The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-27
PRESIDENT WILL NOT
 VETO FINISHED BILL
Western Senators Are So Determined That Hides Shall Not Be Free That They Are Giving Much
 Trouble to Conferees.
BY PATTERSON sTEALEY.

Washington, July 26.-(Special.) IA tar If programme to occupy about two weeks more of the extra session has been pretty definitely outlined by the leaders of the two houses today. It means that time is necessary to wear out the Senate op- position, lately enforced by the range republicans" from four inter-mountain states It also means that the President is to have his way in some degree With the tariff bill. which, he told senator today. was undoubtedly very unpopular with the country.
 When the conference broke up this aft ernoon Senator Aldrich said the formal voting would probably take place, tomor- row Then a day or two more would be devoted to executive sessions and to getting the bulky report carefully com pared. Representative Mccall, another of the conferees, expressed an opinion that 1t would be two or three days be- fore the report was ready for presenta- tion and that the House would dispose of 1t by Saturday night. Chairman Payne wants to prepare an exhaustive statement about the bill As the conferees have de- cided upon a leisurely programme they are quite willing to grant 1t.
 The best information is that the con ferees today took their final vote upon free hides and also upon the poots anu shoe leather schedules. While rates are ouoted in some quarters as agreed upon there is nothing authentic. The conier- ence committee has been considering to- day a proyiso that boot and shoe uppers of which leather made from the hides Of catfle is the component material of cmef value" shall be 10 per cent.
 Members Consulted.
 Both the Massachusetts senators anu Representative Weeks were at the sen ate conference today and were under stood to have been consulted about sucn a proyiso. Charles H. Jones. represent ing New England shoe interests, was also aware of the efforts on foot As there IS rs,;ab,e information that Speaker Can non intends putting the conference re- port before the House under speciai rule it is thought that this boot ana shoe reduction has been agreed to by the con ferees.
 A conference report is a privileged mat fer and it could be and usually is consid- cred without a special rule. But the sneaker now intends to have rule au- thorizing tho House to take up the con ference report in question. phraslns something like this will overcome opJec- tions or the raising of a point Of oroer that the conferees have been legisiat- ing, on boots and shoes in going below the rates that either House originally voted.
 Representative Boutell, the Illinois con- feree said tonight he expected the last vote would be taken tomorrow. That means the blanket vote. covering the many items to which the conferees have already assented as amendments to the pending tariff bill There Is apparently a keen desire to be able to say to the President that the work is done.
 lnsurrectionists Active.
 The range insurrectionists have been exceedingly active today. Tbey have held meetings and delivered pronunciamentoes which misled some into believing that the senators from the state of Wisconsin, Montana, Utah and Idaho were going to heat the tariff bill because they could not have a duty upon hides. Senator Warren speaking for the senators from those states, with the possible exception of Senators Shoot and Dixon, announced this afternoon that they were going the limit" They were willing to vote for free hides, but it would have to be coupled with free boots and shoes.
 Theae alarmist statesmen's statements did not greatly disturb the republican leaders, who have fallen in behind the President, The normal republican ma jority in the Senate, counting the vote of Senator McEnery, democrat Of Louisiana, Ia 22 As matters stand now there are ot the outside seven range republicans vho threaten to defeat the bill. There were ten low tariff republican insurgents who voted against 1t in the Senate. but some of them will join the party on the last record vote. among them probably the two Nebraska republicans.
 Opposing Forces.
 But while the forces for and against tho bill are so closely matched that only a smali majority for the bill could be 6gured by the leaders today, they say That next week it will be far different. There are scores of influential manufac- turing firms and other great interests that want the tariff bill enacted into law. They will begin putting pressure upon senators. This Is counted upon to give the Senate leaders enough recruits i'd pass the bill after a week of debate by something under ten majority.
 Meanwhile the President proposes to use his influence to bring western sen ators into line. He has been talking with same of them today and will see others. TO one of them he said that he realized he could make himself very popular by vetoing the tariff bill. but it would be very serious thing to veto the bill,' tho President added; ''it would wreck my administration'' He said the bill con tained much that he thought bad, but on account of these things he could not br,,g hin,self to think of exercising the veto power.
 Free Hides Victory.
 Now that the free hides victory seems as good as won, barring only some un- expected obstacle in passing the confer ence report or otherwise. there is sat isfaction on the part of the New Eng land people in town. But the victory will have come after a stress and strain. which will probably be felt in future na- tional politics. The fight has injected the auestion of free raw materials into tarin