Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-08
Adjournment Possible Without
Action on Either Bill.
Fitzgerald Blocks Pension Legis-
IaliOn al This Session.
The Bath Iron Works Has Low Bid
On Two Destroyers.

Washington. Aug Senator La
Toilette and Chairman Underwood OF
the House ways and means committee,
who have undertaken to reconcile the
differences between the Senate and
the House ON the wool and the farm
ers' free bills for the full conference
committee. are in an unquestiohed
deadlock, with the possibility of re-
naming so ard thus forcing an ad-
Journment of the session without final
action on either of those measures.
The situation is due to Mr.. La Fol
lette's uueompromising attitude to-
ward the House bill. He has told Mr..
Underwood that reduction in the
rates below. those fixed by the bill as
it passed the Senate is an impossible
ity. In response the chairman of the
ways and means committee, who had
great difficulty in getting the House to
agree to the rates fixed i'm his bill, has
said that the House will never accept
the Senate figures
Mr. La Follette's contention is that
the Senate rates constitute a reduction
of about three -fourths of the differ
ence between the rates in the Payne
Aldrich law and those in the House
bill: that II is impossible to go lower
and hold ANYTHING like al the Pro-
gfessive Republicans. and that ii is
better tor the Democrats to take half
loaf than get nothing In the way of
tariff bread
Mr. Underwood did not accept the
Senate figures. but is quietly canvass
ing the House 70 ascertain what in
crease over the House rates may be
possible. He has told some of his
friends that the House may be per-
suaded TO meet the Senate half way"
but the Progressive leader merely
smiled in response to suggestions of
this character. He told Mr. Underwood
that the difference was with his party
friends rather than with himself. and
they sustained him in the statement.
The Progressive Republicans consid-
er il important that they stand as a
body and they have found it impossible
10 obtain anything like unanimous
consent to rate of less than 80 per
cent. on wool and the corresponding
rates on woolens fixed by the Senate
bill. The difficulties pertain entirely to
the wool bill. An agreement on the
free list could be had any time.
The deadlock has given rise to all
cepting the tangle as nextrieabIe.
some senators and representatives.
nave suggested final adjournment of
the session regardless of the confer
ence and the Senate is being sounded
on that proposal Most of the Regular
Republicans are willing to agree to
TINS AS resume of the Democrats In
Guided in the latter list are those
southern senators who would like to
see the further consideration of the
cotton bill postponed until next SEES
sion They are willing to accept al
most any legitimate reason for delay.
and would welcome any exigencv that
would carry the matter of cotton over.
The cotton bill is unquestienably
playing a part in the conference. but
all the facts have not come to the
surface. The Insurgent Republicans
and some of the Democrats who
strongly favor cotton tariff legisla-
ton appreciate the impossibility az
holding a quorum of Congress i'm
washington after final action on the
wool bill. They take the position that
the only safeguard for the cotton bill
is to keen wool back until after the
cotton bill is reported and a day has
been fixed for a vote The power to
so hold the cotton measure rests with
the conferees but they do not admit
that they are acting from his motive.
Snator, La Toilette told some of his
(Coptinued on Page Twelve)