Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-07-17
TARIFF RESPONSIBILITY TO BE
SHIFTED FROM CONGRESS TO
PRESIDENT.
WILL ACT AS ARBITER
UNDER PRESENT PROGRAM
Free Lumber May Be Slogan of Ia
sureent Members-coaI, Petroleum,
Hides and Iron Ore Among the vex-
atious ProbIems-situation Fraught
With Uncertainty.

Washington, July 17.-There is a re-
newal of the rumor that the president
is to act as arbitrator between the
house and senate in the matter of the
most sharply disputed schedules-lum
Der, hides, coal, iron ore petroleum and
print paper-and that in the end the
rates suggested by the president by
way of compromise will be the rates
that congress will be asked to accept.
1t is said that in no other way will
it be possible for agreements to be
reached, and the conference report
adopted. The president is said to be
willing to act in this capacity, but he
lets it be known that he inclines to the
lower duties of the house BILL and that
the compromise rates, if fixed by him,
must show a good deal of reduction.
The senate conferees are aware of
this leaning of the president toward
the house bill, and they insist that for
them to surrender to the house on the
schedules above named, would involve
them in serious difficulties in the senate
and possibly defeat the conference re-
port in that body. This phase of the
situation is to be laid before the presi-
dent today or tomorrow
The senate conferees probably are
right in saying that the senate will re-
fuse to adopt a conference report which
contains substantially the reductions
made by the house. 1t may be said with
equal probability, however, that the
house will refuse to accept a conference
report which contains substantially the
increases made by the senate. The
president. as arbitrator will thus have
his hands filled to overlooking.
Would Split Difference.
The senate conferees are willing to
split the difference" on hides and fix
the duty at ~ per cent. This would
satisfy most of the senators from the
cattle states of the west. A majority of
the house conferees are standing firm
for free hides, and at least two of the
senate conferees are with them in
spirit. The difficulty is that there are
eight or nine republican senators from
va
thru thick and thin in the votes on
the schedules and who are now de-
handing that he resist the efforts of
the tanners and shoe manufacturers to
deprive them of what they regard as
protective policy.
Some of these western senators have
taken their grievance to the White
House and are telling the president
that while it may be good politics from
a Massachusetts point of view to place
hides on the free list, it is decidedly
bad politics from a Montana, North
Dakota or Wyoming point of view.
Iron Orc Problem Up
The question of iron ore has not
stirred up as much public interest as
the hide question, but it is certain
that the president would like
to see iron ore on the free
list, and has so informed
some of the congressman who have
called on him. The representatives
from Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio
are practically united against free ore
and they will call on the president to
urge him not to insist against COM
promise duty Of Is cents a ton. The
present duty is 40 cents a ton and the
senate rate 25 cents. The house placed
iron ore on the free list The Michigan,
Ohio and Pennsylvania Representatives
will not be satisfied with a duty of Is
cents, but it is doubtful if any of them
would go so far as to vote against
the bill if this rate should be adopted
as compromise.
1t is, agreed on all sides that the duty
on bituminous coal will be reduced
and il the president is willing to ac-
cept a rate Of 40 cents a ton this
question can be settled without serious
difficulty. The present duty is 81
cents, which was retained by the
house, that body, however, adding a
proviso for reciprocity with Canada
| The senate struck out the reciprocity
proviso and reduced the duty to &C
cents.
Lumber May Be Slogan.
The lumber question is involved in
many difficulties. When the ssna1e
adopted the rate of $3.50 on rough
lumber, it was taken for granted in
many quarters that the house conferees
would not find it difficult to force. a
reduction to the rate of 81 in the house
| high lumber men in the senate are not
willing to concede any reduction. They
say they had the votes to put thru
the rate of 81 in the senate, and only
consented to the $3.50 rate on the I'M
derstanding that the senate conferees
would fight for this rate in the COM
mittee. The president would like to
see lumber on the free list, and is sat
isfied that duty of 81 is high enough
to protect American interests. Sen
ators and representatives from strong
republican states like Idaho, Oregon
and Washington are threatening trouble
IF the rate of $3.50 is not retained. Or
| the other hand, some of the stronges
members of the house organization
have intimated that they may vote
against the conference report if the rate
of 81 is increased.
Indeed, there is a chance that the
insurgent movement in the house
spoken Of in these dispatches yesterday
will take lumber as battle cry and
demand that it be free before they will
vote for the conference report.
Situation is Uncertain.
No matter from which direction the
situation is viewed, it is filled with I'M
certainty and possible danger, and the
president, in the opinion Of this city
will be exceedingly fortunate if he
comes out of the mess without loss OF
prestige.
If the bill, as finally agreed to
should disappoint the country. con-
gress, under this arbitration program
/ W. ho nh 10 INF 10 f1,n