The Washington times., 1913-02-22
WEEKS DELAY IN
EXCISE BILL FIGHT
Troubled House Will Not Attack
Jones-Work Measure Until
After DeIiberation.

The troubled House will not face In
til next week the fight over the Jones'
Works excise bill. inserted as rider
upon the District of Columbia appro-
priaticn budget by the Senate.
The District bill rests today in the
House Committee on Appropriations,
following futile attempts to send it d.
rect tc conference. and Congressman
Burleson. in charge. of the vexatious
measure will not bring it back into the
House until the naval biil Is out of the
Way
House leaders are still comforting over
the dreaded prospect of record vote
on the excise bill. IandGthe parliament
tary experts of the tiouse have been
unable as yet to devise 4 means to
send the District budget direct to con-
ference, where the fate of the excise
leg slat!on would be problematical.
Both prohibitionists and anti-prohibi-
tiCnists continued today TO spar fur adj
vantage. There seems to be no pros
pect for compromise, and there is dan
ger that the District budget will create
such Il fGrore in the House next week
that il will be difficu:t 20 agree upon
/: before the end Of the session.
Utilities Bill Status.
There is practically no opposition to
the public utilities bill, also inserted as
a rider by the Senate.
The Appropriations Committee is ex-
pected TO take perfunctory action today
on the District BILL ordering a dis
agreement on all Senate amendments.
When the bill is brought back into the
House, following the disposition Of the
naval bill. the biggest liquor fight of the
session iii be staged
Plans have practically been abandoned
Tor bringing in a special rule to send
the DistricI bill 10 conference with a
disagreement en- bloc on all amend
menIs The report OF such rule-wi, n
the anti-salCoa interests presumably
holding the upper hand-rnfght result In
amendments to the rule which would
instruct the conferecs TO concur in the
Jones W Orks excise amendment.
As Ii is impossible TO obtain unani-
nous consent to send the District bill
aad its riders direct to conference,
there seems nothing to do but to report
Il backf rom the Appropriations Conn
mlttee and move TO disagree 10 all Sem
ate amendments.
Then some advocate ofe Ncise lcgisla-
ton will be in position to offer a pref
erential motion 10 concur in certain
amendments. or 10 concur with the
amendment, and the record vote on the
liquor issue will be inevitable.
Some Of the best parliamentary
sharks In the House are TODAY tryinl
to evolve a plan to compromise the
liquor issue by sending the bill TO con
ference but no definite plan has been
reached, and, meanwhile, there is little
prospect oil compromise.
Budget May Be Delayed.
II is possible the fhbuster on the
naval bill may delay action on the Dis
trict budget until the middle IOf next
week Immediate consideration of the
District bill. II is argued. might delay
the naval bill. which has just been
presented 10 the House, and might hold
up that measure 20 long thai the Sen
ate would not have time to act upon II
in the closing hours Of The session. The
general deficiency bill is yet 10 pass the
House and those in charge of the Dis
truCt budget think il will he better TO
postpone the wTangle over the confer
ence report or the amended District bill
until the supply measures named can be
sent over TO the Senate.