tariff Bill Expected
from Conferees, Today.
The Final Tinkering to be Completed
This Morning Without Fail.
House Gets Concession Of Frss Iron Ore
Coal and Sugar Unchanged.

WASHINGTON, Aug. S.-Senator Smith at
2l5 z. NJ. left the room of Senator Vest
where he had been in conference a long
time. He said he believed there would be
a tariff agreement reported tomorrow. He
declined to state any thing about the de-
tails of the proposed compromise, but in
timated that there would be little deviation
from the main items of the Senate bill.
The Republicans will probably be notified
of meeting of the full conference to be
held tomorrow morning.
When the tariff conference adjourned, a
few minutes before 6, tonight it was with
the understanding that at its session, tomor-
row morning, all details would be arranged
and the Republicans should, in the after
noon, be informed of what their Demo
cratic colleagues had done. One of the
most prominent managers on the part of the
Senate made the emphatic statement that
tomorrow would see the end of the confer
ence, and by night there would be either an
agreement or general breakup of the
conference. But one thing, he said, could
postpone the result any longer.
Should the House conferees consent TO an
agreement, and should the arrangement
of details consume so much time as to
'
that would be permitted, othervise the
close of tomorrow would witness the end of
the lsbors of the conferees on the tariff bill
So little is yet 10 be accomplished that there
is every likelihood that the Republicans can
be called IN AZ an early hour, and il would
be no surprise if the Senate should have
the report of the conferees at a reasonably
early hour in the afternoon.
The hitch that still remains for settleme Mt
is on iron ore and coal. So far as princi-
pie is concerned those items seem disposed
of finally, ore of them to be free and the
other dutiable. These matters were the
subject of three distinct changes, today
At 3 in the afternoon il was decided that
iron ore should be made free absolutely and
that coal should retain the rate of
40 cents ton fixed by the Senate,
for period of five years, at the end of
| which time it is to be free. Subsequently the
proposition was made to fix sliding scale
that would reduce the duty a specific per-
eentage each year. This was antagonized,
and the House men, anxious to gain as
much in the way of concession as possible,
persisted, and the result wss that this mat
ter was left until tomorrow morning for a
fnal decision.
During the afternoon session of the
Senate, the Republican leaders in
conference succeeded in keeping strictly
secret all they did. When asked, tonight.
what the policy of the minority would be,
Alirich remarked that they had no policy
and would have have none until they knew
what the Democrats intended to do.
1t beng known that the bounty on this
years sugar crop is not to be given, there
is much concern among the Democrats to
know what course Caffery and Blanchard
will assume towards the bill. Caffery de-
clines to talk. Both Louisianians have
received large numbers of kilograms urging
them to vote against the bill unless bounty
is given.
Two leading Democratic papers in New
Orleans, this morning, announced that the
two senators would, under the circum-
stances, be justified in voting against the
bill.
Messrs. Kyle and Allen are both quoted
as saying that they could not endorse the
bill unless it provided for a bounty on
sugar. The votes of these four senators
are essential to the success of the bill. Mr.,
Jones declares the bill will pass.
All the Senate conferees hold that mo-
.ion to indefinitely postpone or lay the con-
ference report on the table will not be in
order. Under the Senate rules the major
ity can make any ruling it pleases, and if
there should be majority in favor of post
poning the conference report it would be
an easy matter to sustain an appeal from
the decision of the Chair. 1t is this vote
that is feared. If the bill should 60 into
the Senate, tomorrow night or Friday
morning, it is likely that whatever action
the Senate takes will be speedy.