New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-25
Conference with Underwood
Notice That Executive Will
Join Legislature in Prep
aration of Revision Bill.
ANOTHER PRECEDENT GONE
President Will Farley Further
with House and Senate Lead
ers and the Democratic Bill,
When introduced, Will
Bear His Endorsement.
Iron The Trihune Rurean. I

From Inc lFlNNne Bureau
Washington. March 24.-An admins
,ra,ion made tariff bill was whipped
into tentative shape tonight at the
White House. where President Wilson
and Chairman oscar W. Underwood
Of the House Ways and Means Com
mittee held an important and unusual
conference.
With the announcement that Mr..
Underwood had been called 10 the
White House TO discuss the measure
roughly drawn by the Ways and Means
= Committee all doubt was removed that
the President is To leave solely TO the
legislative branch Of the government
the task Of tariff revision. The Demo
cratic tariff scheme is to be known as
The Underwood bill: in reality il will lie
the Wilson Underwood bill Whether
the Democratic rank and file approve
or not, the Executive is going to play
a conspicuous part in the revision.
other conferences between the Presi-
dent and leaders Of the House and Sem
ate are to follow, and when the caucus
Of House Democrats is convened the
majority leader will present to THAI
gathering a tariff bill which bears the
administration approval
The President and Mr.. Underwood
we're in conference until shortly before
midnight. They had been studying the
tariff bill for more than three hours.
The President and ] are in hearty
accord said the Democratic leader as
be left the White House. we discussed
the tariff bill very fully"
Mr.. Underwood was asked whether
the President favored a schedule by
Hhedule arrangement or a single tariff
bill. An ] can say" he replied, with
4 smile. is that there are no material
differences between us"
Average Democrat Mystified.
The average Democrat does not un-
derstand the insstence of the new
President that he shall be consulted in
advance regarding the plans of the
legislative branch Of the government.
On the one hand. there is muttered dis
approval Of such activity on the part
Of the occupant of the White House
On the other. the unusual proceeding
Is condoned on the theory that the en-
tire administration is on trial and thh;
Mr. Wilson will either stand or fall
with the revision of the tariff.
The President admits that he has not
advance ideas regarding the specific
rates the tariff bill should contain. He
has general idea that the Democracy
Is on trial: that revision downward
Is imperative in view of platform prom
ises. and that it is up TO" the party 10
make good. The conference tonight
with Mr.. Underwood was the most i'm
portant the President has yet had CON
eerning the details OF tariff revision,
and good or bad for the party may
come Of IT,.
The President expects TO stand be-
hind the tariff bill, which the Ways
and Means Committee will report TO the
House az the beginning of the extra
session. Mr.. Wilson will maintain an
open mind He Will be amenable 10
suggestion when the bill is ready TO
emerge from the two houses in perma-
hent shape. but in the main the scope
Ut the Democratic revision is TO be de-
termined al series of conferences
which began when Mr.. Underwood
spent much time with the Executive
Continued on fourth page. fourth column.