The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1896-12-18
a NEW TIA r I DE- BILL
THIS Is DEFINITELY DECIDED UPON
By THE REPUBLICANS. RI


/. Warrington, Dec AZ. The ways and
means cOmmittee Of the house will be-
gin work before the holiday recess Of
congress upon the tariff bill; which is
to be the chief feature in the policy Of
the incoming administration, and will
endeavor to perfect the bill SO that It
may be presented to the house Of the
Fifty fifth congress early in the special
session which President Mckinley will
summon for revising the tariff laws.
This programme was formally decid-
ed upon to-day by conference Of the
Republican members Of the committee
held in Gen. Grosven0r's rooms ut the
Cochran hotel. 1t gives semi-oficial
confirmation to the announcements
made by the Associated Press week
ago that the prcsident-elect had con-
cluded to have an extra session and
that the Republican leaders had aban-
doned the Dingley bill, the temporary
measure which was passed by the
house in the last session and amended
with a free silver substitute by the
senate.
All Republican ways and means men
attended the conference except Mr..
Steele Qnd), who was detained. They
were Dirgley of Maine, Payne of New
York, DalZell Of Pennsylvania, Hop
kins of Illinois, Grosvenor of Ohio.
Russell Of Connecticut, Deliver Of
Iowa, johnson of North Dakota, Evans
/. of Kentucky and Tawney Of Minneso-
ia. They decided that Chairman Ding
ley shall call a meeting of the full COM
mittee, at which the usual formality of
giving the minority members an oppor-
tunity to vote upon the programme
will he enacted. The proposition will
be laid before the committee, and
all parties having an interest in
the tariff will be invited to give their
views, these hearings to be commenced
within few days.
Apart from this official plan, the Re-
publicans determined to take up the
framing of the bill themselves-the
usual course pursued by a majority
party-soon after the hearings are un-
der way, and to work to that end In
formally ut once. There will be no sub
committee given charge of the meas
ure, but the full Republican contingent
will devote their attention to the par
ticular schedules with which they are
familiar.
Dalzell and Hopkins will give most
of their time to steel; Grosvenor will
have most to do with wool; Russell
with cotton and machinery; Tawney
and Hopkins with reciprocity. Accord
ing to the trend Of discussion, the reci-
prOcity policy Ia to be made an impor-
tant feature of the Republican tariff
system; even more important than It
was in the Harrison administration II
practical scheme can be devised.
Moderate Tariff Bill.
The conference IVES of two hours
duration and the participants said they
had been unanimous upon the policy
to be pursued.
"a moderate tariff BILL" they ex.
planned. was to be their object. A mod
crate DILL is understood to be one
whose average rates would be some-
what lower than the rates Of the Nc
Kinlcy bill of 1890. though IL consider
able average advance over the Wilson
German duties, and the committeeman
said they would not hesitate to adj
vance rates beyond the Mckinley bill
in cases where experience had shown
the advance to be advisable. Gen.
Grosv enor and Mr.. Dingley, it is under
stood, conveyed the views Of the presi-
dcnt-elect upon this programme Of their
colleagues.
Mere than half of the two hours, It
Is said. was given to the discussion Of
the difficulties in the path of the Re-
publican programme, the overshddow.
+ inc one being the possibility of an I'M
friendly senate In the next congress.
One OF the members said that they rec
ognized a distinct possibility that the
next senate might block tariff legisla-
ton. but hoped that the free silver sem
ators who walked out Of the st. Louis
convention would be ready to cooper
ate in re-establlshing a protective
tariff.
~.