The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-11

WASHINGTON. Dec. ie.-The ways and
means committee OF the house VIII begin
work hefore the holiday recess OF congress
mon the tars- bill. which IS 20 be the chief
feature OF tire policy OF the incoming aS-
upasgstraxi0a. and viii endeavor 10 perfect
re oil. 80 Is may De presented 70 the house
Of the Flffy-nfth congress early IN the
special session which President Mckinley
vii ssfnsrnon for revising the tariff laws
Tats rr0graraHne was formally decided up
~, tonight BY & conferences OF the Repub-
ncan members OF the COMMITTEES held n
Gen. Grosgsnor's rooms az the Cochran
hoteL Ii gives ssEni-official confirmation
70 The announcement made by the Asso-
csztsd Press a week ago thai President
eIse. Mckinley had concluded 20 have an
axrra session. and that the Republican
leaders had abandoned the Dingley Dill,
+aa temporary measure which was passed
by the house IA the last session and
amended with free silver suosututs By
the senate.
An Republicans on the ways and means
committee attended the conference to-
night except Steele of Indiana, who was
detained They decided that Chairman
Dsng1ey shall call meeting OF the fuil
committee for Saturday. at which the
usual formality of giving the minority
members an opportunity 70 vote upon the
programme will be enacted
committee is that hearings be given by
the full committee. al which all parties
having an interest in the tariff will be in
yited to give their views; these hearings
TO be commenced within few days.
Apart from this official plan. the Re
rublieans determined 10 take up the franz
ing OF theyoill themselves. the usual course
pursued by majority party, soon after
the hearings are under way, and TO work
10 that end informally at once. There
viii be no subcommittee given charge OF
the measure, but the full Republican con-
tingent will work together. Messrs. Dali
zeil and Hopkins VIII give most OF their
time to steel; Mr.. Grosvenor viii have
most to do with wool; Russell with cot
ton and machinery; Evans with spirits
and wines, and Dolliver. Tawney and Hop
kins with reciprocity. According 20 the
trend OF discussion. the reciprocity policy
IL TO be made an important feature OF the
Republican tariff system; even more i'm
portant than Il was in the Harrison ad-
ministration, IL a practical scheme can
be devised.
The reciprocity features OF the tariff
bill will be woven into the original BILL
In the last Republican tariff they were
mostly afterthoughts.
Tonights conference was OF two hours
Duration and the participants said they
had agreed unanimously upon the policy
to be pursued. A moderate tarin bnl,
they explained, was to be their object.
moderate bill Is understood to be one
whose average rates would be somewhat
lower than the rates Of the Mckinley bill
of 1880, though a considerable advance
over the Wilson-iorman duties, and the
committeeman said they would not hesi-
tate TO advance rates beyond the McKin-
ley bill in cases where experience had
shown the advance to be advisable.
Gen. Grosvenor and Mr.. Dingley. II Is
understood. conveyed the views of Pres
ident-clect Mckinley upon the programme
to their colleagues. More than half OF
the two hours was given 10 a discussion
of the difficulties In the path OF the Re,
publican programme, the overshadowins
one being the possibility OF an unfriendly
senate In the next congress. One Of the
members said they recognized distinct