Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-16
Smoot Resolution Also Seeks
Relief From Flexible
Clause Promise.
OPPOSED BY DEMOCRATS
AND COP. INDEPENDENTS
Proposal Follows Claim House Re-
publican Conferees Disfavor
Tariff Bill Passage.
BY the Associated Press.

A resolution asking the Senate to
relieve its conferees from promises not
to abandon the debenture and legisla-
tive flexible provisions was introduced
today by Senator smoot, Republican,
Utah, chairman of the Senate con-
ferees. He said he would bring it up
on Monday.
Smoot proposed the resolution after
Democrats had intimated that House
Republican conferees had no desire to
see the bill pass.
Democrats and Republican independ-
ents' are prepared to fight the Smoot
proposal. If it fails, party leaders
agree that the tariff bill will die in
conference.
The charge was made by Senator
Simmons, Democrat, of North Carolina,
after the conferees had reached an i'm
passe on how to get the bill back into
the Senate.
Senator smoot was being questioned
at the time as to how and when the
bill was to be reported back to the
Senate. Smoot said the bill probably
would be brought UP in the Senate on
Monday, that the House conferees had
refused to negotiate further until the
Senate freed its conferees of pledges
not to abandon the debenture and legis-
lattve flexible provisions, and that it
remained for the Senate conferees to
decide the method of reporting back.
THE majority conferees of the Sen
ate have kept faith 10 abide by their
promises" Simmons said, "but I do feel
that the conferees of the other branch
tn
There action indicates they do not care
to have this passed"
Senator Harrison, Democrat, Missis-
sippi, also charged that certain Re-
publicans who were enthusiastic for this
bill have heard from the country and
now are trying to kill it,"
II don't know who the Senator re-
fers to-" replied Smoot.
II know 1t isn't the Senator from
Utah. because he's the only one for It,"
the Mississippian came back.
stood steadfastly upon their decision
not to carry the negotiations further
until the representatives of the Sen
ate were given authority to work out
compromise. The Senate's amend
ment had been voted down with large
majority in the House.
CAT DCtG8b DILL
Congressional leaders were convinced
that rejection by the Senate of its con-
ferees' request could only have the re-
suit Of killing the tariff bill, the prod
uct Of 16 months of effort, in confer
ence.
The move of the Republican con-
ferees was opposed by the leaders of
the Democrats and of the independent
Republicans, but while the former were
confident Of mastering q majority, the
latter were not so certain. Regular
Republican leaders were frankly wor-
ried.
The amendment, together with the
export debenture plan, which Is also
In dispute, were written into the bill
by the Observation-Disclosures Repub-
lican coalition last Fall, when it con-
cededly was in control of the tariff
situation in the Senate.
Procedure in Senate Outlined.
The procedure planned called for
Senator Smoot of Utah, chairman of
the Senate conference committee, to
make a technical motion the Senate
insist, without instructions, upon the
amendments in dispute. The Demo-
Gratis were ready with counter motion
that the conferees be instructed not to
abandon the amendments in question.
The Democrats procedure was agreed
upon at a meeting of the leaders Of
that party late yesterday and leaders
of the independent Republican faction
said they would vote with their old
allies. Senator Norris, one of the lat
ter, said, however, he did not believe
they would be successful, as he believed
q majority of the membership would
rather see a compromise worked out by
the conferees than have the bill die in
conference.