The Portland daily press., 1897-07-16
GETTING TOGETHER NOW.
Tariff Conferees More Hopeful Yes.
terday.
MEMBERS MAY CON.
CLUDE THEIR LABORS TODAY.

Thursday Spent in Considering Minor De
tails--Sugar Schedule Still the Stumb.
ling BIock-Senators Prophecy a Com
promise-House Members Say They
VIII Hold Out.
Washington, July 15.-The tariff con-
ferees were in more hopeful mood today
than yesterday and one of the leading
representatives of the Senate expressed
the opinion at noon that the Republicans
would be able to conclude their labors to,
morrow and to summon the Democratic
members by Saturday. This view, he
said, was justified by the present appear
ance of things, but he added that there
were still many contingencies that might
arise to prevent so early an agreement
and that it was impossible to sayfprecisely
when the end would be reached. "We
shall come out all right, however, and
think soon,'' he added. "We have a
tedious job, but it is not hopeless one
and there is no foundation for the reports
that we are in danger of not reaching an
agreement.
The day was spent in considering
minor details of the bill which have been
passed over with an occasional reference
to the differences on the sugar schedule
which is still the stumbling block. There
was some discussion Of compromise on
this schedule and the general impression
about the Senate was that the changed
aspect in the committee was due to the
fact that there was a more yielding dis
position on the part of the representatives
of both houses. Senators not in the con-
ference, but in close touch with the men,
bers of it, express the opinion today that
the contending factions are very near an
adjustment which will compromise the
differences on the sugar schedule.
On the House side, on the other hand,
among those in close touch with the con-
ferees it is asserted with the utmost
positiveness that the House conferees have
no intention of yielding anything to the
Senate on the sugar schedule and the
opinion is freely expressed that the dead
lock will continue indefinitely until the
Senate yields. The House conferees they
say, know that they have practically the
unanimous support of the House Repub-
icans back Of them in their contention
for the House schedule, and moreover
they claim that many of the Senate Re-
publicans agree with them on this point.
The tariff conference committee made
the discovery today that there would be
still further difficulty in arranging the
wool schedule on account of the objections
of the carpet manufacturers It appears
that while the makers of the more expen-
sive grades of carpets gave their consent
to the compromise of four and eight cents
arranged yesterday, the makers of the
cheaper carpets are not pleased. and ask
that the rate on the lower grades of wool
be reduced to three cents The wool men
are not willing to concede to this demand.
The worsted manufacturers are also
making trouble over the Senate amend
ment putting double duty on wool of
the second class which may have been
washed.
The Democratic side of the chamber is
somewhat disturbed over the vacancy
caused by the death of Senator Harris.
81 fear" said Senator Jones of Ar
kansas, today fthat the vacancy may, II
not filled before that time occasion no
little embarrassment when we reach the
vote on the conference report. It will be
remembered" he continued, s'that some
of the articles on which we succeeded in
reducing the rates of duty, as on white
pine lumber and on some which we sue
ceeded in putting on the free list, we had
a majority of only one vote. Some of
these articles, as burlaps, cotton ties,
paris green, etc., are Of immense import
ance to the farmers and it would be re-
grettable indeed from our standpoint, if
the absence of Democratic Senator from
Tennessee should cause us to lose any of
them by giving the deciding vote to the
Vice President. The Senator said that
he had heard nothing indicative of the
intentions Of the governor of Tennessee in
the matter of the appointment