New-York tribune., 1909-04-05
TIE TARIFF TO DATE
HOUSE ICTION DEFINED.
Underlying Principles Of Senate
Substitute Decided.
rr-on rne --lbune Rareau-l


House organization SeYen days age the Re
publican ranks seemed hopeessly divided Ihe
preceding week had been devoted TO political
speeches for home consumption. but progress
had been made toward smoothing the way for
action Conflicting sectional and political in
terests were DIS sharply defined among the cap
tains as among the privates, and no steps had
heea ken 10 end general debate, for the reason
that It had beer found impossible TO frame a
rule which would command the required l96
votes.
Now all is changed. and six days hence the
Payne tariff bill will be through the House and
ready for tho senate Speaker Cannon has
pulled himself out Of the apparently inextricable
intertwinement." and once more has at his back
q compact working majority, which Will do husi-
ness this week. \ week ago Representative
Tawncy. of Minnesota. chairman of the Com
inittee on Appropriations, was so far off the
reservation that his return was not expected
unless he came in war paint to give battle TO
his old associates OF the House organization
The detection Of Jim Tawney was serious
menace 20 the plans of the House leaders. In
their dilemma they appealed TO Mr.. Cannon TO
take personal charge Of the situation. The
Speaker responded. and Mr.. Tawney vas
brought into line. and with him came enough
others TO make il possible for the leaders to
work out d concrete plan of action TO pass the
tariff bill.
There were two recommendations made by the
Navs and Means Committee against which Mr..
Tawney made complaint one was that re-
ducinC the duty on barley from 50 10 10 cents a
bushel. The other the imposition of 81
Thousand feet duty lumber Minnesota is
6or free lumber, and the chairman of the APP
propriations Committee placed himself at the
head of a large group Of Middle Western Re
publican Representatives who insisted they
would not support any rule which did not pro-
vide for separate vote the lumber schedule.
An agreement was reached whereby the Com
mitIee on Ways and Means should recommend
d duty Of - cents a bushel on barley and the
rule of procedure should provide an opportunity
for the friends of free lumber to vote this
proposition. When this agreement had been
signed sealed and delivered Mr.. Tawney took
Of his coat and began TO round up votes to carry
out the progranm Of the House organization.
On Thursday he reported what could be done.
and, as set forth in the dispatches TO The Trib-
On that day, plans were completed to put
the bill through
An insurrection which broke out on Saturday,
forty Representatives signing a memorial maxi
ing number Of demands. chief OF which were
that a duty Of 45 cents d ton be imposed on
coai. 50 3 ton on pig and scrap iron, etc. in
jected some doubt into the situation. but this
Representa-
tive Dwight the Republican whip. felt confident
they had sufficient votes to insure the adoption
Of the rule despite the claims of the new in
.surgents.
CLOSE OF GENERAL DEBATE
Wnen the House meets tomorrow a rule will
he reported from the Committee on Rules clos
ing general debate and providing for considera,
ion OF the bill under the hve-minute rule This
rule viii provide for separate votes on lumber
and hides, and that the final vote on the bill
shall he taken on Saturday April 10 a fur
ther and most important provision of the rule
viii be that committee amendments shall have
precedence. There are several hundred commit
tee amendments and their consideration will
doubtless occupy the entire time up the TAX
ing of the final vote. except that specifically al
loted for voting the lumber and hides sched-
ules. The most important committee amend
ments strike from the bill the duty on tea and
the countervaing duty on coffee. and restore
the duty rice imported from the Philippines
The provision Of the Payne bin relating to pat
ents viii be stricken out
Progress on the tariff bill last week was not
confined TO the House alone While Speaker
cannon and Representative rawney were un-
tangling snarIs their end Of the Capitol the
Senate leaders. under the direction of Mr.. Al
way IN the Senate. At the daily sessions OF the
Committee on Finance every schedule of the bill
was carefully gone over with experts. The
Democratic insurrection against the procedure
of the Finance Committee in denying the mi
noritv members OF that committee the privilege
Of being pres, mt TO Cross-examine witnesses
vas ironed out after long debate on the Sen
ate floor The programme OF the majority
net changed. and the Senate substitute will be
prepared in accordance with the plans originally
laid down by Senator AIdrich Besides
agreement was reached 20 exclude from consid-
Grafton at this session all legislative business
except the tariff bill and the census bill. This
means that from the day the substitute for the
Payne bin is reported until the conference re
port is adopted tariff legislation will have the
right of way in the Senate, and cannot be dis
placed. even temporarily, 10y other business.
While the las; week was notable for its CON
ferences none Of them more important in
ais bearing the tariff question than that held
al the White House Friday and outlined in
thess dispatches of that day. Senator Aldrich
submitted to President Taft his substitute for
the maximum and minimum provision of the
PAYNE bill Under its terms the minimum rates
viii go into effect Immediately and remain in
force for a definite period OF nine months or a
wear At the end OF that period the maximum
rates are TO become effective automatically ex-
cept imports from those countries which
have demonstrated to the satisfaction OF the
President that they giving to the United
States as good opportunities for trade rs they
grant to any other country.
This new plan meets the views Of the Presi- /
dent as expressed in his first tariff conference !
with senator Aldrich- II is not drastic in its
method OF retaliation a. the maximum and min !
irnum provisions OF the Payne bill. 1t will have
President Taft's cordial support. and it is be- |