New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-05
Senator Weeks to Call Up His
Resolution to Put Measure
Over to Next Session.
WILSON FORCES CONFIDENT
Believe Majority Will Vote for
Immediate Action, but Adj
nit That Democrats Are
Widely Divided.
tFrom The Tribune Bureau. J


Washington. Sept. 4-Another test OF
the attitude of the Senate toward the
enactment of currency legislation at the
present session will be made tomorrow,
when Senator Weeks will call up his
resolution proposing that the Banking
and Currency Committee be instructed TO
report the administration currency bill on
December . and that II be made the sub
ject of consideration by the Senate at
that time. while the House is considering
appropriation bills.
Administration forces are confident that
the majority will stand by the decision
of the Senate caucus TO enact currency
legislation at this session. Even II this
should be the case. the situation in the
Banking and Currency Committee itself
is such as to give the majority leaders
some alarm, although the President is
confident no serious condition exists. The
hearing Of the committee OF bankers rep
resenting the Chicago conference has al
ready disclosed a marked divergence OF
views among the Democratic members Ct
the committee, and important phases Of
the problem remain to be discussed.
Signs Of recalcitrancy appeared at the
hearing to-day. The bankers have APP
preached the discussion with the attitude
that the administration bill will be at
least the basis for legislation by the Sen
ate.
There is only one fault ] have TO find
with your logic" said Senator Reed 10
r. r. Maddox, of Atlanta. who was criti-
cising certain features OF the bill. You
assume that we are going TO pass this
hill.''
Sol Wexler. a New Orleans banker, sug-
eested that there were many good feat
ures in the bill and that there were sew
eral aspects of it still to be discussed.
IF you make any more criticism of
this measure" replied Senator Reed, I
shall think it is the worst measure that
could have been drafted"
Only Four Defend Bill.
The hearings up to this time have dis
closed the fact that only four Demo
cratic members are in favor of the ad-
ministraton bill and that all Of them
are much at sea over the question OF
currency legislation. Senators owen,
Pomerene, Shafroth and Hollis appear 10
be defending the measure as it has been
adopted by the Democratic caucus. Sen
ators Reed. Hitchcock and O'Gorman
maintain a hostile, or at least non-com-
initial, attitude.
A majority of the members of the
Banking and Currency Committee seem
of the opinion that the subject of cur
rency legislation will call for exhaustive
investigation and long elaboration. and
that even If the Senate majority should
decide TO consider it at this session. it
will be many weeks before the committee
will be ready TO affix its stamp OF ap-
prevail TO the bill now before the House
and approved by the administration.
In forcing Congress to act on currency
legislation President Wilson appears to
have far less support among the Sena-
tors of his own political faith than he
has had on the tariff. Should he triumph
in his purpose to keep Congress steadily
at work on the currency bill it is ques-
tionable whether he will gain time or lose
by the operation.
On behalf Of the bankers, Joseph Chap
man, of Minneapolis, and r. F. Maddox,
of Atlanta, criticised the provisions of the
administration bill compelling the reserve
bank of one section to rediscount the
paper of another reserve bank on the Or
der OF the reserve board, the requirement
that all checks and drafts shall be cashed
at par. and the regulations regarding the
savings banks attached to national banks.
The House Currency Committee COM
pleted work on the administration bill
late to-day and authorized Chairman
ClAss TO report the measure to the House.
n will go in on Monday, and debate prob
ably will begin early in the week. Repre-
sentative Ragsdale, Democrat, one Of the
committee insurgents" made final ef-
fort to have the time limit on redis-
countable agricultural notes extended
from 20 days to 10 days, but was beaten
by vote of 10 I. He declined 10 re-
main in the committee meeting after this
defeat