The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-07-27
TAFT HAS FIGHT
 WITH BEEF TRUST
ITS POWERFUL INFLUENCE BE ING EXERTED TO PREVENT HIDES FROM GOING ON THE FREE LIST


 HIDES FROM GOING ON THE FREE LIST.
 l Washington, July 27.-A tentative agreement in regard to the moot points before the Conference Committee was so far realized yesterday afternoon l that it was practically decided to test the sentiment in the House to-day with the special rule designed to smooth the way for notifications of the leath- CT schedule putting duties below the | House rates. The decision of the conferres carried free hides and free oil, 10 per cent. pers, per cent on sole leather, 20 per cent. on saddlery, 10 per cent a ton or iron ore, and compromise rates on lumber and paper.
 While this tentative agreement was practically reached by o'clock, under no circumstances is it expected that the formal conference report will be presented before Thursday. The man agers on the part of the House are now in the position of not wishing to compromise themselves with the House by signing or formally voting on rates that may be thrown out in the House or which the majority of the House might refuse to indorse.
 That is the explanation of the delay and the slow schedule arranged by Sen | atorAldrich to postpone the report un- III 1nuTSQdy IS lnNOlV0Q CnIeIly WlIn an elaborate statement MT. Payne will have to make to the House and to the country. Another twenty-four hours will be taken up by MT. Aldrich | in the fullfillment of a promise to Senator Daniel that the Democratic members of the conference shall have | twenty-four hours in which to scruti- nize the work of the majority mem bers.
 | House Situation Delicate. I special rule through the House in wolves delicate points, any one of | which may cause a miscarriage of the plan. To make sure of no mistake, whip of the House, will tomorrow sound carefully the sentiment of the House on the rule, and action will be decided accordingly. If obstacles de- velop in the course of his scouting the special rule will be withheld. | If the sentiment is favorable, how ever, it is confidently asserted that | therule will be put through the re- leased managers will at once proceed | to a vote. | It was announced by one Of the high est authorities to-day that the formal votes will be taken all at once. The delay on so many of the points so | far has been this determination on | the part of the conferres not to sur render on one point until sure of ob- taining concessions on another. | When the formal votes are taken | the conferees will pledge themselves | to something like secrecy for the time needed in the preparation of MT. Pay ne's statement and the formal report of the conference.
 a The possibility of failure in regard to the special rule tomorrow has led to | the proposal of a unique scheme among | the confereeS. What would be the drafting of practically two separate re- ports is embodied in this plan, and vxyi1 ant fnr 11t iun- f0r- one or the other for which it will be ! the Presidents part to obtain the needed votes- The first report will set forth substantially the rates already outlined in the agreement made yes | terday afternoon.
 There is fear that the free hides l paragraph, with the corresponding heavy cut in shoes and leather below the House rate, will shave to a min- imum, if it does not temporarily de- stroy, the organiza tion's majority in the Senate. The President will there fore be expected by dinners or other
 wise to call off thej hides insurgents and the progressives who have sworn to get either protected hides or free shoes. With the large number of Dem ocratic Sena tors who are expected to plan is expected to be comparately easy.
 War With Beef Trust
 President Taft is at grips with the Beef Trust over the fight for free hides. The influence in favor of re- | taining a duty on hides is one of the most subtle and powerful that has l been manifested in the whole course | of the tariff fight. It has been strong | enough to change the minds of men who had gone to the Capitol, after converse ton with the President, per- | suaded to yield to his demand and permit hides to go She free list. | It is this question alone which has I delayed for long the n the conferrees on a final report and which is responsible tonight for one plan to submit the two different re- ports to the President and throw up- on him the responsibility of choosing between them.
 | There is no doubt as to which alter native the President will choose. He was as firm to-day as he ever had | been for free hides and the correspond ing reductions on shoes and nfanufact- ures of leather. He has gone so far in his fight for free hides as to tell | some of his Congressional callers that