The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-03-04
NEW CONGRESS To
HAVE HARD WORK
Three Important Domestic
Problems Must Be Settled
During the Session
TARIFF THE LEADER
Reform of the Currency Laws
and the Regulation of the
Trusts Are Other Two.

National News ASsocIatIoni
WASHINGTON. March 4.-Three
great domestic legislative problems
faced the Democratic Administration
when il came into complete control OF
the Government today. These prob
lens are the revision of the tariff. the
reform of the United States currency
laws and the regulation of the trusts
left over for the new Congress is the
formation of income tax legislation.
made possible by the constitutional
amendment recently adopted. Next i'm
line of importance come the questions
of conservation. economy in public ex-
penditures. patronage and foreign
policy. The tentative program for
the extraordinary session of Congress.
soon to convene. indictes that foun-
dation will be laid in that session for
graphing with all these matters.
In preparation for consideration OF
the tarir, which is regarded by most
of the Democratic leaders as OF para
mount importance, the Ways and
Means Committee of the House. which
has charge of all tariff legislation. has
been holding secret sessions for weeks
past. The result of the deliberations
of this committee is said TO be the
near completion of a tariff bill intend
ed to provide sufficient revenue for the
running expenses of the Government.
while at the same time il reduces
some OF the most criticized rates OF
the Payne-A1drich tariff law.
Ii was deemed probable here today,
however, that the "Tarifr Congress"
as the extra session OF Congress has
been nicknamed. win also undertake
to dispose of at least one of the other
two great problems facing the admin
istration. and because OF the pre-in-
auguration preparation il was believed
that the reform of the currency would
receive attention before the trust ques-
tion. Ii this program holds good,
the administration will find the stage
already set for a revision of the bank
ing laws.
The Glass subcommittee of the
House committee on Banking and Cur
rency held extensive hearings during
the recent session of Congress and a
bill is now in preparation to provide
a more flexible currency system TO
the end of preventing panics. In his
pre-inauguration speech. Mr. Wilson.
several times referred TO panics ar
tiflcially created, and limited that any
fnancier or group of financiers who
c a n Tod IL oh
mary punishment.
The Glass subcommittee proposes
to bring in bill designed to make
panics practically impossible, and il
this legislation does not receive at
tention at the extra session, IL is GER
tain to be considered during the first
regular session of the Sixty-third Con-
gress.
A dozen bills proposing TO amend
the Sherman antitrust law are now
before. the House committee on Jul
dietary. Chief among these are the
Stanley bill. introduced Immediately
following the close of the Stanley steel
investigation. These measures. which
are all much alike in their cardinal
points. propose to break up the inter
locking system of directorates; TO al.
vorce industrial corporations from
railroads and 10 strengthen the penal
sections OF the Sherman law
The Judiciary committee of the
House intends to begin hearings on
the entire trust question soon after
the extra session convenes. and IL is
UP to President Wilson to ask for an
fy,r ~ he
law. or to suggest that this particular
class of legislation may go over into
the next session
The new President is also confront
ed with the vexatious question Of pat
ronage, the disposition of which may
cause insurgency in Democratic ranks.
Among the other issues which may
embarrass the new administration is
woman's suffrage. a cause which IL
growing: economy. to which the Demo
cratic party is pledged: and Philip
pine independence, TO which the party
is also committed.
Economy in the running expenses
of the government is an issue which
may assume grave proportions within
the next two years and before the
Congressional elections are held. In
dications now are that the Democrats
must WELD the pruning knife merci-
lessly If they are to reduce appropria-
ton bills. and the record of the session
closed today is not reassuring
The proposed constitutional amend
ment to limit the President to one
term will also bob up again. The six
year term resolution was sidetracked
in the House in the last days of the
session which ended today, but the
Baltimore platform declares for one
term and this question must be thresh-
ed out early in the Wilson administra-
ton