The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-23
Underwood Pleased With Prospect of Early Passage
 of the Steel Schedule
THE PIE BRIGADE IS
 MUCH EMBARRASSED
Don't Know Whether to Stand or Fall With the Administration, or Fol low Boom of Col. Roosevelt.
 No Taft Organization
By WALTER HARPER

By WALTER HARPER
 Washington, January % (Special) 1.-The fight of the present session of Congress will be launched in the House prob ably Wednesday. Chairman Underwood of the ways and mean committee made public the proposed steel and iron sehed- ule today. It will be considered fin caucus tomorrow and will probably be intro duced in the House Wednesday.
 There was great demand for copies of the proposed bill today All the demands could not be supplied. The report is very comprehensive and has received much favorable comment from members of Congress and others
 Mir. Underwood Is Pleased
 MT Underwood is pleased with the pros- poets for early passage of the schedule, as well as the general prospect for leg islation In the House.
 Discussing the item of pig iron importa- tion, MT. Underwood said
 "There seems to be a very great mis- apprehension as to the imports of pig iron coming into this country from abroad | have had the imports for the last fiscal year carefully compiled; they are about the same ss those imported for several years previous and the redue- ton of the duty on pig iron from $4 a ton to s250 a ton does not seem to have increased the importations of ordinary pig iron to any extent. When I say ordi- nary pig, I mean to exclude the ferro- alloys.
 Some Tariff Figures
 'sThe total importations of pig Iron into the United States last year was b4O00 tons. valued at $S7i 900, with an average import price per ton of $l5.95. Of this amount 1867 tons, valued at $12s,4 ,45s, came into the country at Portland, Ore; n,lsl tons, valued at si5loo5, came into the country at Puget Sound. and 20,59i tons. valued at s3O5, 457, came through the GUS tom houses at San Francisco, making total importations on tho Pacific Slope s6. 3ss tons. valued at ssss.s3o. which. oi course, on account oi the very heavy freight charges across the continent, was not in competition with the eastern fur naces, leaving the importation at the ports on the Canadian border 11,00O tons, valued at s265,972
 'of this amount S279 tons, valued at $7S,- 542. was Swedish gray charcoal iron which also is a non-competitive product This reduces the imports of pig iron that came into the United States last year that competed with furnaces like the one you refer to, to a little over Il 600 tons. And when you consider that the total produe- ton of pig iron in the United States is over 23, 100000 tons for the last fiscal year that imports that were competitive are insignificant under tax of $50 ton"
 Pie Brigade Embarrassed According to the best information that can be secured in Washington. those re- even in other states who earn their daily bread through their political utilization are just now in a most embarrassing pos sition.
 They have natural leanings and affec- ton for the administration. of course. Without resistance they would follow William H. Taft with loyal meekness. But there are divertlng clements that haze up the future and puzzle the man who must attach himself to the band wagon or suffer.
 It is this way. President Taft has no organization outside the official machiu- cry of political patronage. This machine is turning out no money for campaign purposes. For a year there has been gen eral apathy among those who would sup port MT. Taft for re-nominatlon No- body seems to be enthusiastic. On the other hand, there is some enthusiasm among those who oppose the renomina- ton of the President
 Roosevelt Is Popular
 There is a world of suppressed enthusl- asm among those who would support the word. Furthermore the word has been passed around in Washington that money, actual money, Is circulating pretty freely around and from those standards that bear the Roosevelt emblem one report says that thousands of dol- lars have ben carried into the state of Ohio. It is also reported that some of it is trickling down south. Now the rattle of money sounds like something doing. It inspires patriotic enthusiasm. Tt seems to have the virtue of corfaling the boys around the standard of chosen leader
 Southern republican leaders who came to Washington at the meeting of the na- tional committee were given a jar by the discovery that Taft is very weak and  that his supporters are without enthus- asm Such a condition does not inspire confidence or gather support. Most of the southern leaders are officeholders. They want to continue to hold office. It Is necessary to follow the leader who will win.
 The situation is most uncomfortable for the southern republicans especially. While they cannot elect a president they count large in the nomination and make Q good showing at the pie counter. Be- tween the three disturbing elements-Taft, the master and Roosevelt the inyinclbie. on one side, and the democrats on the other slde-the poor southern republicans are said to be in a most unenviable situ- ation.
 cocccoccocCCcccoOcCcocccc sS TO BOOST UNDERWOOD 6 z; Anniston. January 22.-fSpeclal.l- Q C At a meeting here this evening 2
 " fnII ~A