Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-03
President Said to Favor Date
for Extra Session.
DEMOCRATS NOT PLEASED
Messrs. Clark and Underwood Still
Inclined to April 4.
DECLARE TIME is NEEDED
Tariff Commission Bill Appears
Doomed From Viewpoint of
the White House.

the White House.
President Taft and the democratic
leaders OF Congress appeared today to
be getting one another's nerves
about the date for the extra session
of Congress. which will be called to-
morrow night, Immediately on the ad-
journment of the present Congress.
Having got wind that the President
was contemplating call prior to
April 4, Representatives Clarke and
Underwood went to the White House
today TO inquire as to the situation.
In previous conference with the
President they had understood that
he would not object to fixing April 4
as the time for assembling OF the new
Congress. Although April 4 was not
definitely fixed, they wanted to know
today what to expect.
They found the President very much
inclined to calling Congress together
not later than March Is That date
had been fixed by President Mckinley
when he assembled Congress In extraor-
dlnary session in 1897. thus making
"a precedent
The President told tie democratic
desired an early session, the pressure
from the Senate being strong. The
President was informed that the strain
during the hot summer months was so
great that everybody wished to get the
work over, so as to get away from here
before July.
March Suggested
The President, who is not particularly
anxious to remain in the capital in the
hot months himself, was inclined to
believe that Congress could get into
working shape by March Is. Some Of
his advisers thought that ii would be
best if he fixed the date for March 6.
two days after the adjournment to.
morrow.
Messrs. Clark and Underwood protested
against any date earlier than April 4.
They pointed out that they proposed to
organize the entire machinery OF the
House, and that 1t would be impossible
for them to do this until much time
had been given to selecting committees.
They asserted that nothing would be
gained in the way OF time, as the House
would simply be adjourned from day to
day until the machinery was ready.
The President and the democratic lead.
ers parted, with the President still think
ing of March 10 or even an earlier date.
On leaving the executive offices the two
democrats were not particularly jubilant.
Views Of Champ Clark.
Mr.. Clark said: 1.-The President should
either call the extra session Monday, the
9th, else he should wait month. He
should either compel the two houses to go
right ahead with their business, he
should give the members time, enough to
go home and arrange their affairs.
There is a good deal of difference be-
tween coming to Washington to stay
three months and coming here to stay
nine. When / say a month i mean q
month. 1t will take the Pacific coast peo-
pie nearly half that time to go and come"
Mr.. Underwood said: mo Speaker ever
made up his committees in less time than
three weeks. and nine men Will take no
less time in making them up There 10
much to do toward. the reorganization OF
the House.
Il can safely predict that If the Pres-
dent insists on Congress coming back
early IT will mean that for the first three
or four weeks the House will convene for
three days week and recess for the re-
mainder of the time. Nothing could be
gained, IL this took place"
Pledged to Revise Tariff
The two democratic leaders did not
take to a suggestion that the democrats
might play good politics if they met in
extra session, passed the reciprocity bill
to the Senate and adjourned until next
winter, after reciprocity went through
the Senate. They both declared that the
democratic party had pledged the country
to revise the tariff, and it would do this
as reasonably early as possible Mr..
Clark said that his party had not decided
on the policy 1T would pursue, but he felt
sure that it would not seek to shirk any
responsibility imposed upon it. The lead
ers in the House were in pretty fair shape
to get down to tariff revision work. he
intimated, but they had much other work
to dos and it would take time to get the
organization ready for this.
From the White House viewpoint today
Al r;f ccip raA
ed. Senator Beveridge fastened to the
White House early to tell the President
about the situation as to the bill, and
the President sent for Representatives
Payne and Longworth to ask what could
be done in the House tomorrow morning
about passing the bill there, in view or
the amendments that have been made IN
the Senate. These two republicans said
that if the amendments in the Senate
were not too drastic they felt that they
could Gear the decks in the House SO
as to rush II through in the last Few
hours.
Representatives Clark and Underwood
were not sure that the bill had chance
in the House tomorrow morning after
going throueI. the Senate. Mr. Under
wood said that there was bare pos
sibility of passage while Representative
Clark said that the bill didn't have
chance on the face of the earth If II
consequence
No Chance in House, 1t Is Said
Others who did not wish to be quoted
said that the tariff commission bill was
practically dead and that II had no
chance In the House tomorrow morning.
even IT, ii got through the Senate at the
time set and was not encountered with
important amendments.
The White House stated today that no
one there knew anything of a story that
one of the Canadian ministers is on his
way here for q conference with the Pres
ident Just what such a conference would
be about none could guess, and for that
reason the story fell fiat early In the
morning Vain hopes that the President
might be working out some plan to avoid
an extra session were prevalent among
White House callers, but they soon learn
ed that these hopes were without fouhoa-
ton.
'.JYncle Ike' Stephenson, senator from
Wisconsin went to the White House to
invite the President to join him In big
fishing trip down the Escanaba river IN
August Senator Stephenson had been
told that the President bad accepted an
nyitation TO visit the famous School of
Mines at Holton. Wis. In August IL
that were true. he said, he wanted the
president to go fishing with him. For
forty years Senator Stephenson has been
the host to famous fishing parties in this
river every year, entertaining many great
At the cabinet meeting this afternoon
President Taft discussed the form OF his