The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-14
DINGLEY To GET
I A CABINET PLACE
Now Certain That He Will
Receive the Treasury
Portfolio.
During This Session of Congress
the Maine Statesman Will
Revise the Tariff.
Then the Bill Bearing His Name Will
Be Enacted by Him as Treas.
ury Secretary.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 13.-Repre-
sentative Dingley of Maine will be the ne t
Secretary of the Treasury. This is settled as
definitely as any position in President
elect McKinley's Cabinet can be settled
nearly three months before the official an
nouncement Is made. Mr.. Dingley knows
that he is Mr.. McKinley's choic, for the
treasury portfolio, and he has even con-
coded to one or two intimate friends that
after the 4th of next March he will not
represent Congress in his old district.
Next to Mr.. Mckinley Mr.. DingleY is the
ablest student of the tariff in American
Apoiitics. The new tariff bill will be framed
boy him as the chairman OF the Ways and
MEANS Committee of the present Congress,
and administered by him as Secretary of
the Treasury.
There is rumor current tonight that
Mr.. DingIey will endeavor to frame the
new tariff bill in time to pass it through
the present House.
Certain it is that it is the intention of
the Republican members of the Ways and
Means Committee to push the work OF
preparing the measure with the utmost
dispatch. The time which will be de-
voted to hearings Of manufacturers and
workingmen will be limited and will GER
tainly not extend beyond the middle Nof
January. Every member of the present
Ways and Means Committee has been in
Congress for years, and has attended these
hearings SO often that they are perfectly
familiar with the details. Ii possible, the
bill will be drawn up, it is said, in time to
report it to the House i'll February, and TO
pass it at this session. after reasonable
debate.
Mr.. Reed, it is understood, is in accord
with Mr.. Dingley's hope. 1t is known
that the Speaker is not anxious for an
extra session and would leave nothing
undone to prevent one. II the bill passes
the House and dies in the Senate. then
upon that body will rest the responsibility
of an extra session
The friends OF Mr.. Dingley will earnestly
support him if he determines to under
take the passage of a tariff bill at this ses-
sion. Mr.. Dingley will frame the bill,
and ii viii be the "DingIey'' tariff bill.
1t would be manifestly unjust, they say,
if, after Mr.. Dingley has had all the labor
of its preparation, the bill should be
known by some other mans name. The
Dingley bill, they assert, Will be the tariff
law for the next quarter of a century, and
they are anxious that it shall stand on
the statute books as a monument to Mr..
Dingley's industry and ability. By pass
fling the bill at this session it will be known
always as the Dingley bill, even if neglect
of the Senate TO act upon il would compel
Mr.. Dingley's successor as chairman of
the Ways and Means Committee in the
Fifty-ffth Congress, who will probably be
Mr.. Dalzell. to reintroduce the measure
when Congress meets in extra session.
1t is reported that Speaker Reed will
lend every aid 10 Mr.. Dingley's ambition.
Within the past few days several mem
bers who asked him privately if their
presence was needed at the session, VI en-
only routine business was contemplated,
were told in positive terms that the
Speaker expected every man to be present,
as he might be needed.