The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-08

 ON REVISION Congressman and Presi-
 dent in Council.
NO CONCLUSION REACHED
Participants Pledged to
 Secrecy by Roosevelt.
The Executive Seeks to Ascertain Sen- timent of the Republican Mem- bership Before Deciding to
 Call Extra Session.

Washington. Jan. 7.---An important conference regarding legislative ques- tions pending before Congress was held at the White House this after noon. In addition to President Roose- welt. the parties to the conference were Speaker Cannon, Senators Alti- son. Iowa: Aldrich, Rhode 1slano Spooner, Wisconsin; P1att, Connecti- cut and Representatives Payne. New York; DalzelL Pennsylvania; Grosve nor of Cshio, and Tawney of Minnesota.
 It can be said on the authority of the President that no conclusions were reached at the conference. Indeed ths statement is made that other confer ences will he held before a definite conclusion Is reached. At the conclu- sion of the conference. the President authorized the following statement concerning 1t:
 'Tnose gentlemen came here to dis- cuss various matters of policy before Congress. including the tariR and in- terstate commerce. law but they are not ready to yet announce any definite conclusions"
 The President would go no further than that, but he emphasized the prin- cipal fact that no definite conclusions had been reacehd.
 The conference was called for 2:3o p. m.. at the executive office. and the conferees invited by the president were on time. The invitations to the con ference were entirely formal the Pres ident having extended them either personally or by telephone.
 Tariff Main Subject. The fact that t..e conferees are all experts on the tariff question. the rep resentatives, with the exception ot Speaker Cannon being the chairman and ranking Republican members oi the ways and means committee, with which any tariff measure has to origi- nate, and the Senators being tho chairman and members of the finance committee of the Senate, which hand les any tari1 hill that may be beforc that body. prompted the conclusion that the principal topic of discussion at the conference would be the tarlfr question.
 It can be said that the subject of tartn revision was considered almost to the exclusion of other legislative problems, although the subject of railroad freight rate legislation and appropriations to be authorized at the present session of Congress was dis cussed to some extent. The conference lasted one hour and fifty minutes. Long before it ended. hnwevcr, . score of more newspaper correspondents had assembled at the White House fin anticipation of some definite state- ment when 1t was concluded. As the confereeS left the legislative office they greeted the newspaper men cor dially, but not one of them would dis cuss the conference in any way
 Speaker Cannon laughed as he was confronted by solid phalanx of news paper men. He shook his head depres catingly and then remarked: Speaker Cannon RetIccnt. "I have not thing to say boys I don't deny that some things were soid in that room yonder." dndicating the
 Presidents office) but can't tell you what they wero."
 Inquiry of other parties to the con- ference developed the fact that the President had exacted from each one of them q promise not to discuss nnv of the details of the conference for
 publication. Each of the conferees re- ferred all inquirers to the President
 saying that he would make public all
 that 1t was desired to say concerning
 the meeting.
 Several of those who participated in
 the conference went from the White House to the Arlington Hotel In a. few minutes they were surrounded by
 members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, all anxious to
 learn the result. if any. of the discuss sion. They got little beyond the most general statement.
 The conference was a frank discus sion of the whole subject of tariff re-
 vision leach man present elucidatinz 4
 his personal views with absolute free
 dom. It was the Presidents desire in calling the conference to ascertain the opinion of those whom he had invited with a view to harmoniZing any dif- ferences that might develop in order that unanimity of action might be agreed upon in the end.
 Purpose of the President. It is the President purpose to have other conferences in the near future
 with other members of both the Sem
 ate and the House of Representatives in the carrying out of his policy to consult with the entire Republican
 membership regarding their feeling to-
 ward the subject of tariff revision. If
 1t should be found that the sentiment
 in favor of revision should be strong enough to warrant affirmative action 1t can be said to be the Presidents s purpose to call the Congress into ex- traordlnary session for the purpose of crystalizing into law the ideas of the
 party leaders.
 It Is indicated by one of the parties
 to today's conference, that if a revis-
 ion of the present tariff should be de- cided to be necessary, the session for
 the consideration of the measure pro- | posed probably will be called next fall.
 Meantime. after the decision of the President shaIi have been reached. the leaders of Congress will begin the preparation of a Dill. carefully consid- ering such changes in the present tar in law as may be suggested. It is said to be- entirely likely that
 no definite conclusion regarding either the general subject of revision or the
 calling of an extraordinary session will be reached. for several weeks.