Arizona republican., 1909-08-03

duCtiOn in leather rates applies only to articles manufactured in chief part of the class of hides that are to come in free The reduction would not apply to shoes, the uppers of which were made of calf skin, or to harness, the most valuable part of which is made of calf skin.
 The western senators were extreme ly bitter in their condemnation of the compromise. They said they had been fooled, that the president had been fooled and that the trick played on the consumer was nothing short of buncOmbe.
 Some of the senate leaders and some dissatisfied members hurried to the White House. There all were informed that the president had not been fooled He was reported to have told all of his callers that he fully understood the character of the compromise. It was declared by the conferees that their course had been necessary from par liamcntary standpoint. To have re- duced the duties on all boots and shoes they said, would have compelled a re- submission of the question to the house
 When Mir Aldrich returned from the White House he called a session of the conferees. The western senators were ushered into the conference chamber singly or in pairs. Audiences were given to Messrs. Hepburn, War ren, Carter Sutherland, Brown, Borah and Bourne. Invitations had been is- sued to Messrs. Burkett and Clark of
 
 Messrs. Aldrich and Payne declared that the language used in adjusting the hide controversy was not a joker"
 An effort as made to reach an un- derstanding with the westerners. They said the word had gone out over the west that free hides had been given for cheaper shoes and harness and that their constituents would not be satisfied with any other bargain. Messrs. Brown and Borah had letters from the president bearing upon the alleged ''ioker" whi h they read. The letter to Mir. Boraf was in response to one he had written.
 The president asserted in this letter that the leather and hide schedule as adopted by the couferees was just as llt llctl It, Ilt Cctlu HIS ull- derstanding was that the reduction on leather goods should be made on those manufactured of hitherto dutiable hides and should not include manufactures of hitherto free hide. Continuing, the president argued that farmers wear shoes made of the kind of hides that would pay low duty and that practi- cally all harness is made from dutiable leather and therefore would be reduced to 20 per cent ad valorem.
 In his letter to MT. Brown the presi- dent is said to have a6ded rather sharp criticism of legislators who were con stantly finding jokerS. The western senators declare that the president is in error, both as to .the hides from which farmers shoes are made and concerning harness.
 After the westerners had departed the eonferees discussed ways and means of meeting the situation. MT. Mccall opposed the applying of low rates on boots and shoes to products other than those that would be affect cd by the abolition of duties on hides. Others argued that the westerners had been embarrassed by the misunder- standing to such an extent that they could not be expected to give their support to the report on terms other than those generally understood at the time it was agreed to make hides free.
 IL was realized these senators, aug mented by the progressive" republi- cans opposed to the bill, could defeat the report if they were so inclined. It was conceded in order to secure the passage of the report by safe margin that the low rates on boots and shoes and harness would have to be applied to calf skin products as well as to the leather from the class of hides that are now dutiable. but which arc made free by the conference report No agreement had been reached positively as to how this result shall be accom- plished
 The plan favored is to make an agreement with the western senators that this would be done after the pas sage of the report by the adoption of concurrent resolution instructing the enrolling clerks of the two houses to make alterations in the paragraph re- lating tO hides. Errors have been dis covered in the maximum and minimum provision and such a resolution must be adopted to make the corrections. Efforts are now being made to induce the Massachusetts representatives not to oppose the proffered settlement.