Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-11
Taft Satisfied With Promises
of Tariff ReviSionistS.
ASSERTS HIS CONFIDENCE
Finds Leaders Keenly Alive to Their
Obligations.
CONVINCED OF GOOD INTENT
Announces That He Was Misled Re-
garding the Attitude of the
Speaker on the Matter.

Speaker on the Matter.
Mr.. Taft i'll statement given out last
night covering the result of an interview
the previous day with Speaker Cannon
and conference Yesterday afternoon
with members of the ways and means
committee, announced his complete con-
fidence in the good faith of the tariff re-
VIsionistS in their present undertaking.
Mr.. Taft added that he had been some
what misled in his Interpretation of the
attitude of the Speaker by he press re-
ports Of Mr.. Capnon's speech in Novein-
Der before the Cleveland Chamber of
Comrece. The official report of that
speech. he said. had given him an entirely
different impression
Enlarged Trade With Philippines.
Free trade with the Philippines was
one of the most important matters
agreed upon by Mr.. Taft and the republic
can members of the ways and means
committee at the conference While Mr.
| TAFT favors free trade with the insllar
possessions. without any restrictions, it is.
| understood that in order that there shall
De no diSsenS!on, he has agreed that the
amount of sugar and tobacco which
ShcUid be allowed entry free o! duty
should be restricted
with this end in view it is understood
that the sugar interests have agreed tn q
compromise by which 100000 tons of
sugar Will be admitted from the Philip
pines annually free of duty and that all
sugar over that amount will pay the pres
ent rate of duty. which is - PEI. cent less
| than the duty imposed by the Dingley tar
Ill on sugar from other countries
Large beet sugar manufacturers were
IN conversation with various members
o1 the ways and means committee today
WHAT amount viii be fixed as Il maxi
mum limit for the free entry of tobacco
| has not yet been determined but it is
understood that the tobacco interests are
| ehdeaVorlnS to reach an agreement on
this point.
y great deal OF evidence with regard
10 the effect of Philippine tobacco on the
American market was gathered hy tht.
ways ana means committee at the Philip
pine tariff hearings as we'll as at the
hearing on the tobacco schedule which was
held recently.
Democrats in Accord.
Inc democrats are understood to be
thoroughly in accord on the question of
tree trade with Tic Philippines rs one
prominent minority member OF the ways
and means committee expressed it, Il have
always been against the United States
holding the Philippines Islands, but if we
are to continue to govern them | want
them to have all the privilege that be-
long to them as part of the United
States
1t is probable that a number of sugar
and tobacco manufacturers and growers
Will be subpOenaed by the ways and
means committee in order to obtain any
further information ON the question.
MI. Taft statement, issued after his
talk with the ways and means committee
yesterday evening at Representative
Longworths house, follows:
Alive to Their Obligations.
Il had an interview with Mr. Cannon
yesterday, and with his concurrence, and
at the suggestion of a member of the
ways and means committee, with the re-
publican members of that committee this
afternoon, and from my conversation
with them and the discussion which fol-
lowed as to the examination which they
are now conducting and expect to con-
duet l have every reason to be confident
that they are keenly alive 10 the oDl!ga-
tons which is on them. as representa-
tiveS elected to represent the republican
party, to prepare an honest and thor
ough revision of the present tariff: that
they have taken three times as much
evidence as has ever been taken in the
preparation of other tariffs. and that they
are gong To make dudltlOnal cHOrt, an
independent effort to get at the evidence
themselves by the use of subpoena and
under oath. with view to reaching the
difference in the cost of production of the
various articles brought within the tariff
here and abroad.
Thorough Revision Proposed.
Il found them quite anxious for as
much harmony as possible. in which l
sympathiZed with them and prepared for
consultation on points of difficulty that
might arise at any time in the future.
The plan is to prepare IA bill such
evidence as they have and will have in
the course of the hearings. and then to
call additional evidence as to the items
whenever 1t should seem necessary. Not
only from conversation with the mem
bers, together, but with he members in
divdlially. | am quite convinced that they
are in good faith going to prepare bill
which shall be a thorough revision on
the basis of the platform of the republic
can party.
The discussion covered other things,
like the Philippine tariff, and ] am very
hopeful that there will be no difficulty in
| reaching an agreements between the va
rious people interested in them-thoSe
representing the Philippine islands and
those representing the sugar and the to-
bacco interests, so that there will be no
dispute and that the matter may be in
corporated in the new tariff bill without
an issue.