Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-19
General Features of the House Rates
Preserved.
STATEMENT OF THE REPUBLICANS
Duty on the Raw Product In
creased.
EFFECT ON THE REVENUES

1t will be impossible to tell, until men,
bers of the House have had more time in
which to study the question, how the
House will receive the tariff conference re-
port. There is a great deal of confusion Of
mind as to what the conference sugar
schedule does, but the general impression
is that II is much more of a victory for
the Senate and the sugar trust than the
conferees are willing 10 confess. The text
of the conference bin was not made pub
lie until the conference report was made
TO the House shortly after IL O'clock and
a mere reading of the sugar schedule does
not disclose all that is in it.
1t is apparent, however, that the provi-
sfons are more favora BILE to the trust than
were those of the House schedule. and that
the victory is rather with the Senate Than
with the House. The assumption is that
the House will adopt the report by a prac-
tically solid republican vote, but SO many
threats of revolt have been made il the
sugar schedule should be made more favor
able to the trust than that adopted by the
House that it cannot now be said with GER
tainty what will happen after there has
been a full examination and discussion of
the conference report. The fact that sugar
trust stock took a jump upwards this morn
ing made bad impression in the House.
but then it is understood that this stock
can be manipulated by the trust SO as TO
make it valueless, pending final action on
the measure, indication of how well
the schedule suits the trust.
The opposition will make this schedule
the main point of political attack, and 1t
is possible that they will have expert tes-
timony which will put the matter in such
a light as to arouse against the conference
schedule the same antagonsm among re-
public in the House as was excited by
the Senate schedule.
A number of republican members of the
House said this morning that they would
not commit themselves until they had had
a chance to examine the report carefully.
The republican conferees today reported
the agreement they had reached on the
tariff bill to the full conference committee.
The republican members of the conference
committee called in the democratic MEM
bers at 10 o'clock. Among the democrats
there was a disposition 10 allow the re-
publicans to have their way and make the
report at once, that the debate in the
lower branch of Congress could proceed
this afternoon.
Before the full committee met in the
room of the finance committee CT the Sem
ate the republican members held an hours
consultation in the appropriations COM
mfttee room, at which, as the final act OF
their labors, they affixed their signatures
to the conference report.
When the bill was submitted to the demo-
Gratis the republicans said they were ready
to report and would report the bill TO-
day. The democrats were given an op-
portunity to sign the conference report,
and withdrew for a consultation.
Two Hours Discussfon.
The determination to submit the tarT
conference report was reached after two
hours discussion before the full confer
ence committee-democrats and republi-
cans-held in the Senate finance committee
room this morning. AT the outset the demo-
cratic conferees asked until Tuesday morn
ing to go over the report. saying this
course was preferable to going over It
with the republicans. To test this ques-
tion Mr.. Vest of Missouri moved an ad-
journment until tomorrow, which was de-
feated by a strict party vote.
The de nccratic conferees then offered
amendments to the report, but were met
with the statement that it would merely
consume time to urge amendments, as they
would be rejected
Representative Wheeler of Alabama Of
fered anne ndments placing cotton baggings
and cotton ties the free list; also a
substitute proposition for rebates on these
articles. These and other amendments
were withdrawn, however as there was no
prospect of favorable action on them.
Shortly before noon Mr. Dingley moved
that the report be submitted to the two
houses. This prevailed by party vote.
and the meeting adjourned.
There was little clash during the discus
sion and the democratic members of the
conference contented themselves with
protest against the report and the manner
of agreeing to it.
Regarding Sugar.
The republican conferees also made pub
lie a statement concerning the conference
report, in which 1t reviewed the changes
made.
OF sugar the statement says: 1.-The House
differentia' between raw and refined sugars
and the general features of the House
schedule are preserved. and the Senate
amendments increasing the differential to
one-fifth and providing for a reduction or
one-tenth of the duty on raw sugars not
above 81 degrees. which would have given
a Outy OIL Loo On % uterct sugar ouly
1.26 on 81 degree sugar. are not adopted.
In Difference to the wishes of those inter-
ested in beet sugar production that the
Senate rate of 1-95 on refined sugar might
be retained as an increased encouragement
to this Industry, the duty on raw sugars
is increased seven and one-half hundreds.
so as to make the increase on them the
same as the increase on refined sugar, and
thus leave the differential between raw
sugar and refined the same as In the House
BILL And % meet the objection which has
been urged that the House rates low
grade raw sugar show a higher ad vaIorem