Evening star., 1896-12-16
THE TARIFF BILL
The Intentions Of the House Ways
and Means Committee.
4 REPORT NEAR TIE END or SESSION
Can Pass the Senate at the Extra
Session.
WILL REQUIRE HARD WORK

The committee on ways and means does
not expect to be able to report their tariff
bill until near the close of the session. They
generally believe that it will be nearer the
4th Of March than the 1st Of February
when the bill is reported to the House. 1t
is said that some republicans who want to
prevent an extra session have a notion that
the consideration and passage Of the bill
in this House might contribute toward pre-
venting an extra session, but it Is not clear
how this could be. The purpose of those
whose plan 1t was to begin the prepara-
ton Of the bill at this session is not to at
tempt its passage Low, but merely to have
1t prepared so that there will be no loss Of
time when the extra session assemblies.
Those who do not want to avoid tariff leg
islation have no notion of attempting action
at this session, except in preparation of the
measure.
Folly to Try 1t This Session.
A member Of the committee said today
that it would be the extreme of folly for
the committee to put the bill through the
House at this session. to have it torn to
pieces and discreGited in the Senate. in
advance Of the time when there could be
a hope of it's passage.
The hope is that the bill may be ready
before the 4th of March SO that Mr.. Ding
ley may present 1t to this House, but it
Is admitted that this may be impossible.
The committee will work with that object
in view, but 1t will require very hard work
to accomplish II. 1t is designed to end the
hearings about the 11th of January, but the
necessities of the situation may demand
an extension of the time beyond that. 1t
will take at least thirty days to perfect
the bill. A rough draft of the bill may be
introduced by Mr.. Dingley and referred to
the committee.
To avoid the criticism that democrats are
disposed to pass upon the proposition TO
prepare bill in this Congress for the next
the committe will proceed on the assump-
ton that the measure is being prepared
for immediate action. but this will be
merely a matter of form.
There is no possibility Of getting tarih
bill through the Senate at this session, nor
would one be signed by the President il
passed.
Can BE Passed at an Extra Session.
On the other hand. 1t is now practically
certain that a bill can be passed through
both houses at the extra session. While
the republicans will not have enough men
in the Senate to be perfectly Independent
of the silver republicans, there is nothing
In that situation that need give them ser
ious uneasiness. The bill may have to be
constructed somewhat differently from the
form it would take II the republicans were
please. There is not the least reason to
doubt that they will be able to pass a bill
entirely consistent with the principles Of
the party. The silver republicans will un-
doubtedy continue to act together, inde-
pendently of the republican party. but 1t Is
safe to count on every one of them voting
for a protective tariff bill which gives pro-
lection to products of the western country.
This being the case, 1t Is not at all likely
that the republicans will prejudice their
prospects Of legislation by getting into a
row at this session.
The Present Intention.
The best information as to the intentions
Of the ways and means committee is that
the bill they will prepare will be very
moderate. 1t is said that q number Of
things NAV be amply protected without
raising the duties on them as high as they
were In the Mckinley law. The steel rails
schedule is cited as an instance Of this 1t
is said that lead ore and the products Of
the west generally will be highly protected,
and there is a proposition to put a high
duty on silver imported into this country.