Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-07-16
HaIloWslI Carrier Service
May Be Extended Il!
Tariff sGomefees Industiously
Saving Wood.
Pres. Taft Not Swinging Club to
Enforce Ms Views.

c1al The great neat Dali IL Sioi h6
down upon Washington this week, a
city that for the first time IN dozen
years focuses the country's attention
during a mid-July sizzling. The Presi-
dent in the White House is trying to
keep cool by thinking about how pleas
ant it is in Beverly by Massachusetts
nav. There are "a Senators ard 285
tRepresentatiyes-wh the tariff con-
fierce have been deducted-who are
scooting away to the parks and resorts,
waving palmleaf fans, absorbing soft
drinks and trying to keep their tenn
peratures down while the tariff bill Is
licked into shape. No matter about
those eight poor mortals from the Sen
ate and those nine poor mortals from
the House, who are TO ADJUST and COM
promise Or to be correct one should
say five or even three poor Senate NOR
tails and six poor mOrtals from the
House.
- For the Democratic conferees just
az was expected have been waved
aside and enjoined to enjoy themselves
while the Republicans fix up the differ
ences among themselves. They may go
10 the seashore and fill the days with
And the Democrats take it compla-
Gently for, they say. they would do the
same thing II they had a majority OF
the Senate ard the House.
One, two, three weeks! The guessers
are guessing how long it will be before
the doors are thrown open, before the
Democrats will be invited In and the
mysterious conference report, wherein
the compromises indicated by numbers
will be dumped upon the Senate and
the House. Three weeks" exclaim the
nervous and the impatient. by that
time we shall have shrivelled up under
this fierce hi at" The oDtimists look
for an agreement by the end of this
week. More likely the jaded conferees
will wind up their deliberations some
litne along next week. There is a pos
sibility of their getting the report into
the Senate and House by the middle of
the week. with a complete agreement
upon the SAT amendments. which the
Senate made to TIE House bill.
Then, whether it be by the middle of
thu, week or the end of the week, come
on you leather dunged oratOrs There
viii be three of four days for you be-
fore outraged legislators who hold
their peace will grab you and throw
YOU into the cool Potomac. The cry
tor muzzles will be overDowering il
speech is long drawn out once that
conference report Is in hand and only
a vote in Senate and a vote in House
stands between 500 weary legislators
and home. Those cantankerous West
ern insurgents are preparing to splurge
t,.,n a r
fers but they have already taxed the
patience of members tremendously. II
the middle westerners would have
talked only as much as other mortals
in the Senate. the bill would have been
passed and out of conference by this
time. They have an overweening sense
OF their Importance and emphasize it
by demonstrating their thoughts and
word power on every possible occasion.
Strangely enough most of the offenders
have been Republicans.
'' The first stage of the tariff con-
ference has already passed. A few
essential things have been estab-
lished with reference to 1t. Presi-
dent Taft is not swinging club
over the conference. The writers or
Speculation said he would and there
would be something doing" That Is
not the Taft way of handling legis-
ilation He has talked with the leading
conferees. He went over the situation
FIRST with Senator Aldrich, who enjoys
The Presidents fullest confidence. Then
ne took Speaker Cannon, of the House,
on a 10y ride that very night and they
telke 1 things over. The next night he
had Chairman Payne of the Ways and
Means Committee with him. In the
meantime he filed in the day with
talks with other Congressman who had
10 do with the framing OF the bill
Those who stood ufar off said the
President was simply swatting the big
congressman, laying the law down and
making 1t plain that II the conferees
did not meet with his wishes he would
veto the bill. veto the bill mind you.
THAT Is the old subject on which those
who stand afar off have harped early
and late ever since the tariff bill was
In the arena Of legislation.
As a matter OF fact President Taft
paid very little attention to any partic-
ular feature Of the bill except the cor
,,oration tax. But ne told the Senators
and the Representatives that he would
like to see some compromises In con-
ference as to 4 few things that would
make things a little easier for the con-
sumer.
"Why. Mr.. President something OF
that kind has been in mind from the
beginning. said the conferees. we
have put up some duties said the Sem
stors, which ought to be put in our
Judgment, and we have put up some
4othef., for the sake of making the pes
XIV House conferees come off their per-
ches and trade with us. We may not
he able to do all that you have request
ed bit we will do something. This is a
very complicated subject. There are
many interests involved. We will do
the very hest we can
: That will be o. n" said the Presi-
debt in substance in reply. Let me
have whatever reductions from the
House rates from whatever reductions
from the Senate rates you find it feast
bile to make. am going out through the
West this autumn. 1t will be necessa-
nv for me to deliver some speeches and
I intend to dwell much upon this tariff
rim want to convince the country