The Washington herald., 1913-01-02
SPECIAL SESSION
FOR TARIFF ONLY
Impression Prevails Here that
Congress Will Recon-
vene March Is.
LONG TERM PREDICTED
Leaders Inform President-elect that
They Favor Tariff Bills Only
at Meeting.
LONG TERM PREDICTED

Information obtained here last night in
reliable quarter is TO the effect that
the special session of Congress that will
be called early in the Wilson administra-
tion will begin on or about March Is, and
that in all probability its activities will
he confined to the tariff. President-elect
Wilson has made ii known to Democratic
leaders that in framing a Legislative pro-
gramme he will pay special attention to
the tariff. antitrust legislation, and bill
OF bills in amendments of the banking
and currency laws. At present Gov. VIII
son doubts the advisability of asking
Congress to do more than to revise the
tariff at the special session. Practically
all the advice that he has received from
responsible leaders has been on the side
OF devoting the special session exclusively
to the consideration of the tariff.
The present plan OF the President-elect
is 10 call Congress together on March
Is, or few days later. He VIII with
hold a decision in the matter until he
has been advised by Representative I'm
derwood. chairman of the Committee on
Ways and Means, just when the commit
tee will be ready to report the tarin
bills. The precise date of the beginning
of the special session will depend alto
gether upon the plans of Chairman I'm
derwood and his Democratic colleagues
on the Ways and Means Committee.
stand by Old Bills.
While Mr.. Underwood proposes to stand
by the bills that were passed early in
Congress. he points out that the tariff
as a whole is composed of more than
ten thousand items. lie admits the prob
ability that evidence may be offered at
the coming hearing that might prompt
the committee to make changes in the
tariff bills passed heretofore In this Con-
gress. This is one contingency that
makes it inadvisable for the leaders to
indicate to the President-elect when, in
their opinion, the special session should
begin.
Until he has had opportunity to confer
freely with practically all the responsible
Democratic leaders Gov. Wilson will not
reach a conclusion as TO whether he will
recommend that Congress at the special
session should contine its work to the
tariff 1t has been represented to him
that the present Ways and Means Com
mittee has given a great deal of time TO
the tariff, and is prepared TO act without
unnecessary delay. On the other hand
the President-elect has been told that so
far the House committee having juris-
diCtion have given only Cursory study to
the antitrust and banking and currency
laws he mas Deen informed lndI Ine
Committee on the Judiciary is about to
undertake an inquiry with a view to pro-
posing legislative remedies for evils that
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them that il is the duty "f the party to
get down to business on matters of legis-
latiOn without delay. The indications
are. therefore, that within ten days or
two weeks from the inaugural on March
Congress will return to the job
Representative Underwood who had a
conference with Presidcnt-eleCt Wilson at
Princeton Tuesday. declined yesterday TO
comment on the details of the conference.
He admitted that the legislative pro-
Gramme had been discussed. but refused
to indicate what. if any conclusions, had
been reached. 1t is the understanding
that in his conference with the Demo-
cratic House leaders the President-elect
touched upon Cabinet appointments only
in general way.