The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-02-29
SENATE READY FOB TARIFF
PROGRAM FOR SESSION WILL
SOON BE FRAMED.
Democrats, Progressives and Stand
patters Making Plans for
Action.

Washington, ID. G. - The tariff
legislation program in the senate will
be framed at conferences which the
Democrats, the progressive Republi-
cam and the regular Republicans are
planning to hold very soon after the
finance committee concludes its hear
ings on the house steel revision bill.
That will be early in March.
Democratic leaders virtually have
house measure with perhaps a modif-
cation which would not interfere with
party solidarity in congress, and then,
having gone on record for the straight
Democratic bill to endeavor to reach
some common ground with the pro-
gressive Republicans.
The regular Republicans have not
yet had a final conference on the
committees procedure, but in all prob
ability will rest on the absence of a
report from the tariff board and sim
ply bring In an adverse report on the
house measure. They are not unani-
nous on that point, however. Some
insist that the committee should re-
port a Republican substitute for the
passed by the Democratic
house.
Progressive Republican senators
have talked over the situation infor-
nally and while there has been no
general conclusion reached, the plan
of some of those most active is to
make some concessions for the Demo
Gratis IL the concessions asked are not
too great. The progressive demand Is
for a reduction of the duties, but not
such a reduction as will carry the
tariff below the protective point.
Some of the more conservative pro-
gressives, however, are already dis
GUESSING the ACCESSIBILITY of waiting a
reasonable time for the tariff boards
report.
The finance committees hearings on
the steel bill were enlivened with an
attack by w. U. Follansbee, a Pitts
burg tin plate manufacturer, on the
house subcommittee which framed the
bill. Mr.. Follansbee who also repre-
scented IA other independent tin plate
manufacturers, denounced the bill as
too drastic, He said the ways and
means committee was not competent
to deal with an industry that had mil.
lions of dollars invested and employ
ed thousands of men.
Washington, d. c. - Colombia vir-
tually re%pudiated the action of it's
minister, Senior Pedro Mel Ospina, by
sending through American Minister
Du Bots, at Bogota, a cordial invita-
ton to Secretary of State Knox to
visit Colombian shores on his present
trip to the republics on the caribbean
sea.
The invitation was forwarded
promptly to Secretary Knox, who is
aboard the cruiser Washington, on
his way south. With him rests the
decision whether he will change his
int.nerary to include a call at the
port of Cartagena. This, it is ex-
pected here, he will do.
The action of the Colombian for
eign Office was received here with sat.
isfaction. 1t closes a disagreeable Incl
dent.
Minister Ospina protested against
the proposed visit OF Secretary Knox
because of feeling in Colombia
against the United States, said to be
attributable t. the acquisition by this
country of the Panama canal zone.
Although press dispatches from Bo-
gotta announced that Minister Ospina
had been recalled because of his let
ter, no official notification of the
action has reached Washington.