Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-02
TARIFF CHANGES EARLY
Observers Believe Revision Will
Be Forced in the
House
sTANDPAT DEFEAT is CERTAIN
Program Used Under the Mckinley
Administration to Be Followed
Asain--Revsion Thought Probable
by June of Next Year-Work of
Ways and Means Committee in Hand

Ways and Means Committee in Hans
| Washington, Dec. o.-There is au-
thirty for the statement that the house
leaders will bring about revision of tbs
| tariff at the earliest moment possible
and that their plan at this time is to
have the bill ready in the ways and
means committee for Introduction i'm
mediately following the opening of the
special session, which will be near
March Is of next year.
The bill will be prepared during the
coming winter, by the ways and means
committee as now constituted, as was
the case when the Dingley bill was
drafted. The ways and means commit
tee, at the short session of congress
precluding Mr.. McKinley's inaugura-
ton, drafted the bill completing that
work by the first days of February,
1897. The special session of congress
to revise the tariff was called by the
new president for about the middle OF
March, at which time the bill was in
troduced. All the time of that special
session was thus devoted to the con-
sideration of the bill. and not to its
preparation, the result being that the
new tariff lew was enacted and pus
into effect early in the summer
The house leaders, learning wisdom
from the blunder which was made at
the session which enabled the McKin-
ley tariff law, prevailed upon the
speaker at the special session Of
March. 1897, to appoint only the ways
and means, accounts and mileage COM
This prevented general legis-
lation from being brought before the
house, and confined the attention Of
and of the country. to the
specific purpose for which congress
had been assembled. namely, the en-
actment of q new tariff law.
In Effect by June.
The Mckinley tariff law was not en-
acted at special session of congress,
but at the regular session converting in
December. The speaker promptly APP
pointed all the standing committees Of
the house, and general legislation was
taken up in addition to the work Of
tariff revision. Of course. at a general
session this was unavoidable, but the |
result of it was that other important |
bills We're brought to the forefront and
.sed to obstruct the passage of a tariff
dill, and congress, which should have
adjourned by June. was in session UNI
ii late in October.
Speaker Cannon will appoint at TIA
special session of next spring only the
hree committees named above. and
viii therefore escape the danger which /
'efell the republicans when they
passed the Mckinley bill. 1t is his be-
ief that the new tariff law can go into
fleet in June, and that congress can
Ldjourn the special session by the last
lays of that month.
In 1897, when the Dingley law was
einy enacted. the house, after the
ill had been sent to the SEN
tie, made it a practice to adjourn for
our days at q time, until the senate
ad passed the bin and sent it back for
ouse consideration. No legislation
Their than the tariff was undertaken,
nd could not be, owing to the failure
f the speaker to appoint all the house
This program, in detail,
) to be reported next spring. Speaker
annon being determined that revision
aall be accomplished in the shortest
me possible.
M~k srIo oil
Mr.. Mckinley, in the fall Of 1895,
new just as Mr.. Taft knows now, that
lie enactment of a tariff law would be
le first thing to come before congress,
nd that he would call an extra session
II that purpose Having this in mind.
following the election, he
mt for Nelson Dingley of Maine,
lairnan of the ways and means COM
ittee. and went over the tariff situa-
on with him. Mr.. Dingley spent sew
al days at Canton, the guest of Mr..
ckinley during which time tho two
me to an agreement regarding the
sneral character and scope of the pro-
osed new law. During the early VIM
T months Mr.. Mckinley had still
her members of the ways and means
at Canton. for a similar
lrpose. Meanwhile, Mr.. Dingley, in
'asnington. as soon as congress con-
med in December. called his commit
Q together and made assignments of
e schedules to the various members.
king each to look, up his subject
oroughly and be prepared to report
| it shortly after the holidays.
The committee began its secret sit-i
ngs in January, 1897, in small room
the Cochran hotel, and for weeks It
emit over the schedules, with a view
arranging them in a way to suit
q greatest number or republican
embers of the house. These members
ere in frequent consultation with the
and the work of preparing
c new law progressed to conclusion
18th perfect harmony prevailing be-