The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-22
House Democrats Puzzled Over the Situation in
 the Senate
NO RECESS UNTIL
 BILL Is PASSED
Free Wool Advocates Are Willing to Yeild After Leaders in EacF State Delegation Are
 Consulted

WashinStOn, May N.-DemOcratS m the house of representatives, having dis- posed of practically all of their legisla- tive programme except the wool sched- ule, which is almost ready for action, are worried over the puzzling situation in the senate, the chief feature of which Is the Canadian reciprocity bill.
 The house democrats argue that they took the reciprocity agreement just as it came from the international conferees and the President, and passed 1t as a matter of national policy without at- tempting to cucumber 1t or embarrass the administration with tariff riders The farmers free list bill. which followed, they argued. was an affair of their own, and does not stand in the way of the reciprocity measure, for whose consid- eration the extraordinary session of congress was called.
 Now they say that the republican sen- ate is Juggling with the Canadian agree ment. Should the bill embodying 1t be amended and the democratic house cail- ed upon to consider 1t in amended form, the house leaders fear they might bo placed in an embarrassing position
 One democratic leader today declared that there were two forces at work in sincerely trying to strengthen the agree ment and the other seeking to muddls affairs.
 The democrats are determined to stay in session until the senate has taken some action on the bill.
 Virtual Ultimatum
 virtual ultin1atum from the house to the senate leaders that the senate must also vote one way or another on the farmers free list bill and the wool bill when it is passed in the house is regard ed by some as a sort of whip to hasten the senate along in the reciprocity meas ure. If the reciprocity bill is passed by the senate. after the house has dis posed of the wool schedule, some dem- ocrats think the house would not insist upon anything more than a clear indica- ton from the senate that 1t would not act on the other tariff bills. and that 1t would agree to a summer recess.
 House leaders Ire gratified that they arc out of the woods on the wool revision question. The ways and means cor1mit- tees decision is that the revised wool will not place raw wool on tho free list but will cut the existing rate from Ii cents pound to or cents a pound or its equivalent in an ad va!orem duty.
 Compromise on Wool
 Advocates of free wool in the committee were forced to yield by Speaker Clark. Majority Leader Underwood, chairman of the committee, and other conservative leaders after a complete canvass of tho other states. Democratic leaders in each state delegation were called in and the revenue situation was explained to them. They were told 1t was an impossibility to cut off with one fell swoop the s2l, ,oooooo revenue in raw wool and asked to poll their delegations. This they did, with tho result that the advocates of a revenue on raw wool were supported by major ity in every state delegation except New Y ork, New Jersey and Massachusetts. In the three latter states the free raw wool advocates were largely in the majority. New Jersey being unanimous, New York standing IS to and Massachusetts almost unanimous for free raw wool.
 But In Pennsylvania, Ohio. Indiana, Illl- nois, Michigan, all the far western states, Texas and others of the 70 states with representatives In Congress, revenue tariff was supported. Hence the surrender in the committee of the free raw wool leaders and the committee ex- poets nothing more serious than usual agi-i tation when the tentative bill is placed before the party caucus within the next 10 days.
 Statehood on Tuesday
 The bill providing for statehood for Ari- zona and New Mexico will come up for passage by agreement in the House Tues- day afternoon. That will about wind up the House for some time. there being lit- tie for it to consider until the wool bill is ready.
 In the Senate this week a lively pro- gramme Is provided. Senator LaFol- lette will reopen the Lorimer case morning with an extended speech on his resolution providing that there be a reinvestigation of Senator Lorimer's right to his seat. Tho La Toilette resolution provides for a spe- cial committee of investigation of which Senator Works of California Is sug- gested as chairman.
 It Is said that while he will have the support of the democrats in keep ing the Lorimer matter to the fore, many democrats will oppose his right to name the committee. The democratic support Is pledged as the result of an agreement by MT. LaFollette to report out from the committee on census of which he is chairman the reapportion- ment bill passed by the House. Oppo- nents of tho LaFollette plan will seek to have tho resolution referred to the committee on privileges and elections
 On Tuesday, it being the unfinished business of the Senate. the joint rcso- lution providing for popular election of senators probably will be called up by Senator Borah The finance com mittee will continue hearings on the Canadian reciprocity bill.
 
 Walsh Accepts Challenge
 p1~tao May 0-yf,,r,y waIsh claf-S1-