The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-03-18
Chairman Of Ways and Means
Committee of Lower House
Introduces New Bill De-
signed to Change Rate of
Duty Upon Various I'm
ports---Many Changes Made
and Stubborn Fighting Is
Expected.

tariff bill. The senate commlttee OH
finance will at the same time begin
formal consideration of the measure.
It is likely that the house committee
will have only one sitting on the Dill;
that the measure will be reported to
the house Immediately after it con-
venes tomorrow and it's formal read
ing in the presence of the committee
of the whole will soon begin
General debate will be postponed
until Monday, if Mr.. Payne's present
program is followed. After that the
measure probably will be before the
house from 10 days to two weeks.
This plan is slightly different from
that followed in considering other tar
iff bills in recent years. 1t mas neen
expected that the democratic members
of the committee would be atforded
more time than is now contemplated
for the consideration of the bill In
committee. 1t is still possible that L.
thew insist upon delay, and succeed
in presenting good reasons, they may
be accommodated.
Mr.. Clark said today that he would
make every effort in the committee,
as he would on the floor OF the house,
to have the bill amended, and for that
reason would ask for more time. He
added, however, that he would not
press for more time in preparing
minority report, as that would pc
formulated as we'll after the bill had
been reported as before.
May Compromise.
Mr.. Payne's inclination is to ret the
bill into the house at the earliest
practicable moment ana his plans are
SO complete that it is not believed he
will yield for a mere plea to otfer
amendments. 1t is probable that a
compromise will be reached and that
the democratic members will accept
a proposition permitting them to pre-
sent their amendments on the floor.
Mr. Clark indicated that his principal
plea would be for that privilege. He
said he did not consider general de-
bates as Of nearly so much impor-
tance as the discussion of the bill
paragraph by paragraph, with the OPP
portunity to suggest changes in the
various schedules. 1t is therefore prob
able that if Mr.. Payne and his fellow
republican members of the committee
conceded this privilege the democrats
will accept it in lieu of similar priv
ilege in committee and make no SER
ious protest against the immediate
hearing of the bill.
No announcement as to the length
of the debate has been made and Mr..
Payne has been quite wary on this
point. The Dingley bill was discussed
20
that time four days were devoted to
general debate. The democrats still
remember that under the regulations
concerning amendments they found no
opportunity to force test votes on par
ticular schedules. Under special
rule adopted for the purpose, the COM
mittee could present amendments at
any time, but individual members
could only suggest changes in the
schedules under consideration. AS the
entire six days were devoted to the
first schedules, dealing with chemi-
Gals and drugs, they found very little
opportunity to make effective sugges-
tions. The democrats will probably
resists such a rule for considering the
present bill.
General Debate.
Whether there will be any rule
regulating the consideration Of the
Payne bill remains to be seen. 1t Is
Mr.. Payne's purpose to begin the gen.
eral debate before asking to have a
rule brought in and whether any will
be ordered probably will depend upon
circumstances. He expects also to give
somewhat more time for the consider
alton of the bill in the house than
was given to the Dingley measure. 1t
is recalled that the debate on the
Dingley bill was begun March %, 12
years ago. the same day Of the same
month on which the general discus
sion of the Payne bill begins On the
former occasion all discussion ended
and a vote was taken March 81. I'm
der present conditions, Mr.. Payne
thinks it would be desirable to give
more time, but he declines to say how
much more.
Senator Aldrich, chairman of the
senate committee on finance, which
will deal with the bill in the senate,
announced that he would call meet
ing of the republican members of the
committee for tomorrow with the idea
of considering the house measure i'm
mediately. The finance committee
suffered seriously from the defeats of
the recent election and as a conse-
quence the republican membership
numbers only four senators. They are
Messrs. Aldrich of Rhode Island; Bur-
rows of Michigan; Penrose Of Penn
sylvania. and Hale Of Maine.
Mr.. Aldrich says, however, that they
can take up the bill as a sub-commit-
tee. AS soon as the republican vacan-
cies are filed, the new members will
be invited in and consideration of the
measure will proceed.
Makes No Comment.
Mr.. Aldrich declared he had not
looked at the house bill and declined
to comment upon it. 1t is known,
however, that many senators seriously
object to the changes from the present
law and hope is expressed that the
bill will be materially amended be-
fore it leaves the senate Senator Hale,
chairman of the republican caucus, is
among those who find the bill objec-
tionable.
1T absolutely murders the wood