The Detroit times., 1909-06-24
BY OLSON GARDNER.

| bill will take place behind the closed
doors Of a conference committee room.
The principal iniquities will be enact
ed in the dark.
Following are the senators who wilt
be members of the conference COM
mittee. Republicans-Aidrich. OF
Rhode Island; Burrows. Of Michigan;
Smoot, OF Utah; Penrose, OF Pennsyi'
vania; Hale, of Maine; Democrats
Daniel OF Virginia: Money, OF Missis-
sippi; Bailey, of Texas.
The following members will repre-
sent the house on the conference COM
mittee: Republicans-Payne, OF New
York; Dalzell, OF Pennsylvania; Nc
Call. of Massachusetts; Hill. Of Con-
necticut; Boutell. of Illinois; Demo
crats-Clark. OF Missouri. Underwood,
OF Alabama; Griggs OF Georgia.
IL is the function of A conference
committee to adjust differences be-
tween the laws passed in the HOUSE,
and in the senate. All paragraphs or
sections which are identical are not
subject to any change. II, however.
the senate bill contains any amend
ment to any paragraph any rate Is
higher or lower In the senate bill
that rate becomes the subject OF ad-
justment.
Fix Disputed Schedules.
Disputed schedules can be arranged
finally ia any way which is satisfnc-
tory to a majority of the conference
committee: providing only that the
final report of the committee Is APP
proved In the senate and the house
To illustrate: If the house bill
fixes the duty on wool at 80 per cent
OF the value of the product, and the
senate bill increases the duty TO rs
per cent, the conference committee is
not bound TO adjust the difference at
some point between the two figures
90 and 70: it may finally decide to
have the duty at So or 100.
Much has been said about the pos
sibility of revising the tariff down
ward" after the bill gets 10 confer
ence. There are several reasons why
there is no possibility OF this happen
ing One very good reason is the fact
that all the Republicans and several
of the Democratic members Of the
committee are In favor of revising the
tariff upward. A glance at the mem
bership of the conference committee
is all that Is needed TO confirm this
statement.
A still better reason why no substan-
tial revision downward can take place
after the bill gets to conference Is be-
cause rs per cent of the schedules VII,
not be open 20 any change In the con-
ference committee. They are the old
Dingley rates unchanged. An analysis
Of the senate bills shows that on the
basis OF the value OF goods imported
the senate bill shows 15 per cent Of
increase in duties over the Dingley
bill and 10 per cent of decrease over
the duties OF the Dingley bill. All
changes must. of necessity, be con-
fined to this 25 per cent Of the tarin
schedules.
The VITAL changes in the bill will be
those which affect general legisla'
ton. such as will be worked by drop
ping out the inheritance tax and the
vitalizing clauses Of the tariff COM
mission paragraph.
To Serve Big Interests.
On the other hand, there will be
some horse-trading done. Mr.. Aldricn
has some corporation interests which
he expects to serve behind the closed
doors of the committee room very
much as he served the sugar trust
when he was a member OF the confer
ence committee in 1892. At that time
he succeeded In increasing the duty
on refined sugar one-tenth of l per
cent above the duties recommended
by the senate and the house-an
amount which equaled revenue on
80 900 900 a year added TO the profits
OF the sugar trust ever since. In re-
turn for this the sugar trust has
helped him in his campaigns III
Rhode Island.
From the consumers point Of view,
tho conference committees alterca-
lions In the tariff law are not to be
contemplated with feelings of either
hope or Joy. Senator Aldrich has been
worry anxious to get the bill advanced
10 the conference committee stage,
and one OF the arguments used to
grease the tracks is the rather humor.
ous statement that when the BIZ
reached the conference. President Taft
would probably put forth his long-de-
layed intervention and secure wal
liable concessions in the way Of down
ward revision in the interest OF the
consumer
There should not be any misunder-
standing on this subject. What Pre-
ident Taft does not do az the present
time will not be done