Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-03-18
Measure Will Be Reported to House
at Noon.
DEMOCRATS OBJECT TO HASTE
Opportunity to Offer Amendments
from Floor May Be Afforded.
PROGRAM OF THE SENATE
Committe ON Finance VIII Begin Com
alteration of Bill Today--Upper
House VIII Probably Make Nu-
merous Amendments.

WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE full MEM
bership of the house committee on ways
and means, including democrats as we'll
as republicans, will meet at 10 o'clock to-
morrow morning for the formal considera-
tion of the Payne tariff bill. which saw the
light for the first time in the house today.
The senate committee on finance will at
the same time begin informal consideration
Of the measure.
The probabilities are that the house com
mittee will have only one sitting on tho
bill, that the measure will be reported -
the house Immediately after it convenes to-
morrow and that its formal reading in
committee Of the whole will soon begin.
General debate will be postponed until Mon
day II Mr.. Payne's present program is fol-
lowed, and after that time the measure Will
probably be before the house from ten days
to two weeks. This plan of operation Is
slightly different from that followed In the
consideration of other tariff bills of recent
years and It had been expected that the
democratic members of the committee would
be afforded more time than is now con-
templated for the consideration of the bill
in committee. 1t is still possible that after
they insist upon delay and succeed in pre-
senting good reasons for their request they
may be accommodated.
Democrats Want Time.
Mr.. Clark said today that he would make
every effort in the committee as he would
| on the floor>of the house to have the bill
amended and for that reason would ask
! for longer time. He added. however, that
| he would not press for mere time than
for the preparation Of a minority report,
! as that could he formulated as we'll after
! the bill had been reported as before.
Mr.. Paynes inclination is to get the
| bill into the house at the earliest prac-
| ticable moment and his plans are so COM
| plete that it is not believed he will yield
| for a mere plea TO offer amendments.
which the minority as well as the majority
know will not be accepted.
| II is expected that compromise will
be reached and that the democratic mcri-
! bers will accept a proposition, which will
| permit them to present their amendments
| on the floor. Mr.. Clark indicated today
| that his principal plea would be for that
| privilege He said that he did not con-
| slider general debate of so much import
ance as the discussion of the bill paragraph
| by paragraph with the opportunity to sug-
! gest changes in the various schedules. II
| Is therefore probable that II Mr.. Payne
/
and his fellow repl l:lcan members of the
committee concede this privilege the demo-
Gratis will accept it in lieu CT similar
| privilege in &C cmmittee and make no seri-
Gus prutes. against the immediate report
ing Of the bill.
| Probable Length of Debate.
No announcement as to the length o1
time that will be given for debate has
been made and Mr.. Payne is quite wary
on this point. The Dingley bill was under
discussion in the house for only ten days
and of that time four days were devoted
to general debate 1t was considered un
der a rule fixing the hours of meeting
limiting the time of debate and prescrib
ing the method of offering amendments
The democrats still remember that unde
the regulation concerning amendment!
they found no opportunity to force ties
votes on particular schedules. Under tn,
rule the committee could present amend
ments at any time. but individual mem
bers could only suggest changes in tn,
schedules under consideration AS tn
entire six days were devoted to the firs
schedule, dealing with chemicals ant
drugs, they found very little opportunit,
to make effective suggestions. They prob
ably will resist such a rule for the con
sideration of the present bill Whethe
there will be any rule regulating the con
sideration of the Payne bills remains I
be seen. 1t is Mr.. Payne's present pur
pose to begin the general debate befor
1