Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-07-19
From Washington.
Correspondence Of the Alexandria Gazette.
Washington. July 10.

/ the extent OIL the CONCESSIONS tnht the
president can wiring from Congress In the
| direction of lower rates. II is now
claimed that the members OF the con.
ference committee are, as body, with
| him in his desire for reductions, but the
very practical question before them is to
secure the votes to pass a bill carrying
those lower duties, aud in this lice the
hardest part of the work yet to be done.
| It 10 there, it is said, that the influence
of the president must be exerted TO the
uttermost and upon his success de =
bends the outcome. The result undonbt-
| ly will be compromise. On the ques.
| ion of free iron ore there is expected to
De little trouble. That this concession
would be made was announced week
ago. 1t will make no difference to the
steel trust whether iron ore Is free or not
for it neither buys nor sells 1t, and its
great ore fields can defy competition.
Il may benefit some Atlantic coast
manufacturers by enabling them to
draw upon the Cuban deposits which
are owned by Charles NJ. Schwab,
If the Bethlehem Steel Company.
The probability of compromise between
the House rate of 81 and the Senate rate
Of 81. so on rough lumber has also been
discounted. But the situation is very
different when 1t comes 10 the question
/ of free hides aud reductions in the rate
on coal. Fourteen republican senators
from the west, aided by several from the
middle west and east are sleadiast in
heir declaration that no tariff bill shall
pass the Senate which includes these
things. The president isstill optimistic
ally hoping that be can overcome their
hostility, bat 1t is said that they hold the
fate of the bill in their hands and
can force a compromise il they
maintain their present attitude.
1t Was these senators who, steadfastly
voting with the fnauce committee, made
il possible to pass tue bill aud it was
possible to hold them in line only by the
promise that their interests should be
properly protected. Free oil is already
IN the bill aud the only question with
regard to that is whether the counter
vailing duty shall be retained. The
conference committee met at ten O'clock
today with the expectation OF having be-
fore them the new draft of the corpora
ton tax amendment. Several of the
conferees have already seen this, which
has been pTepsled by Attorney General
Wickershsm, aud have expressed them
selves as satisfied with it. No difficulty
is, therefore, anticipated in securing its
adoption.
The tariff conferees today agreed TO
adopt the corporation tax amendment as
redrafted by Attorney General Wicker
sham with the assistance of Senator
Root. The lax is made one per cent
and holding companies are exempted.
There are also exemptions of mutual
benefit insurance and building and loan
associations. Both the attorney general
and Senator Root appeared before the
conferees to explain the details OF this
measure. This will take the place Of
the inheritance tax which was adopted
by the House.
President Taft in bis now famous
statement Of last week on raw materials
said that ne was open 10 conviction as
to whether there was real necessity for
duty upon hides, Goa, lumber, oil and
iron ore. ThelS republican senators who
have agreed to sand together
10 Opposition to the placing of these
articles upon the free list have under
taken the task Of convincing him. They
have appointed subcommittee o: FIVE
who will wait upon the president this
afternoon to present to him their srgu-
ments against material reduction upon
these articles.
Esch of these senators will 60 to the
White House and with arguments, facts
sud figures to show to the president the
difference in labor coal in the produc.
ton of these articles in this country and
abroad and how the wOrkmen engaged
10 the production of them would be At.
fected BY the removal of protection. Al
though these eighteen, 1t is said, wi
stand firmly to their guns, they realizs
that compromise must be the outcome
of their fight. II lie expected that event.
ually they will agree to free iron.ore and
to the removal of the countervailing
duty on oil. Bat they will not accept
reciprocity on coal with Canada, which
might mean free coal although they may
consent to q reduction from the Senate
rate of 90 cents per ton. 1t is also likely
that they will sgree ID q reduction from
the existing rates OF Is per cent on
hides and accept 1926 on lumber.
President TAFT Is confident that be will
secure the necessary votes to put through
his downward revision programme in
manner that will show it to be republi
can measure unassisted by democratic
aid. He held conference today with
Speaker Cannon snd Representative
Dwight who is republican whip of the
House. When D8ight left the presi-
dents Office he expressed himself IS
being entirely pleased with the situation.
"The prssIdent's programme will be car
ried out" said Dwight, sand when the
votes are lined up, there will be no ques-
ton that it is = republican measure
through snd through. We will not
need to 60 to our friends,
the democrats, for any help"
Senator Crane, Of Massachusetts,, who
has acquired the reputation OF being a
great pscifcstor, had 8 conference with
the president about noon which lasted
nearlv halt an hour. Il h believed that
the Massachusetts, senator will De one
of the sIsunchesi aides OF the president
in securing votes for free raw usterisls
tjr his sts.e has long clGmored for free