New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-05
SUGAR DUTY STILL
DIVIDES DEMOCRATS
Another Day of Conferences
Fails to Finally Settle Trouble
some Tariff Problem.
WILSON FOR A COMPROMISE
Senators Told They Must Con-
sent to Rate of One Cent a
Pound for Three Years
or No Tax at All.

From The Tribune Bureau
Washington. April i.-Democratic men,
bers Of the Senate Finance Committee
| wrcstled with the problems of free sugar
and free wool at conference to-day, and
then delegated Senators Simmons. Hughes
| and James to take up with Representative
Underwood the task of smoothing out the
| humps that lie in the way of an agree
ment between the two houses and the
| President. Another meeting Of the. SEN
ate committee will be held on Sunday
| afternoon.
The plan To reduce the duty on sugar
! to one cent pound and defer placing 1t
on the free list for three years to give
domestic producers an opportunity to adj
| just themselves to the change. was dcliv-
cred to the sugar state senators as an
ultimatum. They have not yet accepted
| il. however. as a compromise for the plan
of the House to put sugar on the free list
at once.
The sugar state Senators say there is
| little difference between having free sugar
at once and having duty of one cent
pound for the domestic industry. The
l
wool and mutton and - per cent rate
on wool would be equally disastrous.
| The Senate committee informed tho
Representatives. that they could not have
both free wool and free sugar. and also
demanded the elimination Of certain items
| from the free market basket list.
Framing Tariff Report.
|
mont with Senate leaders on the sugar
and wool schedules the WAYS and Means
| Committee busted itself with the framing
| If tho ma jority report on the Underwood
tariff bill. Il pre- sentative Palmer, caucus
chairman. will issue call for party
council next Tuesday. Mir Palmer thinks
| the caucus Will continu" for two or three
DAYS. AZ every Democrat is to have an
opportunity 10 air his Views. II l.
earnestly hoped this will prove safety
valve.
The caucus Will he attended by nearly
three hundred Democrats. and OF this
number one hundred are new members.
! The greatest "talkfcst" In the history
! OF House legislation * therefore probable.
| with considerable reluctance the Ways
and Means Committee has practically de
| cidcd 10 swallow the Presidents sugges-
ton that wool shall 80 on the free list in
! the House bill. The Executive is still try
! ing TO bring the Senate around to free
wool and compromise rate on sugar.
| Free raw wool proves "A bitter dose for
the conservative members of the Ways
! and Means Committee. led by Mr.. Under
/ wood. Less than year ago the MEM
| bcrs were resolutely defending a duty of
! 20 per cent ad valorem and were hurting
defiance at Mr. Bryan because ne tried
] 10 have wool made free.
Chairman Undcrwoods better Judgment
now is that wool should bear IA small
| duty. such as the IL per cent previously
agreed To by the ways and Means Com
! mittee. but the President appears To have
other Views.
! IT the Ways and Means Committee Is
| forced To capitulate on sugar and TO bring
| In at the outset "A compromise sugar III
| the House leaders Will be open to attack
on both wool and sugar and already they
| are wondering what justification can he
! found for the somersault on these Two
| important schedules. Members of the
! WAYS and Means Committee still hope fer
a situation whereby the House may pass
| a free sugar bill. with the tacit under
standing that in conference 81 rate
/ will be reluctantly accepted II is I'M
! derstood that the ultimate fate OF the
sugar Sc hedule depends on the resultant
negotiations between the President and
| the Senate leaders.
Few Problems Left
demand from some quarters in the
| Senate for an increase In the agricultural
duties and a doubt as to the success OF
both free wool and free sugar In the
| Senate constitute the problems over
| which the Senate leaders will work to-
| morrow. II is understood that unless
| the sugar compromise is accepted by the
| Senators from Southern States the FL
nance Committee probably will act on its
J own initiative and comply with Presi-
| dent Wilson's desires.
Chairman Underwood. when the Ways
and Means Committee adjourned. seemed
| I'm greatly relieved frame Of mind.
| "Our bill is ready" said Mr.. Under
wood The sugar tariff is the only seri-
Gus point in controversy. and our com
| President wants us 10 do. after he has
made up his mind.
I'VE expected TO get word from the
| President to-day after his conference
with the Senators. but the word did not
come. believe. however. that the whole
matter Will be determined tomorrow. If
| the President cannot bring about an
| agreement on this schedule. we are ready,
anyway. and the bill will go to the House
as a committee bill.
This committee has agreed thus far to
every change the President suggested In
| our original bill as ii reached him. His
suggestions were few. Most OF the bill
met with his heartiest approval. The
| committee was OF the mind that no bill
should be presented which President Will
son might veto when il reached him.
| Having made the changes he suggested,
we are now ready to accede to the further
| recommendations he may make"
one provision Of the measure is that it
| shall become effective at midnight Of the
day on which it is signed by the Presi-
dent. This provision and the fact that
| the measure will be blanket bill, in
| Guiding the income tax, when II comes