The San Francisco call., 1896-12-13
work ON A TARIFF BILL.
Ways and Means Committee Ready to
Begin Preparation of the
Measure

WASHINGTON. D, c., Dec. 1.-Two
hours were spent at the Capitol to-day by
the mem bers of the Ways and Means
Committee discussing the basis of a new
tariff bill and selecting the members who
shall study the different features of the
bill so that they may report from time to
time as experts. 1t was also decided that
the bill should be framed by the full COM
mittee, and not built up from series of
reports made by different sub committees,
as bad formerly been the case.
While no definite date was assigned it
was understood in general way that hard
work would begin on Monday, the 2Sth
inst. 1t was also decided that a resolu-
tion should be reported to the House for
holiday adjournment from the 22d of De-
cember until the 5th OF January.
In the division of labor the wooden
schedule will receive the particular atten-
tion of the chairman, Dingley of Maine,
and associated with him will be Russell of
Connecticut, Grosvenor OF Ohio and Dali
zell of Pennsylvania. GroSvenor Of Ohio
and Payne of New York Will give their
attention to the sugar schedule which, it
is expected, will prove source OF consider
able EN- barrassment, owing to the diff
Guilty of fixing a rate of duty which will be
satisfactory from political and economic
standpoint.
Another feature of the bill-reciprocity
in trade with countries from which we
import certain articles that are produced
to little if any extent in the United States
is expected to be another stumbling
block, owing to the difficulty of securing
suitable treaty with Brazil, from which
most of our coffee is purchased, and with
Spain for reciprocity in Cuban products.
The State Department has been advised
that Brazil is unwilling to revive the old
reciprocity treaty OF 1890, and our strained
relations with Spain will, 1t is believed,
initiate against treaty with that coun-
try. Venezuela refused to negotiate such
treaty six years ago and it is not ex-
pected that her position has been changed
during the interim.
The fuller consideration of this reci-
procity question will be left principally to
Mr.. Tawney of Minnesota and Mr.. Hop
kins of Illinois, who, during the last ses-
| sion, prepared an exhaustive report on the
ubject. showing how greatly the United
States had been benefited by the arrange
ment.
1t was agreed that careful attention
should be given to the agricultural
schedule, and this schedule would be
| largely in the hands of Dolliver of Iowa,
| Tawney of Minnesota, Johnson of North
| Dakota and Steel of Indiana.
| The internal revenue features of the
| bill-liquor and tobacco-form the main
| subjects which will be left with Evans of
| Kentucky and Russell of Connecticut.
Cottons and silks will receive the attention
of Dingley OF Maine and Russell of Con-
necticut. The iron and steel schedules
will receive the attention of DalzeH of
Pennsylvania, in view Of the large manu-
| factories of that product in his State, and
| Tawney, in view of the fact that he repre-
sents the great iron ore regions OF Min
nesota.
No decision, not even of a tentative
character, was reached regarding the adj
| ministrative law, which will probably be
prepared by the full committee. There
| was no division of opinion regarding
substitution of specific for ad valorem
| rates. The general discussion of the SUBJ
| ject showed that it is the committees
| intention, as was stated in the United
| Associated Presses yesterday, to frame
| conservative and by no means an extreme
measure. In no case will the rates in the
| former Mckinley law be exceeded, except
| where, as mem Der expressed it this alter
noon, this was done by the Democrats
"for good and sufficient reasons" when
| the present tariff Jaw was formed.
| On the other hand reduction in duty
will follow in each case where it is prac-
| ticable, keeping in mind only the neces-
sity of protecting home industries with
such additions to the revenue as will pre-
vent deficit in the National treasury.
| A full committee meeting, at which the
Democratic mem bers will be present, has
been called for Monday next, at which
| the purpose of the committee will be out
| lined and definite understanding reached
| regarding the date when hearings will be-
| gin. 1t is intended that the bill shall be
| completed not later than the 1st day of
March, in order that it may be reported to
the House the day that the extra session
begins.