Gilpin observer., 1909-08-05
WESTERN SENATORS MAKE EN-.
EReETic PROTEST AGAINST
CONFERENCE REPORT.
DISCOVER JOKER IN IT
DUTY ON LEATHER SHOES NOT
LOWERED AS THEY UNDER.
STOOD THE AGREEMENT.

WaSnlngtOn.-Tarlff legislation has
been delayed again by the hide and
leather question and the conferees
were called together once more Mon.
day. Western senators will compel
further changes in the hide and lea
ther schedules. These senators COM
plain that the leather schedule as ar
ranged by the conferees with the ap-
proval of the President is unfair to
the states interested in protected
hides. 1t was agreed that some action
must be taken to conciliate them il
the conference report is to be
adopted.
Without thought of serious obsta-
cles Senator Aldrich caused the re-
port to be taken up as soon as the
Senate met. AS is usual the Senate
leader and his associates moved about
to ascertain whether there had been
any change of sentiment. They were
not long in learning that the charge
that there was a Joker" in the COM
promise hide and leather question had
upset the comfortable majority they
had previously counted for the adop-
tion of the report.
The westerners claim they had been
led to believe that all boots and shoes
OF leather were to be dutiable at ten
per cent. and that all harness was to
be dutiable at twenty per cent.
President Taft has written two let
ters to western senators declaring
that the conference report was made
as he understood 1t would be made
and that he considers it right. He
objects to the Joker" proposition and
argues that farmers will get the bene-
fit Of cheaper shoes under the revision
now planned. The westerners say he
has been wrongly informed and they
can give him facts which should
change his views.
The party leaders hope to arrange
the matter by passing a concurrent
resolution, instructing the enrolling
clerks to make alterations in the par
agraphs relating to hides.
When the conference report was is
sued 1t appeared that the reductions
applied only to articles manufactured
in chief part Of the class OF hides
which were to be made free of duty.
The reduction would not apply to
shoes, the uppers Of which were made
Of calfskin, or harness, the chief value
OF which was calfskin.
Western senators were extremely
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 bum
combe. Finding that the westerners
were not amenable to argument. some
Of the Senate leaders and some of the
dissatisfied members hurried to the
White House.
There all were informed that the
President had not been fooled. He
was reported to have told his callers
that he fully understood the character
of the compromise.
After the westerners had departed
the conferees discussed ways of meet
ing the situation. Representative Nc
Call opposed applying the low rates on
boots and shoes to products other
than those which would be affected
by the abolition Of the duty 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.
It was realized that these senators,
augmented by the progressive Repub-
licans," opposed to the bill, could de-
feat the report II they were SO in
clined.