Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-07-22
From Washington.
correspondence Of the Alexandris Gazette,
Washington, July %.

IConeVpoudence Of the Alexandria Gazette. J
Washington, July %.
II President TAFT, in calling to dinner
all of the House and Senate tariff con-
ferees. had the idea that he would be
able to get them to settle all of their diff
lerences over the table, as seems to hsve
been the expectation In some quarters,
he was mistaken. No differences we're
settled and the question IS to whether
there shall be duty on hides and iron
ore, q reciprocal arrangement with Can
ada which may mean free coal, acounter-
vaiIipg duty on oil, andsthe retention Of
the low House rate OF 81 pr thousand On
lumber, is still in the air. The president
had to confess that he had not been sue.
cessful 30 far in securing the necessary
votes to carry out his desire for free raw
materials.
Chairman Payne, "a the leader Of the
House cOnferees, told him that the
House WAS inclined to stand out for the
free raw material idea bat he admitted
that he WAS unable to give definite as
surances upon this point On the other
hand Mr.. Aldricb, the Senate leader,
was positive that 1t would be impos-
sible to put through the Senate a bill
which provided for free hides and free
coal. The upshot of fhe whole matter
was that the fight was put back In the
hands of the confsrees for settlement.
among themselves. AS social affair
the WhiteHouse dinner was q great sue
cess. But as q means Of settling the
tariff dispute it fell short.
The only thing developed was that
President Taft could not have bis own
say entirely on the FIVE important sub
iects in which be has interested himself
and that the result, il bill is to be
finally passed, must be compromise
between those who want raw materials
free and those who are insisting upon
the Senate rates on iron ore, oil, coal,
lumber, and hides. The best informs-
ton Is that In the end iron ore and oil
will be made absolutely free, a small
duty somewhere between ten and five
per cent. will be pat on hides, lnmber
will be made either 81 or 81 % per
thousand, and coal will be reduced to
about so cents per ton, without any
authority being given to the president
to enter into reciprocal arrangements
with Canada by which free entry of that
product from that country might result.
Representatives Perkins and Stafford
called on the president today to give
him assurance tba! the big leather
manufacturers of the country would be
clad to stand for q reduction 10 the
duty on their goods 10 order to secure
free hides. ave would ether have the
tariff considerably reduced on what we
manufacture, said stafford, who repre-
sents city that has large leather inter
ests, ethan to have the packing trust go
into the leather business and destroy
our livelihood"
al told the PRESIDENT" said Perkins,
chat we would be better of If We had
G good bill vita late adjournment than
if We got an esrly adjournment and q
sentiment, for he told us that he was
making q very thorough investigation to
see exactly how much OF 8 reduction 10
duties the various industries Of the conn.
try could stand"
Most OF the presidents congressional
callers who we're interested 10 hides and
leather seemed of the opinion that the
executive would have The bill recon-
mitled 10 order that substantial reduc-
tious could be made ia the leather sched-
ules below the lowest rate in the present
bill.
No seton WIS taken by the tsriff con-
ference committee at its mornings SEES
sion today on any Of the raw material
questions 10 which the president Is
specially interested. What amounts
p acIically to deadlock was reached
oH the cotton schedule and because 1t