The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-11
LOBBYISTS GATHER 10
 PROTECT INTERESTS
Taft confers With Many Republican Leaders While Insurgents Pre- pare for Fight on the ob-
 noxious Schedules.


 of the republican conferees were pres- ent today when the conference met at 2:30, except Senator Cullom who is out of the city.
 The Senate amendments to the Payne tariff bill were taken up numerically. After each side of the conference has known it's position with reference to each contested amendment the present plan Is to refer them to special sub committees for consideration with view to modification and compromise. None of the subcommittees have been named.
 It developed today at tn general con- ference that Payne and Mccall of the House conferees were the only friends that the President could count on in his efforts to secure a revision of the tariff scheduled downward. Boutelle and Calderhead are with the standpatters. Dalzell and Fordney are for the high est protection they can get on every thing and anything irrespective of promises or consequences.
 Payne gave his promise to President Taft early in the tariff proceedings to revise the tariff downward His posi- ton to that end is uncompromising. He is looked upon as the Taft spok esman in the conference now on. Mccall is giving all the assistance in his power. He is for free raw materials and es- pecially hides, lumber and coal. To get what he wants he Is standing with Payne on every reduction of the Payne q fl, Aldrich bill
 Democrats Confer.
 The democratic members of the con- ference committee had a short session this morning Theirs is waiting duty. They will study the amendments in stand them when the republicans of the conference Invite them back to con- ference to pass on the completed work. Then they will enter upon a struggle to get the best out of the scramble for their particular constituencies.
 The conference of the republicans Is being held in the new Senate office building. The corridors of that build ing have been filled throughout the day with prosperous looking men, not mem- bers of either the Senate or the House. Representatives of special interests have gathered here for the conference in which the tariff bill is to be sh aped finally.
 All are struggling to lay the pipe con- nections with the conference room to see that the interests each represents is 70 have proper treatment at the hands Of the last tariff builders.
 It Is apparent already that the White House is to be the Mecca Of the down. ward revisionists in the final stages of the tariff fight.
 Lobbyists Plentiful.
 The lobby Is there and scores of them are already on the ground and may seek the corridors of the Senate office build ing, where the conference is in session, but the representatives of the ultimate consumer are bringing their cases direct to the man who will have the final de- cision.
 While the conferees were arranging tho preliminaries today the vanguard of the downward revisionists descended upon the White House. Senator Lodge came along with delegation of New England shoe and leather men who presented a budget of facts in favor of free hides. The President, who had been quoted all ready as favoring free hides, among other free raw materials, gave the delegation patient hearing without committing himself as to what his policy will be as to this or any other schedule.
 Representative Olcott of New York fol- low,e with a delegation of lace import ers tor Shoot had a long talk with the Pl regarding the increased to- bacco ta and the prohibition of tho H F. Mills, who was chairman of the executive council of the Indianapolis tar If cc .ee, calledsin the interests of the .r1ff board which the Senate bill provides for.
 Conference With Taft.
 In addition, a score or more of senators and representatives had brief conferences with the President, including Senator Du- pont the millionaire powder trust mag nate of Delaware Burton of Ohio, Bulk eley and Bandegee of Connecticut, Mo- Cumber of North Dakota, Stephenson of wisconsin, Wetmore Of Rhode Island, Hevburn of Idaho Burkett of Nebraska, and Johns of Washington and Represent atives smith of Iowa. Smith of Michigan, Norris of Nebraska Wilson of Illinois, Foster of Illinois, O'Connell of Massa- chusetts, Needham of California. Brous- sard of Louisiana, Humphrey of Wash- tngton and Dwight of New York.
 The House insurgents have been busy during the day perfecting, plans for a united opposition to the conference report when 1t comes before the House should if not carry the reductions in sched- ,Jes demanded by President Taft and by *hsm Their first fight will be to prevent the adoption of the conference report In cross and to insist on separate votes on the most important changes and compro- misses effected in conference.
 votes of Insurgents.
 Eirhteen of these insurgents voted srainst sending the bill to conference wifhout votes in the House on the most obnoxious schedules of the Aldrich bill If is believed that this number can be greatly augmented to prevent the blind passage of the conference report, Murdock of Kansas, Norris of Nebraska and Davis of Minnesota are leading in the work or recruiting for the final assault on the pro- hibitive protective schedules
 They claim they are meeting with much encouragement.
 The insurgents are counting on the as- siatance of the democrats fin the fight to prevent acceptance of the conference re-