The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-14

Washington. July 13.-The representa-
tives of the two houses of congress in
the conference of the tariff bill spent
busy day, devoted for the most part
to work in the conference room. There
were occasional consultations with
other senators or members of the house
! upon points at issue. but these were
brief, so that comparatively little in
formation as to the progress made
found its way to outsiders
1t is known that almost the entire
day was devoted 10 the sugar and wool
schedules, and the best information
.obtainable is. that a final agreement
was not reached upon either.
Senator Plat On. ", who has
been absent most of the time since the
bill went into conference, returned and
was in. close conference much of the
day with Senator Quay.
At one time during the afternoon the
senate and house cOnferees separated.
the house men repairing to the ways
and means committee room. 1t was
generally believed that this action on
the part of the house men was for the
purpose of deciding upon a line of pol
icy on sugar. but they declined to give
out any information.
Contrary to published reports, it is
positively stated that the sugar
schedule has not been agreed on. and
that in fact all the big questions be-
fore the conference which have SEEM
ingly been settled. are only tentatively
agreed to, one side or the other insist
ing that they shall be held open.
Nothing will be finally closed so far
as the matters of ignorance are con-
cerned, until all have been decided upon
and the conferees are ready to come
to complete agreement. 1t is believed
that the wool schedule. which has oc-
cupied the attention of the conferees
more or less today and yesterday. can
now be settled whenever other matters
have reached a stage for final adjust
ment.
The senate conferees are ready to
compromise the differences on first and
second-class woods by making the
both dutiable at II cents, and a COM
promise on third-class woods has been
suggested by the house members of the
conference, concerning which they ex-
press the hope that it will be satitsfac-
tory to both the wOClgrOwers and the
carpet manufacturers, but this is not
assured. This compromise proposition
looks to fixing a rate of 5 cents a pound
on all wool of a value less than 10 cents
a pound, of cents on wool valued at
more than 10 and less than IS cents a
pound, and of cents on that above IS
cents a pound in value. This PROPOSE
ton was submitted to the representa-
tives in the senate of both the
vcolgrowers and carpet manufacturers.
and both sides took the matter under
adviSement Senator Penrose. repre-
senting the carpet men, telegraDhed
for some of them to come to Wash
ington for conference. The attempt of
some of the house corferees to secure
an increased rate on slzirted woods has
failed
The question of jute. jute bagging,
burlaps. cotton hagging and cotton ties,
which the senate placed on the free
list. is causing much trouble The
house conferees insist that these items
shall go back on the dutiable list. and
the senate cOnferees plead that If they
are put back delay must be the result
in the senate.
If the conferees can reach a COM
plete agreement by Friday, one of them
said today. he would be more than sat
isfed.
Two of the questions which. it is
stated upon good authority have been
decided recently are those affecting
lead ores and white pine lumber There
has been a determined fight on the part
to l cent a pound but Senator Jones
of Nevada, representing the lead min
ing industry has taken such a firm
position against any change from the
senate figures that the house represen-
tatives apparently have yielded finally.
The question has been left in such,
shape. however, that it can be returned.
to and it may be reOpened.
On white pine unless the decision
house schedule fixing the rate at 50
per !, 900 feet will be reported.
There is, however, a most active
effort in the senate to force recon-
sideration on this point and this effort
is being made on the Republican side
Of the chamber even more persistently
than on the Democratic side.
There is even at this early date, talk
among Republican senators of the
necessity for another caucus to deter
mine the course to be pursued with
There are several senators on that side
of the chamber, who. it is feared, will
vote against sustaining a report which
increases the pine duty and who claim
that they cannot be bound by the
action of former caucuseS which de-
voted their attention simply to
schedules. There is a similar feeling
in regard tc the restoration of floor
mating and burlaDs to the duitable
list, the northwestern Republican SEN
ators being generally interested in
keeping them free.
With reference to the articles placed
on the free list by the senate contrary
TO the recommendation Of the finance
committee the understanding about the
senate today is that a compromise is
likely to be reported placing a very
moderate duty on them. The Demo-
Gratis say, however. that no duty likely
TO be agreed upon in a Republican con-
ference will be small enough for them
to accept upon cotton bagging, cotton
ties, etc.
DUTY ON CATTLE.
It Will Have Probibitory Effect as