St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-01-15
WASHINGTON NEWS
Hearings Before Ways and
Means Committee Over.
New Tariff Measure Wl BE Called the
Dingley Bill Complexion of the Next
Senate Capital Jottinss.
From Our Correspondent.


From Our spondent.
The ways and means committee Of the
house Of representatives, in which body
all revenue measures must originate as
provided by the constitution, finished its
hearings the first Of the present week,
Monday witnessed the last one, when
those Interested in schedule n, sundries,
including buttons, coal, gloves, leather
etc, were heard. This concludes the pre-
lininary work for the new tariff bill
which will be considered at the extra
session Of congress, which will, in all
probability, be called soon after the in
auguratlon Of Mr.. Mckinley.
Governor Dlngley of Maine, chairman
OF the ways and means committee, tells
me that the active preparation of the
tariff bin viii now be begun. Congress-
man Russell Of Connecticut, the only
other New England member Of the COM
mittee, Is taking great interest in the
new tariff law, and with Governor
Dingley and himself looking after New
England's interests, there Is every rea-
son to believe that she will be we'll cared
for.
These hearings began on Dec 20 and
ended on JAN II, rather short time,
considering the momentous subject dealt
with; but Governor Dlngley and Mr..
Russell both, as we'll as most of the other
members OF the committee, have long
Since reached the conclusion that these
hearings do not amount to much. The
great bulk Of the work on a tariff bill
comes after the hearings are over. The
actual preparation comes IN making up
the scedules so that they will be salts
factory to all parties coming under their
| provisions. At the various hearings hold
! previous to the Inauguration of this
work, the many interests have their
cases stated by competent men, the
members of the committee carefully
think 1t over, and when they get ready to
draft the bill, endeavor to prepare the
schedules as will best cover nll the points
Involved
1t Is becoming more and more the Gus
tom to do away with the hearings before
the Ways and means committee, 1t being
generally admitted that the more salts
factory way is to have each interest
/ present its claims in writing, 50 that
when the committee begins work on the
schedule in which this, that or the other
interest Is concerned in, the members
will have the many conflicting claims
right before them in black and white.
Many persons pursued this course during
the recent hearings, and it was highly
satisfactory both to them and to the
members Of the committee on ways and
means. 1t saved the parties desiring leg
islation the time and expense of coming
to Washington, and it saved the mem
bers Of the committee the time and
trouble Of forsaking many Of their null
titudinous other duties to listen to the
arguments which could Just as well be
put in writing and considered finally at
the time when the various schedules
were in process Of being finally agreed
upon.
The present session of the Fifty-fourth
congress must of necessity end March
4, 1897. The extra session, which will be
called by President Mckinley will he
that of the Fifty-ffth congress, so that
many members now in congress will not
convenes in extra session. Inasmuch as
thenewtarf bill will be practically COM
plete, in so far as committee preparation
can make ii, at the time the extra SEES.
sion meets, nothing will be left for con-
gress to do but to debate it, amend and
pass the bill, in order that it may go into
operation as soon as possible.
Governor Dingley tells me he expects
two weeks debate in the house will be
ample time. Therefore, If the extra SEES
sion is called before April /, as is conf
IDENTIFY expected in Washington, the new
bill will, in all probability, be reported
soon after that. Two weeks debate
would take until about April 20, so that
in the ordinary course of events barring
no parliamentary delays, etc, the Ding
ley bill ought to be ready for the senate
by May1.
Tariff bills are generally christened
after the name of the gentlemen who is
chairman of the committee on ways and
means, where they go through the pre-
liminary forms of preparation. Hence
the coming one will be the Dingley bill.
The bill under which the tariff law Is
now being executed was originally the
Wilson bill, Mr.. Wilson of West Vir-
Etnia, now postmaster general, being at
the head of that committee in the Fifty
second congress. 1t was given an addi-
tional title when he got to the senate,
however, and it is frequently alluded to
now as the Wilson-Gorman bill, the
reason being that the senate so wildly
and so unceremoniously attacked and
altered its provisions that the name OF
Senator German, who took conspicuous
part in making the senate alterations
was attached to it, 1t is seldom, how
ever, that tariff bill is favored with
more than one title, such as the Morri-
son tariff, the Mills bill, the Mckinley
bill, etc.
There Is no reasonable doubt but what
the new Dingley bill will pass the house
A large Republican majority prevails ir
that body, and the protective and reel
procal features of the measure will
make it many friends in the lower
branch. 1t will go through with very
little opposition, and will have very cleal
sailing until it reaches the senate.
With Mckinley in the White House
the new bill have a staunch friend
His recent conference with Governor
pingley is good evidence that the forme,
knows about on what lines the new bill
will be drawn. But it is to the senate
that the country must look in the com
; Ing few months, to see whether or no
the prospect is good for any remedia
tariff legislation
II Is therefore, intereettnpr m foraoo =,
! what the political complexion of tn,
senate will be after March 4, and t,
ascertain, if possible, whether the Re