The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-04
Free Sugar and Income Tax Bills Will Probably
 Pass House
MARTIN AND OTHERS
 INDORSE HOUSE BILLS
Regular Republicans Will Concede Possibility of Passage of Wool and Cotton Bill--Arbitra-
 ton Treaties Again

Washington, March 5.-The liveliest of the tariff revision fights in the pres ent session of Congress will break this week when the democratic free sugar bill and the income or excise tax, bill, | which goes with 1t to make up the more than s50.O00,Oe0 year that would be lost in sugar duties probably will go through the House and to defeat in the Senate.
 The passage of the brlls in the House seems to be assured by the democratic majority which ratified them in caucus. In the Senate the progressive repub- llcans will oppose putting sugar on the free list and many democrats view with alarm the loss of so much rev enue with only measure beset with the possibility of a trial of its con stitutionality as the only offset.
 Martin Indorses Bills
 Senator Martin, the democratic lead CT in the Senate, and few others have indorsed the Hodse bills with out qualification. Many other demo- ! crats, however, decline to discuss them. There have been no formal conferences in the Senate over the measures.
 Senator Brstow, speaking as one progressive, declared that none of his colleagues favored free sugar. but all did favor an income tax. He declared 1t would be unfair to American sugar producers who had grown under stim~ uius of duty to remove their duties. The progressive republicans who hold the balance of power on party aues- tions in the senate have evinced no desire to seek common ground with the democrats to push tariff legislation, although there have been some personal consultations.
 The entry of the free sugar measure to the bill will make three tariff re- vision measures penring there.s The steel and chemical bills are the others. k.All of these will be adversely report ! ed by the Senate finance committee.
 The regular republicans will con Scede the possibility of passage of only X Two tariff revision ncasures-a wool fdiill and cotton bill Neither of these z measures has yet come from the House ways and means committee and tho republican concession is based on the fact that the tariff board already has reported on wool and will soon sreport on the cotton schedule.
 Treaties Tomorrow
 The pending arbitration treaties with England and France will come up on the legislative day of Tuesday. Sen ators who have been supporting their ratification unamended say they will pass the Senate by the necessary two thirds vote.
 Those opposed to the treaties claim the treaty making powers of the Sem ate would be invaded. It is said to be unlikely that the Senate will amend the treaties, but prcpably will pass Senator Lodges resolution of rati1ca- tion which provides no special agree ments to arbitrate questions under the treaties shall be made without the con currence of the Senate Other amend ments are pending and long debate is in prospect. The Senate may meet at noon on Tuesday instead of o'clock to expedite consideration and although the discussion may take up two or more days it will be still on the legislative day of Tuesday. ...
 The proposed investigation of the money trust, the Florida everglades case, the Lawrence strike, the proposed abolition of the commerce court and several other questions are taking up the time of the House.
 ogden, Utah, March S.--David Eccles. president of the Amalgamated Sugar company, with headquarters in ogden. in an interview today, said
 "The Underwood sugar bill sounds the death knell of the beet industry. It rewards the eastern sugar refneries by giving them cheap foreign raw sugar and punishes the western beet farmers by discriminating against the beet in dustry."