The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-06-14
THE LEADERS
ARE SEEKING
A COMPROMISE
Want to Get a Tariff Measure
That President ysan will
Sign a>.
many Of THE HIGH RATES
PLACED IN FOR TRADING

Two Houses Seek TO Reach an
Observation-Disclosures in Lumber
Rate q Conference Possibility.
Washington, June 14.-What kind
of tariff bill will suit the downward
revision sentiment of President Taft?
This is the question that is being
earnestly asked by the leaders in
both houses of congress, who are talk
ing opportunities for talking about
the tariff situation with the president
The Importance of the question must
be apparent to everybody, when the
fact is realized that the tariff revision
bill, in substantially it's present form,
is soon to be agreed to by the senate
and go into conference between the
two houses.
From the ideas prevailing among
members of both houses, the propo-
sition seems plain that the Republic
Fan leaders do not expect that Presi-
lent Taft will agree to a bill any
thing like the measure now under
consideration in the senate. 1t is
positively known that the managers
Df the senate revision bill do not ex-
pect that President Taft will be called
upon to sign such bill. 1t has been
admitted ever since the bill was re-
ported to the senate that the measure
contains many duties higher than the
trainers of it have any expectations
the house will agree to, or that Presi-
dent Taft would consent to.
Admittedly, some of these items
have been placed in the bill for
trading purposes" and the real seri-
GUS question at issue is the nature of
these altitudinous duties, upon which
concessions will be made by the SEN
ate conferees when the time shall
come.
Have Talked With Taft.
1t is known that not only are the
leaders of the finance and ways and
means committees in frequent consul
tation with President Taft, but during
the past week members of the house
who have had opportunities for visit
ing their homes in the west have talk
ed wit hthe president about the SEN
timent of the country with respect to
the Payne bill and the Aldrich bill.
These members have, or think they
have, a general idea, at least, of the
kind of bill President Taft hopes to
be able to sign.
There are conflicting expressions
Of opinion among the members of the
house who have been home during the
frequent recesses of that body, as to
what the sentiment of the country
really is regarding the present tariff
situation in congress, but those men,
bers are practically unanimous in the
opinion that the country is over
whelmingly in favor of the Payne bill
rs it passed the house, rather than
the senate bill framed by Chairman
Aldrich and his colleagues of the fl
nance committee.
Accepting this as the sentiment of
the country, which cannot but be we'll
understood by President Taft, who
made his campaign upon the issue of
downward revision rather than up
ward revision, and who is recognized
as being pledged to reductions in du-
ties, the question now being consider
ed by the leaders, aud especially by
the finance committee members, is
what concessions must be made in
conference to satisfy the president.
Amid the conflicting opinions
brought out in the discussions among
senators and representatives, the idea
is conspicuous that President Taft
will be willing to sign a tariff bill
which contains fewer reductions in
duties or really important changes
In the Dngley law than would have
been supposed. Judging from the
speeches he made during the cam
paign.
President Not Stubborn.
The initimation is strongly given
that while President Taft believes
that the Payne bill as it passed the
house was more nearly along the line
of popular sentiment of the country.
he is not inclined to be stubborn in
demanding that duties be reduced all
along the line, but he does ask for a
recognition in the tariff legislation of
the issue Of downward revision, es-
pecially upon items in the tariff which
contributed. more than any other one
vision sentiment in the country.
This fact is important when 1t is
understood that senators and repre-
sentatives who. as members of the
finance committee and the ways and
means committee. are practically
certain to be members of the con-
ference committees of the two houses,
will certainly be in close touch with
President Taft from now on to the
end of the conference and the pas
aage Of the tariff hill
The cardinal features Of the Payne
bill, as it passed the house. were the
changes made in the duties upon raw
materials and certain finished pro-
ducts. These changes in the Dingley
law by the Payne bill carried iron ore,
coal, and hides to the free list, and