Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-22
TARIFF ACT ASSURED
Good Effect of the White
House Conference.
CONFUSION CLEARED AWAY
Agreement Satisfactory to Presi-
dent Will Be Reached.
SPIRIT OF COMPROMISE ALIVE
Executive and the Legislative
Branches Brought Into Closer
Harmony.

uation, two propositions seem to stand
ont az certainties now:
First, that there will not be q dead
though there should be a delay of few
days to whip the compromises into
shape for general acceptance.
Second, that the agreement thus to
come about will be acceptable to the
President and the bill will receive his
signature and downright Endorsement.
There will be no such fasco al mark
ed the passage Of the Wilson bill, 1t IL
prophesied; no replica of the my Dear
Catchings" letter, denouncing the tariff
legislation az an act Of perhdy and dis
honor.
Efforts to Hasten Agreement.
The effect upon republican senators and
representatives of last nights confer
ence at the White House was TO stimu-
late today the spirit of compromise among
all factions and to hasten efforts to reach
an agreement upon tariff BILL The
statement made by some of those IN
attendance at last nights meeting that
no conference report will be brought in
until its adoption by both Houses seems
assured added to the zeal of the efforts
of the workers for compromise.
The dinner brought thorough under
standing between President Taft and the
members of the conference committee as
TO what he desires III tariff legislation
and "A demonstration that existing con-
ditions render 1t unlikely that all the
Presidents desires can be sratlfled. Inc
outcome is that the conferees are lett TO
IL -
promise among the varying elements OF
the House and Senate.
This outcome apparently was SAUSAGE
tory TO all concerned. 1t is declared to
mean good feeling between the White
House and the Capitol, a sympathetic
understanding the part of the Presl-
dent of the difficulties confronting the
conferees and fostering general spirit
of concession on all sides.
The construction placed upon the out
come of the conference was that no alb
solute policy of free materials can be In
sisted upon, since the declaration was
made by Senator .Aldrich that such
policy could not carry in the Senate, and
the House leaders were not able to give
positive assurance that 1T would command
a majority in the House, owing to the
aggressive attitude of republicans from
western states.
Friendly to Compromise.
The further view prevailed today that
executive demands are not to dominate
the consideration of the tariff bill. but
that on the contrary the President lends
assent to the principle that all tariff leg
islation is compromise, and he gives
free rein to the conferees to work out the
best kind of bill they can.
These considerations led during the day
to increased activity among the oppo-
nents of the downright free raw material
policy. They are moving heaven and
earth to keep some kind of a duty on
hides and coal. Oil and iron ore are vir
tuaily turned over to the advocates OF
free raw material. But compromise Oh
coal and split of the reduction on hides
are still among the possibilities of the
situation.
Lower Duty on Leather.
One way in which free hides can be
obtained, 1t is declared. is to reduce the
duty on finished products of leather. 1t
is confidently asserted that the leather
manufacturers are getting ready to give
assent to such reduction, if the parlia-
mentary status can be arranged. There
Is difficulty there in this respect: the
reduction demanded would be below the
figures named in either House or Senate
bill. and the conferees have no authority
to go outside the limitations of their re-
Spective bills.
1t is suggested that joint resolution
might be passed authorizing the conferees
to droo below the lowest rates named In
the bill. The objection to that plan is
that it opens up possibility of further dis
cussion of the subject in the Senate.
The opinion is held by some of the con-
ferees that the subject of reducing the
duties on leather below the minimum fig-
ures now before the conferees can be
opened up without resorting to joint
resolution They contend that there are
presidents for such action, and that, fur
thermore. the placing of hides on the free
list by the House gives an excuse for
taking up the duties on related subjects.
However. 1t is admitted that if this is
done. the democrats will Immediately de-
mand free shoes
Not Bound Hard and Fast.
Great satisfaction was expressed by
both senators and representatives today
over the willingness of the President as
they understood it to be expressed in
last nights conference to stand by the
conferees in their compromises and not
To put out "A fiat ultimatum for absolute
free raw material. This spirit is ex-
pected to bring response in kind from
the far western senators who have been
rather stiff in the past few days in their
resistance to free hides and lower duties
coal
days ago was in a mood 10 oppose the
Presidents wishes for free hides, has
been brought around to the position of
viewing with equanmity if not willing
ness the proposed reduction. providing il
can be accompanied by a lowering of the
duty of finished products of the leather
manufacturers. He was working today
on plan TO bring about that compro-
mise.
Last Nights Discussion.
Those attending the dinner last night
were the Vice President, the Speaker
of the House. the Secretary of the
Treasury. the Attorney General. Sena-
tor Hale, Senator Aldrich, Senator Bur-
rows. Senator Penrose, Senator Crane
Senator Root. Representative Dalzell
Representative Payne. Representative
Mccall. Representative Boutell, Repre-
sentative Caiderhead. Representative
Fordney, Representative Dwight and
Capt. Butt. Capt. Butt withdrew when
the tariff talk commenced.
After dinner the President and guests
best reports of what occurred at the
after-dnner conference. the first discus
sion was whether a conference report
which provided for free iron ore. hides
oil and coal could be adopted In both
houses. Senator Aldrich gave ii as his
absolute opinion, based upon a canvass
of the Senate. that such a report could
not pass the Senate
Chairman Payne of the House commit
tee was reasonably sure that such a re-
port could pass the House. but he could
canvassed the House. The republican
whip. Mr. Dwight. was unable to furnish
figures showing an absolute majority for
free raw material