The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-13
NOW COMES THE TUG.
Conference Committee on Tariff Has
Reached the Rocky Places.
Senator's Stubbornly Insisting
on the Amendments.
House Members Are Equally Tenacious and
Delay Is Probable.

Washington, July 13.-All sorts OF
guesses are being made as TO when the
conference report will be submitted, and
although the conferees themselves do
not at this moment know. the speaker
is determined to keep his team well In
hand and to be ready for action when
the time comes.
Congressman Mccall and other Mas
sachusetts representatives are making
. strong fight TO have the ad valorem
duty on hides reduced to 10 per cent.
and with good prospects Of partial sue
cess at least. Speaker Reed Is strongly
opposed to the hide duty. and is said to
be using his influence with the house
c. nferees. A canvass has been made Of
the house, and all advocates of free
hides are bringing their influence to bear
upon the conference. II is fair to sup
pose that 10 per cent rate may be ulti-
mately secured.
The house conferees are standing
stifiiy for the house schedule on wool,
contending that the senate rates would
be most oppressive upon manufacture
ers. The senate classification of third
class woods is especially Objectionable
to the carpet manufacturers, and Sena-
tors Penrose and Quay have been active
in their efforts to secure an advance TO
IL cents in the value Of wool that may
be admitted at cents. The senate
schedule makes 10 cents the figure of
demarcation In value, fixing 4 duty of
cents a pound on all wool above that
price. The Pennsylvania senator's say
that under this classification 20 per cent
Of the carpet woods would be made to
pay z cents duty. and that the result
would be to close out manA OF the car
pet makers.
There is q proposition to compromise
the differences by retaining the senate
classification. but allowing drawback
on all woods which IL can be proven are
used in carpet making. on which cents
may be paid. The house 10 also standing
for it's rates on first and second -class
wools, which were reduced by the sem
ate, with good prospect Of success.
There was quite a movement on the
Democratic side OF the senate to insure
o firm stand for free burlapg cotton
baggipg, floor mating, cotton ties. etc.
placed on the free list In the senate, and
TO hold white pine ct 81 per thousand
feet. This was because Of the report,
which was authenticated. that the COM
mittee had tentatively agreed TO restore
the 81 rate on white pine. and to restore
the other articles mentioned to the duti-
able list. These changes were made in
the senate by majorities ranging from
1 to votes. and the supporters OF the
senate's action expressed the opinion
that they will be able to hold all the
votes for a motion to reject the confer
ence report that were originally cast for
the amendments. To do this they would
have to make sure not only OF Senator
McEnery's vote, but of somc Republi-
can votes as Senator Carter and Hans
brough. The problem bids fair to de-
velop an interesting situation I'm the
senate II the committee on conference
adheres to its present determination
with regard to these articles.
The conferees were together again last
night until IL o'clock, and ut the con-
clusion Of their session were even more
uncommunicatve than they have been
heretofore. This might be explained
either in the theory that they are close
to an agreement or that they are wider
apart than before.