Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-05-08
new TARIFF LAW
ABOUT june IS
|kIdTich Confident Bill viii Pass
Two Weeks Earlier.
!JAFT WILL NOT VETO IT

The President is Confident That Meas
ure as II Comes From Conference
Will Warrant Approval - Business
Men Urge Senators to Pass the Bill.
Washington. May 3-The slow pro
gress made last week in the consid-
GRAFTON of the tariff bill in the senate
has discouraged some of the leaders
who have been counting upon an ad-
1ournment of congress by June Is.
Senator Smoot, who is one of Sena-
tor Aldrichs lieutenants, said that it
looked to him as though the bill would
not get through the senate until June
20.
Mr. Aldrich, chairman of the finance
committee, does not agree with his
colleague from Utah and is sticking to
his prediction that the bill will be
passed and signed by June /. Those
ting out optimistic predictions give
two weeks leeway to his forecast and
expect adjournment on June Is.
A number Of the middle west Re
publicans want to go on record in
favor of radical revision of schedules,
as Senator Nelson has done on the
lumber schedule. After they have made
their speeches it is expected that the
bill will be disposed of rapidly by par
graphs.
Business Men Urge Speed.
The truth is that senators are hear
ing from business and manufacturing
interests in their states in no uncer-
tain way urging them to pass the bill,
even if it does not meet with universal
approval, and adjourn.
The tone of the kilograms and let
tiers that are coming to the senators is
all for settlement of the tariff. They
declare that uncertainty is creating
more damage than can be done by
tariff schedules. The business of the
country, they say, wants the tariff set
tied, and it will adjust itself to the
schedules, no matter what they may
be. There is confidence that there will
be no ruinous cuts by the friends of
protection, so the cry is Pass the
tariff bill and let the country get
down to business"
No Veto by Taft.
This sentiment throughout the coun-
try, 1t is understood, is having good
deal of effect upon President Taft.
The talk about the latter vetoing the
bill that passes if it does not meet
with his ideas of what the tariff sched-
ules should be is all nonsense. Men
who saw him and talk with him fire.
quently on this subject know that he
has no specific ideas OF what the rates
should be and trusts to congress to
decide them.
Mr.. Taft, like his predecessor, Mr..
Roosevelt, is guided by the views OF
others as to what revision can be
made in the rates and will not under
take to say for himself what they
should be. He is listening to all sides
and is sometimes swayed by the radi-
cal tariff revisionists. or gives them
the impression that he is, and then
the stories go out that he will veto
the bill if it passes in its present
shape.
The president knows that the bill
will be completed in conference and
he believes that when that body gets
through the measure will be in gen.
eral keeping with party pledges and
with the popular demand for revision
without injury to business. The presi-
dent does not want the suspension kept
up any longer than is absolutely nee
essary. He has been greatly impress
ed with the estimate made that the
general business of the country, be-
Cause of contracts delayed, manufac-
lures checked and future work held In
allegiance on account of the uncertain
ty regarding tariff rates, is suffering to
tho axtant If an nm mn O dav