The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-02
SECRETARY KNOX TAXES
 TIME BY THE FORELOCk
Notice Has Been Sent To Several For eien Governments That Conner ciaI Agreements Will Be Ab-
 rogated for New Tariff.

Washington, May 1.-tSpeciaL)- Chairman Payne of the ways and means committee will ask the House next Thursday to agree upon rule fixing July 1 for taking a final vote on the tariff bill. It Is asserted by House leaders that they have already secured enough pledges on the rule from mem bers from the Atlantic coast, guilt and Pacific states, democrats as well as re- publioans to insure it's passage.
 This means that ethe Senate and House leaders have agreed that the bill will be ready for final passage at that date. If no slipup occurs there after the new tariff will be on the statute rolls by July 4, provided always, that the bill meets the approval of President Taft.
 Coincident with the decision of < le House managers to bring in this rule forcing a tariff vote on July l. the state department today also took ac- tion which indicates belief then that the tariff bill now framing will sh ort- ly be enacted into law Secretary of State Knox this afternoon notified all the governments with which the United States has commercial agree ments under section of the Dingley tariff law of the intention of this gov ernment to abrogate these agreements. Manifestly Secretary Knox assumes first that the. Dingley provision for commercial treaties is to be superseded and second that it is to be displaced in the near future by a new provision of law which will do away with such arguments--that is the maximum and minimum clause zst1ls fariff law Witch was introduced in the Senate syester- day. It is taken for granted here. that the Secretary of State would not noti- fy the governments of our intention to abrogate these agreements if he did not have a clear idea that the new tariff bill will become a law in the near future.
 Trade Agreements.
 The countries with which the United States has trade agreements are: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Por- tugal and the Netherlands. There are in addition informal agreements with Bulgaria and Switzerland. Nearly all of these agreements have some time to run yet. Secretary Knox. however, as suming that section 8 of the Dingley net will not be re-enacted is therefore taking advantage of two months time in serving notice of intention to ab- rogate. If he waited until the new tariff act were passed, obviously we would lose two months in the way of abrogation. The Secretary of State un- doubtedly has not acted without con sultation with President. Taft, and the significant point is that today's action would not have been taken if the Pres ident did not believe he is going to get from Congress a substitute for the Dingley law which he can approve.
 News of the purpose to have the House vote on the bill about July 1 comes from most authentic source. The plan is as follows:
 Bill To Be Reported.
 On Thursday of next week, that is to say, May G. Chairman Payne will report from the ways and means committee the Philippine tariff bill. Notice will at that time be served on all members of the House that active consideration of the bill be had for one week, following which daily sessions of the House will be held until the bill is disposed of. full at tendance of members will be forced and
 
 made to bring In the rule calling, for vote on the entire tariff bill on July 1.
 The fact that the House managers have decided to bring. in such a rule also in- dicates that the Senate managers believe they have the situation well in hand and that the bills, passage by the Senate Is assured by June 15. This would leave two weeks for the conferees to get to- eether in compromise measures which will eventually be handed to President Taft for action.
 Two weeks Is regarded as ample time in which to straighten out the differ ences between the two chambers as has already been forecasted in these dis patches. A number of the rates fixed in the Aldrich bill have been inserted to be used for trading purposes when the House conferees present their demand in favor of the Payne bill. Aldrich knows just how far he will be willing to go and the House managers have a clear idea of just what concessions they will be able to secure. The only point of doubt Is as to what President Taft will demand when the bill reaches the con- ference stage and it is likely that the negotiations with the President will oc- cupy most of the attention of the con ferees