New-York tribune., 1908-04-22
LAY OUT SENATE WORK
REJECT FOUR U4RSHIPS.
Steering Committee Standing Firm
on Currency Legislation.
From The Tribune Bureau. ]

Washington, April 21.-The steering commit
tee of the Senate met to-day and decided on the
legislative programme for the remainder OF the
session. In the main the decisions Of the COM
mittee merely ratified those reached earlier by
the leaders Senator Beveridge arraigned his
colleagues severely for their failure to carry into
effect greater number of the Presidents rec
concentrations but his remarks were received in
silence and produced no appreciable effect
The committee decided that an adjournment
would be taken May is. unless some unfore-
seen complication in the House prevented its CO.
operation to that end
The four-b battleship proposition was emphat-
fcally rejected It was decided TO pass the child
labor bill for the District Of Columbia. but Mr.,
Beveridge was warned that if ne offered his
national child labor bill he would jeopardize the
former bill The Senator from Indiana said he
purposed to make d speech which would remove
all legal objections to the national bill but the
warning was permitted to stand
II was determined that all amendments to the
interstate commerce and TO the antitrust acts
should be passed over 1t was decided also 10
prevent any vote on the Brownsville resolutions.
if that was possible
The committee resolved that no action would
be taken on the postal savings bank bill. which
has been favoraby reported to the Senate.
The committee also declared the purpose Of the
Senate to stand by the Finance Committee on
the subject Of financial legislation and TO reject
any measure adopted by the House unless as it
came from conference II met the approval of
that committee If the House passes the Nree-
land bil introduced it viii be accepted only
with verbal changes. If the House materially
amends and then passes that measure it will be
restored to its original form. If the House
passes only a bill providing for a commission
the Senate viii amend it by adding it TO the
Ereeland bill If all financial legislation should
die in conference the Finance Committee viii be
authorized to conduct an extensive investigation
and prepare comprehensive scheme of hnan-
ciaI legislation on its own account Such an in
vestigaton would include inquiry into the
methods employed by the banks to defeat imam
ctaI legislation at this session. the employment
of experts on finance and the framing of bill.
Apropos Of the Senates position on the hnan-
ciaI question Senator Aldrich told the story of
two men in boat. one Of whom desired TO go
70 sea and the other TO cast anchor Finally the
one who wished t. anchor said that he would
anchor his end Of the boat and the other man
could 90 TO sea with his end. That said MI
Aldrich is The position of the Senate with re-
gard to chimericaI currency schemes which may
lee hatched at the other end Of the Capitol The
Senate will anchor its end of the boat to 4
sound financial measure. The House may 60 10
sea with the other end OF the boat-if ii can
Finally. after considerable discussion. it was
decided that throughout the remainder Of the
session all details should be worked out in con-
ference. in order that no further differences in
the Republican ranks should be manifested on
the floor Of the Senate The differences over
the Aldrich bill. the opposition of Senator Bur
rows 10 the seating Of Senator Smith, of Mary
land followed by a vote which seated him. etc.
were cited as evidences Of too little work in con
ference and too open display Of Republican
differences. and it vas decided that hereafter,
wherever difference existed. it would be settled
in conference So that solid party front could
be presented in public