The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-14
TARIFF ITEMS TROUBLESOME.
The Conferees Stin Far From an
Agreement.

Washington, July 13.-The representa-
tives of the two houses of the congress
on the tariff bill spent a busy day, devoted
for the most part to work in the confer
ence room. There were occasional consul
tations with other senator's or members
of the House on points at issue, but these
were brief so that comparatively little in
formation as to the paragraph made found
it's way to outsiders. 1t is known that al
most the entire day was devoted to the
sugar and wool schedules, and the best
information obtainable is that a final
agreement was not reached upon either
Senator Plat of New York. 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 committeeman repairing to the
ways and means committee room. 1t was
generally believed that this action on the
part of the House committeeman was for
the purpose of deciding upon line of pol
icy on sugar, but they declined to give out
any information.
Contrary to published reports, it is pos
itively asserted that the sugar schedule
has not been agreed upon, and, in fact,
that all the big questions before the con-
ference which have seemingly been set
tied are only tentatively agreed to, one
side or the other insisting that they shall
ha hall
closed so far as the matters of importance
are concerned until all have been decided
upon and the conferees are ready to come
to a complete agreement.
1t is believed that the wool schedule,
which has occupied the attention of the
conferees more or less to-day and yester-
day, can now be settled whenever other
matters have reached a stage for final
adjustment. The Senate conferees are
ready to compromise the differences on
first and second-class woods by making
them both dutiable at II cents, and a
compromise on third-class woods has been
suggested by the House members of the
conference, concerning which they express
the hope that it will be satisfactory to
both the wool growers and the carpet
manufacturers, but this is not assured
This compromise proposition looks to
fixing a rate of cents a pound on all wool
of value less than 10 cents a pound, of
cents on wool valued at more than 10
and less than 10 cents a pound and of s
cents on that above 13 cents a pound in
value. This proposition was submitted to
representatives in the Senate of both the
wool growers and the carpet manufactur-
ers, and both sides took the matter under
advisement.
Senator Penrose, representing the carpet
men, telegraphed for some of them to
come to Washington for conference.
The question of jute, jute bagging, bur-
laps, cotton bagging and cotton ties,
which the Senate placed on the free list,
is causing much trouble. The House con-
ferees 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 complete
agreement by Friday, one of them said to-
day, he would be more than satisfied.