The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-08
TARIFF CONFERENCE TALK.
REPUBLICANS THINK 1T WON'T
LAST OVER a WEEK.

Democrats Not So Sanguine That
There VIII BE No Hitch-The House
10 Send the Bill to Conference ut
Once-The Sugar Schedule Expect
ed TO BE the Most Troublesome TO
Reach an Agreement UpOn-A Com
promise On the Hide Schedule at
10 Per Cent. Al ValOrem Predicted.
Washington, July 1.-THE first meeting
of the conferees on the tariff bill will be
held tomorrow as soon after the repre-
sentatives of the House are named, as 1t
is possible for them to assemble. This,
and subsequent meetings. are expected to
be held in the room of the committee
on finance of the Senate and the meetings
after the first formal gathering to-mo-
row will be as nearly continuous as the
physical endurance of the members of the
conference will permit.
The minority in the House will make
no opposition to the republican programme
of sending the tariff bill to conference at
once. Both democrats and populists see
that nothing can be gained by the inter
position of factious opposition.
No definite arrangement has yet
beeen made as TO the time
TO be allowed for debate
when the bill is reported back from the
conference, but little difficulty is antici-
pated on the point. AS the conferees are
the ranking members of the committee
from each side the conferees of the House
will be Messrs. Dingley, Payne and Dali
zell, Hopkins and Grosvenor, republicans,
and Messrs. Bailey, McMillin and Wheel
err democrats.
AS to the length of the conference there
is a difference of opinion among the
House conferees. Chairman Dingley,
speaking of the conference on the McKin-
ley bill, said it lasted two weeks and that
there was not as vital points of difference
between the two houses then as now. He
predicts it will be a law a week from Sat
urday if the bill goes into conference to-
morrow.
The rumor af1oat to-day to the effect
that the House managers had agreed to
accept the bill as it passed the Senate and
thus avoid all possible delay is pronounced
absolutely without foundation. After the
bill has been in conference twenty-four
hours and the republicans have had an
opportunity to go over their differences
and ascertain the temper of each side with
regard to the main points in the contro-
versy 1t will be much easier to prognosti-
cate the time that will be required to
reach a full agreement.
Probably the most difficult problem the
conferees will have to solve will be the
make a strong stand for the House sched-
ule, which they will claim has been re-
ceived with approval by the republicans
and the republican press of the country
generally.
On the subject of hides, the House con-
ferees are all disposed to yield but not
to the full extent of the duty imposed by
the Senate. The Senate fixes the duty at
20 per cent. ad valorem. Some of the
members of the House talk of a compro-
mise at 10 per cent.
A compromise on wool rates also APP
pears probable.
The republican conferees of the Senate
express the opinion that the conference
will be very brief 1--WE ought to con-
clude the conference in four or five days"
said Senator Aldrich, ''and be prepared
TO adjourn by the 18th of the month.
should say that we should be able to ad-
just all our differences in a weeks time
at the most"
Mr.. Allison said the democratic con-
ferees did not take so sanguine a view
Mr.. Jones of Arkansas predicted that full
ly week would elapse before the dem
ocratic members of the conference would
be invited in. All admit that the unusu-
ally large number of conferees will have
a tendency TO extend the time of the con-
ference unless there is an exceptional
spirit Of harmony manifested between the
representatives of the two branches of
congress. The senators are inclined to
deprecate the large number, but say it
was made necessary by the demand of the
House.
The expectation on the Senate side is
that the greatest contention will be over
wool, sugar, hides lead ore and buriaps.
But they profess to believe that there will
be comparatively little difficulty in reach
ing an understanding. They say the
House conferees have kept themselves
well informed on the Senate changes, and
while they do not admit that informal
conferences have been held, they do say
that the knowledge the House managers
have Of the Senate's proceedings will
greatly facilitate the work.