The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-02
All Depends on How Long Upper House Remains
 in Session
NEW INVESTIGATION
 STARTED BY SESSION
Intimates That ss,OOO,OO Was Spent for Property By Government Which Was to Have Cost
 Only $3,5Q0,000
By WALTER HARPER

Washington, July 1.-fSpecial.) )-Demo- cratic Leader Oscar Underwood came over from Atlantic City, where he has been resting for a few days and was present at the brief session of the House today. He gave out an interview in which he expresses the opinion that the pres- ent session will adjourn by August 1 and that the reciprocity measure will be passed as we'll as other tariff revision laws in which the democrats are inter ested.
 MT. Underwood announced that the ways and means committee. of which he is chairman, will begin the drafting of the revised cotton schedule of the gen. eral tariff law next week. Statisticians have been at work for some time gath ering data for the use of the committee This schedule will be ready for the House in about two weeks and 1t Is not ex- pected that the debate will be very long However. MT. Underwood is not particu- lar about the final passage of this sched- ule at this session if the Senate will get through with the reciprocity and the other business now before it. But the repub- licans and the President have been put on notice by MT Underwood and Speaker Clark that if the Senate remains in ses- sion long enough the House will keep put ting up new tariff schedules for it's con slderation. Mir Underwood said:
 Underwood Interviewed
 Reciprocity is certain to pass the Sen ate without any amendment, and this will be the best thing that could hap pen for the democratic party at this time. It will mean the beginning of the end of the existing tariff system and at the same time cause a greater division than ever in the ranks of the republicans.
 T predict that as soon as the reciprocity bill is on the statute books the farmers of the country, especially of the great middle western states. will swing away from the high protective principle. They have only been held in line in the past by the plea that they must pay higher prices for manufactured articles in order that they might get their share for fstrm products. The passage of reciprocity means that the republican party has ad- mitted there is no benefit for the farmer in the protective tariff. Immediately there will be general demand for a re- duction of the tariff that will sweep the country and republican candidates, bereft of their stock arguments will see the voters lining up behind the democratic candidates who have all along stood by the doctrine which the republican leaders q today have come to adopt"
 Chairman Underwood says there will be no change In the democratic pro- gramme as mapped out at the be- ginning of the session. Revision bills will be kept moving toward the Sem ate as long as that body stays In ses- sion.
 Start New Investigation
 The House. was in session long enough today to start the wheels of congressi onal investigation on another public scandal that has been brewing in quiet way for some time.
 Representative Ssson of Mississippi introduced a resolution of inquiry ask ing that a committee of five be se- lected to investigate the matter of the government purchase of land for park purposes between the capital and the Union station.
 It has been hinted for some time that high public officials, indeed congress- men, are interested in the lands that are to be purchased. No names are mentioned in the resolution or by Mir. Sisson in his personal statement, but the resolution has revived rumors of a sensational nature that have been cur rent here for some time. The act au- thorizing the purchase of this prop erty was passed several years ago and provided that s500,000 should be spent each year until the frll amount of the purchase was paid.
 It was tsated at that time that the property could be bought for $3,500,- 900. MT. Sisson said today that the pur- chase would involve the expenditure of sS,0o0,oo0
 Mir. Sisson questions the propriety of the purchase at any price; that with the amount of public grounds already surrounding the immediate capitol building it is waste of money to buy the property under consideration