Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-12
START ON THE TARIFF BILL
Republicans Are Agreed New Schedules
Must Not Be Too High.
WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE AT WORK
New Measure to lie Ready for Intro
duction in the Extrn Session
to lie Called by
Mckinley.

! to lie Called by
Mckinley.
| WASHINGTON, Dec 1.-THE ways and
means committee OF the house will begin
[ work before the holiday recess 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 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 program was
formally decided upon by a conference of the
| republican members of the committee, held
| in General Grosvonor's rooms at the Cochran
hotel. All republican ways and means men
attended the conference except Mr.. Steele
of Indiana, who was detained. They decided
| that Chairman Dingley shall call meeting
Of the full committee for next Monday, at
which the usual formality OF giving the
minority members an opportunity to vote
upon the program will be enacted. The
| proposition to be laid before the committee
| is that hearings be given by the full COM
mittee, at which all parties having an in
| tere9t in the tariff will be invited to give
| their views; these hearings to be commenced
| within a few days.
Apart from this official plan the repub-
| licans determined to take up the framing OF
| the bill themselves-the usual course
| pursued by majority party-soon after the
hearings are under way, and to work to
| that end informally at once. There Will be
no subcommittee given charge OF the
measure, but the full republican contingent
will work together Messrs Dalzell and
Hopkins will give most of their time to
steel Mr.. Grosvenor will have most to do
with wool, Russell with cotton and machin-
cry, Evans with spirits and wines, and Dol
liver, Tawney and Hopkins with reciprocity.
RECIPROCITY A FEATURE.
According to the trend of discussion the
reciprocity policy is to be made an i'm
portant feature of the republican tarif
system, even more important than 1t was
in the Harrison administration, If 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 after-thoughts. To-
nights conference was of two hours dura-
tion and the participants said they had
been unanimous upon the policy TO be
pursued.
"A moderate tariff bill" they explained,
was TO be their object. A moderate bill Is
understood to be one whose average rates
would be somewhat lower than the rates OF
the Mckinley bill of $780, though a con-
siderable average advance over the wilson
German duties, and beyond the Mckinley
bill in cases where experience had shown
the advance to be advisable.
General Grosvenor and Mr. Dingley, 1t is
understood, conveyed the views of the pres-
dent-eect upon the program to their col
leagues.
More than half of the two hours. it was
said, was given TO discussion of The difficult es
in the path of the republican program, the
overshadowing one being the possibility of
frfa iy to N n
One of the members said they recognized
distinct possibility that the next senate
might block tariff legislation, but hoped
that the free silver senators who walked out
of the st. Louis convention would be ready
to cooperate in re-establishing protective
tariff. Tomorrow's meeting of the com
mittee may be postponed until next week
in the event that Representative Turner OF
Georgia is unable to attend. No appoint
ment has been made to fill the committee
vacancy created by the death OF ex-Speaker
Crisp, and with Mr.. Turner, who is one or
the democratic leaders, absent the minority
might complain that 1t was not properly
represented. Speaker Reed Ii Is expected,
will designate Mr.. Crisp's successor this
week. Mr.. Newlands OF Nevada has been
discussed by republicans on the ways and
means committee as one qualified to fill
the vacancy, whose selection might do some
thing to help the passage of tariff bill,
Mr. Newlands is a representative or the
independent silver party, so designating NM
self in the Congressional Directory, having
formerly been a republican. 1t Is thought
by some that II recognition were given the
independent silver men by such an appoint
ment it would tend to draw the support OF
several senators belonging to that faction.
WILL COME UP EARLY.
The program of the ways and means COM
mittee to prepare a tariff bill for the extra
session of congress was the only topic OF
discussion about the house today and met
with approval among republicans. 1t is
expected to be brought forward very early
in the extra session and passed under
rule fixing time for debate, so that its fate
will be In the hands OF the house early. All
republican members OF the ways and means
committee have been reelected to the next
congress, and it is assumed that Mr.. Reed
will be again chosen speaker and will not
change the personnel of the committee, so
there is no probability that any effort will
be made to do the work over again.
Today Chairman Dingley had conference
with Mr.. Mcmillan of Tennessee the senior
democratic member Of the committee, and
officially stated the republicans plans. Mr..
Dngley said that the hearings probably
would begin with the holiday recess and con-
tinue through the holidays To prevent
them from dragging along indefinitely lin
tied time may be assigned for testimony
relating to each of the most important sched-
ules. 1t Is probable the democratic ways
and means members will have a consultation
upon the tariff within a day or two,
although, OF course, any opposition they
might see fit to offer to the tariff program
would be merely matter OF form. They
are not pleased at the suggestion that Mr..
Newlands, the independent silver member
of Nevada. who is protectionst. be given
Mr. Criuo's chair at the committee table.
Speaker Reed seldom consults with the
minority about committee appointments, and
has not done so in this case.
Certain features of the new bill have been
practically decided upon already by the re-
publicans. Chairman Dlngley is authority
for the statement that the bill will be
framed to prevent the use of the bonded
warehouses by importers to escape the pay
ment OF higher duties, as they were used
when the Mckinley bill was passed. To