The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-22
MT. Underwood Reintro- duces the Bill Vetoed by
 Taft Last Year
WILL REPORT BILL
 IN THE HOUSE TODAY
Wants to Avoid a Caucus and Thereby Dodge Trouble With Advocates of Free Wool - Underwood
 Makes an Explanation
BY WALTER HARPER

Washington, March 21-lSpecial. )-Oscar Underwood today reintroduced in Congress the same woolen bill that was presented at the special session last year. In other words, MT. Underwood and the democrats are prepared to say to Congress, to the President and to the people that they knew what they were doing last year when they started in to revise the 'inde- fensible" woolen schedule downward.
 Taft's Position
 When that bill or a compromise bill reached the President for his signature the chief executive vetoed it, and gave as his reason the excuse that as his tariff board had not reported on that schedule he did not know thet business and the country could stand for such revision.
 MT. Underwood and the democrats de clared that they had the information and knew that their bill was justified by facts and conditions.
 MT. Taft admitted that he did not know Later the tariff board reported at length, indeed in three large printed volumes The ways and means commmittee has studied this report carefully and find noth- ing in the report to justify any change in the position taken last year. The re- port confirms that position and justifies the democratic bill that was almost a year ago vetoed by the President.
 Prepares Exhaustive Report
 This course was decided upon at a meet Ing of the majority members of the ways and means commmittee this morning. An exhaustive report is being prepared to ac- company the bill. This report will bring out the features of the tariff boards re- port that sustains the position of the democrats and will show that they were right and had the facts many months before the board was ready to report, and the President willing to recommend a reduction in this schedule
 The bill levying a 20 per cent ad va lorem duty on raw wool will be reported tomorrow to avoid a caucus and thereby dodge trouble with advocates of free wool.
 The decision came after a few hours examination and after the tariff board statistics as analysed by Chairman un- derwood and compared with the other data were understood. Free wool cham pions were convinced by the chairman that a free wool bill could not be re- ported since really there was no means to raise the $2l ,000.O00 revenue that would be lost.
 Probably when the bill comes up on the floor radical free wool democrats may make a stand.
 Mir. Underwood Explains
 After a careful examination and after A still more careful consideration of the tariff boards report submitted to the House in Deeember,' said MT. Under- wood. it was determined to introduce the bill just as we introduced 1t last summer, carrying a 20 per cent ad va loren duty on raw wool, reduction of about 50 per cent from the duties of the Payne-Aldrich law. We have introduced the same bill purely as a revenue meas ire because it was necessary to provide the revenue by the pruning knife. It was decided to make the same report on the bill that was made last summer
 Committee Meets Today
 meeting of the full committee has the bill. The bill differs from the meas ure vetoed by the President in the duty assessed on raw wool. The House bill carried 20 per cent. but after the con ference with the Senate committee the House leaders yielded and the bill as finally passed carried a 29 per cent duty on raw wool Other features of the measure are combing wools, p per cent; yarns, wholly or in part of wool, 31 per cent; cloths, knit fabrics, felts, not woven and manufactured of wool, 41 per cent; blankets and fiannels. valued above 50 cents per pound, 45 per cent; women s and childrens dress goods, 45 per cent ready-made cloths, 45 per cent: webbings and bindings. beltings, braids. 35 per cent; carpets, 40, 8 and 31 per cent, according to texture.