The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1909-05-21
COMMENT FROM THE
NATIONS CAPITAL
News of Interest About Congress
and Other Matters.
STILL REVISING THE TARIFF
It Is Hoped That by the Time the Bill
Gets to the President the Schedules
Will Be Somewhere Near Satisfac-
tory-Plan to Change Day.
ON our special correspondent.

From our special correspondent.
Washington, ID. O., May H..
Monday the senate began its daily SIT
tings at 10 o'clock instead OF II, and the
chairman of the finance committee ever
threatens an earlier hour OF meeting ano
later daily adiournments, unless these ex'
ira hours prove sufficient to expedite the
passage of the tariff bill. The senate.s
usual hour of meeting is II o'clock; this
was changed a few weeks ago to ii.
The contested schedules are being fur
Their considered this week and a number
of senator's have already discussed them,
showing that persistent opposition to the
bill can be expected from a dozen or more
western senators, but for this the end
might be reached in a few days. The SUI
gar schedule-which is much criticized be-
cause of the feeling that it represents
the interest of sugar combinations, ana
which has drawn out scores of protesting
petitions from New England, some from
your state-has received some hard knocks
in this discussion and as a result there is
a feeling that the rate will be finally low
cred. Senator Bailey is strenuous in his
demand for a vote on the income tax fea-
ture of the tariff bill, but whether he sue
ceeds or not he has made an intelligent
fight and has the sympathy of very many
outside of his party. The action of demo
CInUlC SpIdIOIS VI Tic Soulh Ill cuptuih'bS
by their votes the higher duty on iron
ore that had been put on the free list by
a republican house is one OF the neon
g%ruities that have developed in this tariff
making congress. Eighteen democratic in
s~urgents kicked over their party traces,
not because it would help the steel trust,
of course, but that a duty on iron ore
would furnish revenue" The Dingley
duty of 40 cents a ton on iron ore yielded
in the fiscal year 1908, $l22,0OO, which
sum, it is said, paid the expenses of the
government for about 60 minutes in that
year. Insurgent republicans are for free
duty fixed at ST per thousand for pro-
t~ection's sake" while Bourbon democrats
urge a duty Of 50 per thousand, "for reve-
nue. only" Did you ever? Yet, there
are signs of real revision before the bill
shall have reached the president, and the
press of the country is encouraging the
work to that end by urging a substantial
lessening of the schedules affecting the
necessaries of life.
President Taft has very properly re-
fused to interfere with the constitutional
prerogatives of the congress by attempting
to force action to conform to his views.
1t is very well understood here that the
president desires revision downward in
with the spirit of the pledge
in the party platform. He believes that
before the bill is finally presented for his
signature, after it has passed through
what may prove to be a reconstruction
process in the hands of conferees, it will
be shorn of very many of it's present OBJ
jectionable features and that the end to-
ward which the special session was di-
rected shall justify the attempt to rectlfy
of the more fragrant inequalities of
the present tariff schedules.
What the president most desires at the
present time, according to his close friends,
IS a revival of industrial and commercial
prosperity, and everything possible will
De subordinated to that end so far as the
efforts of himself and his cabi-
net are concerned. He would be glad if
congress would show a little more dispo-
,ition to hustle the tariff legislation, that
% this work could not longer be attrib-
tied the business depression. He wants
@ discover some means by which the gov
can prevent corporations from
aw breaking without necessitating an in
and the conflicting statutes will
,e %overhauled, the corporation laws es-
will be reconstructed, and some of
he quarrelsome features of the Sherman
law changed to meet new condi-
ions, but this work will not be under
aiken so long as the tariff question re-
mains unsettled. Mr.. Taft will avoid dis
ensions with congress, and the cordial
citations of today will, it is believed, go
n without interruption. The house is
IN effort to pass the Philippine
ariff bill as well as the Porto Rican bill.
Both will arouse more or less discussion,
nut no serious opposition is expected and
he committee having them in charge hope
o pass them Thursday.
In line with this purpose to force re-
renchment in the various executive de-
of the government, the presi-
has informed the military establish :
lents that he expects the navy to econo- +,
to the extent of Sl0,0 900, 900 this year
nd the army to do the same. This pol !
" will if followed save in these two de- :
artments alone $780, 900, 900. :
The New England Hotel association has '
tapped out for automobile tourists, three !
lteresting tours through New England, 5
18th a diversity of side trips, which COM 7
much of your most charming
Tour A, starting from New York
ty, follows the shore line on toward r
ape Cod, to Boston, thence northward
Iong New Hampshire and Maine shores (
p through the White mountains, down =
Hanover, across via Woodstock to Rut- t
nd, down the west side of the noun q
inns to the Berkshires, then on to Spring i