Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-26
bARTH0LDT Holds UP
THE BUILDINGS BILL,
Says He Will Not Report It From Con.
ference Until Some Currency Leg
is|ation Is Enacted by Congress.

Washington, May 25.-Currency leg
islation was the chief topic between
leaders of the Senate and House to-
day. The revival of the discussion
came Unexpectedly and led to all sorts
of runors of probable agreement be-
tween the cOnferees on the Aldrich-
Vreeland bill, looking to the enact
ment of measure at the present ses-
sion.
Many Republican members of the
House do not seek to disguise their
fear that if Congress adjournS with
out passing an emergency currency bill!
the failure to take action will be dis
astreus to the majority. This fear WAS
emphasized by Representative Bart
holdt of Missouri, chairman of the
House committee on public buildings.
who declared that he would not submit
his conference report on the omnibus
buildings bill until financial legislation
had been assured. His action holds the
b ldings bill, in which 3l6 members
of the House and many senator's are
interested, over the heads of ANY
recalcitrant group or faction" which
may be opposed 80 an agreement on
emergency currency.
Many members of both branches of
Congress believe that the impression
given by leaders that there is no hope
for action at the present session is to
arouse the country to demand action
before adjournment. If such a demand
should come now, the result would be
in doubt. Early in the day report
was circulated in the House that there
was a movement on foot to "dovetaiI'
the Aldrich and Vreeland bills, retain
ing the principal features of each. The
effect of this course would be to per-
nit individual banks to take out
emergency circulation on government,
state, county or municipal bonds, or
as an alternative proposition to take
out emergency circulation on CONNER
cal paper to be guaranteed by banks
of Clearing House association as
provided by the Vreeland bill 1t was
the idea in the House that this pro-
vision could be amended so as to be
acceptable to the Senate by defining
the character of the securities such as
prescribing that they shall have two
endorsers and not run for more than
30 days. 1t was suggested further
that the emergency circulation meas
ure should not operate for more than
three years and that in the meantime
there should be a general revision of
the currency and banking laws.
No sooner had this scheme for a
compromise reached the Senate than
the Democratic leaders served notice
on Senator Aldrich that they We're
ready to talk for month to prevent
any feature of the Vreeland bill be-
coming law. Although Speaker Cannon
was supposed to father the COM
promise proposition, it met with de-
cided opposition in the House.
That Speaker Cannon entcrtains
hopes that there will yet be an agree
ment is indicated by the fact that the
sergeant-at-arm of the House is adj
monishng members not to leave the
city until final adjournment has been
decided upon, and in some few cases
members who have already gone home
have been asked to come back.
Representative Bartholdt Of Mis-
souri,. chief of the House managers in
the conference on the public buildings
bill, made the following statement to-
day to The Associated Press:
81 served notice on the Speaker to-
day that / would not call up the con-
ference report on the public buildings
bill until satisfactory currency bill
has been passed. The Speakers reply
was that no one could force me to
present the conference report.
"rhe situation is this: The country
is looking to the Republican party to
pass an emergency currency bill. Con-
gress has been in session six months
and has failed to agree on currency
measure. If we adjourn without doing
anything more than creating cur
rency commission. it will be up to the
Republican party to make embarras-
sing excuses il panic conditions recur
this fall. I have the report of the
conferees Oh the public buildings bill
in my pocket. I am going to keep it
until a satisfactory currency bill has
been passed. The House and Senate
conferees on currency are at the
threshold of tentative compromise.
There is no reason why they should
not agree and why we should not enact
the ir agreement into law. I am willing
to STAY here all summer If it is nee
essary to 'starve out any recalcitrant
group or faction"
commenting upoh eho tNPO'. 49,
Senators Teller and Culberson had
announced their intention of filibuster-
ing against the adoption Of any fea-
lures of the Vreeland bill, one of the
House conferees said:
'"rhe only patent Interpretation of
this attitude is that the Democratic
Senate managers now propose the
Aldrich bill or nothing If this be their
attitude and they maintain it, of
course there will be no currency legis-
lation beyond that creating commits
sion."