The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-26

peared an accepted fact that the session would be prolonged beyond the Chicago and Baltimore conventions
 May Need Night Sessions
 Unless Democratic Leader Underwood and his assistants in the House are will ing to abandon part of their programme to bring in metal, sugar, chemical cot ton and woolen tariff bills night ses- sons soon will be necessary, for prac- tically nothing has been done with supply measures. The appropriation bills will require time for consideration as the dem ooratic economy scheme Is directly ilf- Nolved.
 The republican Senate leaders believe if the session drags out beyond the con ventons and nothing is accomplished that the House will have to carry the Hons share of the responsibility. All of these arguments. Ii is predicted, are like " to make both sides more willing to quit before the conventions.
 Early Report on Metal Bill
 An early report on the metal bill, the only one of the House measures that has reached the Senate, is expected from tha Senate finance committed The dem oerats have served notice that while they are willing to permit hearings. they would move to discharge the committee
 
 Chairman Penrose comedies the power of the democrats, with the aid Of insurgents, to compel a report from the committee whenever ii is called for. Therefore. it Is likely that hearings on the bill will be closed on February %.
 Republican regulars in the majority even though Senator LaFollette should vote with the democrats on the commit- tee, Two courses are open to this major lty, either to report the metal bill ad- versely or to report q substitute. for 1t Is conceded that the bill will not receive favorable report. It is believed that the regular republicsps will fpiant thsrp@ selves 4pon their old platfct.a of wateins for the 1ariff board and will content thcrn- selves with an adverse report.
 Cotton and WooIen Bills
 The plant to reject any bill not based upon information gathered by tho tarir- board will not apply when the Houss sends to the Senate bills to revise the cotton and wpolen tariffs The finance committee. in the case of these bi.s, would build complete substitutes based upon the tariff boards findings.
 Democrats and republican insurgents Of the Senate have not canvassed the sita- alton to determine if they will be able to unite on tariff programme. mainly be- cause the insurgents are far from being the coherent body they were last session. The l3 republicans who discomhted their colleagues of the regular faction on so many occasions last session have not had meeting since the presidential cam paign of Senator Lar olette was launched. Several of the 13 now favor non-action on tariff measures that have not received the attention of the tariff board. They may even indorse the programme to be offered by the regular members of the finance conimittee
 The feeling now Is that each tariff bill will have to be handled on Its merits. The democrats hope to get enough insursent votes to pass the House metal bill to the White House for the veto 1t would be cer- tain to meet If the democrats vote solid ly for the House bill 1t would require only four republican rotes to pass it. Some of the democrats. however. fear defections In their own ranks.