New-York tribune., 1909-07-30
TARIFF C0NFERREES
YIELD TO PRESIDENT
COMPLY NTH ALL HIS
DEMANDS IN REPORT.
Letter Refusing absolutely to Ap-
prore Unsatisfactory Measure
Leads to CapituIatiOn.
From The Tribune Bureau j

President
his fight for downward revision OF the tariff
The confer-ees on the bill have reached a final
agreement and signed the report which provides
for duty IF 81 p thousand feet on lumber
and the Senate rates which are the same as
those Of the Dingley law. gloves, these being
the only points of difference which remained to
be adjusted to-day
1t was not until the President communicated
with the conferrees by means Of a letter adj
dressed TO Representative Payne. in which he
advised the chairman Of the Ways and Means
Committee in unequivOcaI terms that he would
not approve any measure which imposed a rate
higher than 81 % on lumber any increase
whatever over the DingIey rates on gloves, that
an agreement was reached Even after the re-
ceipt of the letter the Conferrees were Ioath TO
take Mr.. Taft at his word A call at the White
House by Representatives Fordney and Calder
head during the recess served. however. 20
convince the conferrees that further Efforts 70
induce the President TO recede from his position
were useless and that they had come face to
face with q stone wall. smiling stone wall. IL
is true. but one not the less invulnerable.
As a slight compensation to the Western Sen
ators who have been so indignant over the
agreement on free hides and the effort to es-
tablish the 81 - rate on lumber the rate on pig
lead which the Conference Committee had
agreed TO make cents a hundred. was in
creased 10 21s cents. the President having made
no contest that commodity
VOTE MAY BE TAKEN TOMORROW.
The House conferrees will make their report
to the House tomorrow. Under the rules it
will have 10 lie over until the next day, and II
is expected that a vote viii be taken the
legislative day Of Saturday. Just how long the
legislative day Of Saturday Will last viii depend
on the report which Representative Dwight. the
Republican whip. is able 10 make 70 the Speaker
on Saturday morning If there are ample votes
10 insure the adoption of the rule limiting de-
bate and indorsing the action of the cOnferrees
in reducing the rates the products Of leather
below those fixed by the House the debate viii
be limited 10 eight hours Should any difficulty
be experienced in procuring sufficient votes the
debate would be allowed TO until enough
votes are assured
The President will lend his influence to OBJ
tanning sufficient votes in both houses 70 insure
the adoption of the conference report. and no
doubt is felt that the leaders. with the assist
snce OF the President. VIII be able 70 carry the
tariff legislation to a successful issue II is
further expected that the measure will be taken
UP in the Senate on Monday and that final ad-
jourrment will be taken not later than Satur-
day. August !. and possibly before
While making no demand regarding the
hosiery schedule the President in his letter to
Representative Payne expressed the hope that
the conferrees would agree on a schedule ma
terialIy lower than the House rates This was
done. The cOnferrees agreed upon a slight in
crease over the Dingiey rate. about 20 per cent.
on the three grades of hosiery manufactured in
this country and valued at 81. 81 30 and 81. re-
spectiveIy this being considerably less than the
House rates The duties the other grades or
hosiery remain the as in the Dingley law
there is in his opinion. a sharp differentiation
between the hosiery and the glove industries
The manufacture of hosiery is an established in
dustry which has been suffering from foreign
competition suffering TO an extent which has
diminished the demand for labor and operated
to decrease wages. Some increase in the duties
was. therefore in the view Of the President,
wholly warranted.
THE CANNON-LITTAUER PACT
In the case of the manufacture OF women's
gloves. the industry is not established. and il
was planned 10 impose duties which would in
crease the prices to the consumers. at least dur
ing such period as the industry remained in its
infancy. in order to establish IL IL is further
true that the arguments by which il was sought
to induce the President TO accede TO the in
creases in the glove schedule operated seriously
TO anta gonize him. The bald statement was
presented to the President. and constantly re-
iterated that Speaker Cannon had promised ex-
Littauer the increases imposed
by the House. and that in consideration OF that
promise Mr.. Littauer had exerted potent in
fuence to suppress the House 'insurrectionr at
the beginning of the session. While Mr. Taft
was unable TO make it clear to some others in
terested that such argument was an in. pro-
priety. he felt IT very strongly himself and
never hesitated to say so in unequivocaI terms
he al iT1ah -OFO
leaders to gauge the true characteristics OF the
President was striNngly demonstrated to-day
Early this morning. pursuant TO last nights con-
ference with Representatives Payne and Nc
Call. who told the President that the conferrees
were loath TO take him at his word. Mr.. Taft
sent his letter TO Mr. Payne, expressing IN simple
and straightforward terms his purpose not 20
approve tariff bill which imposed duty OF
more than 81 25 on lumber or which provided
for any increase of the Dingiey duties gloves.
Just before noon. and after the Payne letter
had been received and shown TO the eonferrees.
Messrs. FOrdney and Calderhead telephoned TO
the White House and requested interview
with the President The answer they received
was that the President would be pleased to SEQ
them and to have them take luncheon with him
il they did not come to haggle over glove and
lumber duties The invitation was accepted on
these terms. but no sooner the luncheon
over than Mr. Fordney began TO offer slight con-
cessions on the lumber rate. The rate agreed
upon last night by the conferrees and rejected
by the President. was told in The Tribune
this morning was 81 40 a thousand. Mr.. Fordney's
first offer was OF rate Of 81 3715 Il was
rejected Then he offered 81 S5- Mr..
Taft remarked that he had said 81 IS Mr.. Ford
ney asked him to consider rate OF 81 S24z- Mr.
Taft said No and the Michigan offered
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