Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-18
(By Associated Press.)
WI TASHINGTON, July 1.-THE con-
w ferees today agreed to a re-


duction of per cent in the
Dingley rates on wagons and chill
dren's dress goods made of cotton
warp.
| When the conference adjourned for
luncheon three changes in the wool
schedule had been agreed on. All of
these were reductions, the lower duty
on women's and children's dress goods
being made on woolen fabrics weigh
ing four ounces or over to the square
yard and woven into cotton warp. A
reduction of 25 per cent was also made
in the duty on yarns valued at 80
cents a pound or less.
The duty on tops was made in ac-
| cordance with the reduced duty on
yarns and is in proportion to the diff
ference In cost of manufacture of
secured woods and spun yarns.
By adopting these three changes the
tariff committee has disposed of the
entire wool schedule.
The conferees of the two houses are
adjusting their differences with a
rea sonable degree of rapidity. They
| have been in session for about week
and have made quite as much progress
as the more conservative of them had
expected they would.
Raw Material Favored
| They have gone so far as to make it
reasonably certain that any bill which
they could report would make some
| concession to those who demand a duty
on raw material.
The fact the president has taken so
positive a stand has had the effect of
shifting the controversy from the two
branches of congress between them
selves to the president and congress
as a whole.
From this time forward it looks as if
the question would be not what the
house will Concede to the senate or the
senate to the house, but how much the
president will demand and how much
! the conferees can concede and still
make sure of the acceptance of the
conference report by the two houses
of congress- The great difficulty of
meeting the presidents demands. If
| they are as extreme in the direction of
| free raw material as is feared by
those interested. will be encountered in
the senate where the raw material
states have better proportionate repre-
| sentatiOn. In the house the tendency
is toward the presidents position.
While the best of personal good feel
| ing between the White House and the
capitol exists, the interests involved
are so large it is evident that con-
gress will not yield readily, and it Is
very doubtful whether the president
could get free raw material if he
should demand it,
The cotton schedule was the first
thing taken up by the conferees to-
! day. Because of the contention that
the rates levied by the Dingley law on
various classes of cotton goods were
not in all cases collected, the senate
redrafted the entire schedule, substi-
tuting specific rates for the houses ad
valorem, wherever possible.
Think Taft Is Right
For several days members of con-
| gress have been going to the White
! House, and not a few of them came
away convinced that the president is
right in insisting on lower duties.
1t was also acknowledged that any
| reduction in rates of the pending bill on
these articles would amount to an ad-
ministraNion triumph.
In effect, the president was told by
! the conferees that if iron, oil, coal,
| hides or lumber were put on the free
list, or the rates reduced below the t1g-
ures adopted by the senate, he would
"have to get the votes.
That a change of sentiment has taken
place in the senate in the matter of
| Tree iron ore ana Tree OH WAS q lIldllol
of common gossip about the capitol
today. The Is per cent ad valorem on
hides, it was stated. would be cut in
| half.
President Taft will win another de-
cided victory in the Philippines free
! trade proposition The subcommittee
has decided to permit the free admis-
sion of $50, 900, 900 cigars annually as
requested by the president, instead OF
70 600 900, as under a senate amendment
adopted at the instance of Mr.. LaFol-
lette.
It is expected the Philippines section
will be adopted by the conferees Mon
! day.
With the exception of rice and limita-
tions placed on tobacco and sugar, all
! articles of growth, product or manu-
facture of the Philippines will be ad-
mitted free.
Bv action taken today the tariff con-
ferees settled the question of giving the
secretary of the treasury authority to
issue fifty-year bonds at a rate of in
terest not exceeding 3 per cent, to cover
the entire cost of purchasing the site
and constructing the Panama canal,
to the amount of $290569, 020.
There is no longer any question that
the corporation tax amendment will be
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