Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1913-04-22
REFORM IN FINANCE
PRESIDENT BELIEVES BANKING
AND CURRENCY LEGISLATION
is VERY MUCH NEEDED.
AS IMPORTANT AS TARIFF
Executive Is Anxious That Special
Session of Congress Take Up the
Subject-Prompt Action Would
Open Way for Other Matters.
BY GEORGE CLINTON,

[ 6} oEShSE NtGtIN ONs
Washington,-It seems finally to be
| definitely determined that President
! Wilson, believing banking and cur.
rency legislation to be of as much i'm
portance as the tariff, bill is getting
anxious that such legislation shall be
enacted at the special session in ad
dition to that affecting the customs.
If the tariff bill shall make slow
progress after it has reached the
senate and should not go to the White
House for signature or veto before the
! first of August, it is perhaps likely
that Mr.. Wilson would be willing that
the special session should come to an
end and that there should be recess
! OF congress for at least six months
There is growing feeling here that
II the tariff bills go through quickly
the president may ask that the cur
rency legislation be taken up, but if ii
shall prove long-drawn out tariff SEES
sion the president may call another
extra session to begin about October
/, for the special purpose of trying
to reform the banking and currency
laws of the country in accordance
with the views which his party holds
as being best from the financial point
of view.
Admittedly, there has been any
amount of nothing more or less than
guess work about the probability OF
currency reform being taken up at the
extra session. The president has in
timated very clearly that he intends
to send a special currency message
to congress, and from the tone of his
intimation it is taken to mean that
he intends to send it in before the reg
ular session begins in December. A
good many of the Democrats in con.
gress do not want the currency touch.
ed until next winter, and the whole
matter therefore depends largely upon
whether the congressional leaders OF
the president have the final say SO
in the matter.
Pave Way for Other Work
There are some of the Democrats in
congress, on the other hand, who urge
that if tariff and banking and cur.
rency can be passed and put into law
form before December next the long
session of next year can be given over
largely to work of so-called social leg
islation and to the solving of the prob.
lens of greater economy and eff
cheney in the administration of the
federal affairs. At this extra session
there are three appropriation bills I'M
der consideration. These bills failed
of passage at the last regular session
and so congress has something to dc
at the present moment in addition to
the tariff. The work of economy and
efficiency is bound up in the finances
of the country, but it seems likely to
day that the work OF forming a bud
get system and of reorganizing the
departments on an economic basis
win not begin until next winter.
Now, it is said that President Will
son intends, among other things, after
his economy and efficiency program
has been made known, to ask congress
to revise the civil service laws SO as
to obtain greater efficiency in the civil
service and, as the Democrats say
further to safeguard it. The mem
bers of Mr.. Wilson's party say that
he is as firm a believer in civil service
reform as Grover Cleveland was and
that in the time that has elapsed
since the last Democratic administra
ton to the present one there have
been sufficient developments in the
civil service to enable Mr. Wilson tC
judge rightly of where further i'm
provement can be made
The Republicans in congress do not
take this civil service reform program
of the Democrats very seriously They
say that the service is on a good basis
today, and while the Democrats may
do a little something the real credit
for the work must belong to the Re
their part say that the Republicans
lid only as much for civil service as
they were forced to do, and that under
tire Wilson administration greater i'm
provemept viii be made.
Supreme Court overworked
The Supreme court of the United
States is overworked, Perhaps it
should be put this way: "A good
many members of congress think
that the Supreme court is over
worked" There is said to be no com
plant on the part of the justices that
they are overburdened with labor. but
the average of age in the membership
of the court is high and the Judges
have an immense amount to do,
though they bear it uncomplainingly
and perhaps one of the reasons is
that they are opposed to having any
change in the present system made. a
change which has been urged fire.
quently and which may become a chief
matter of discussion. if not of action
before the present congress ends its
days
A proposal came from Senator Gore
of Oklahoma some little time ago that
II might be wise to increase the
membership of the court to II judges.
His plan. it seems, is finding some ia
vor. and President Wilson, who was
consulted about lit, has given atten-
ton to the pleas in its behalf, but
not yet has committed himself to the
advisability of adopting the plan.
Before this time proposals have
been made to increase the member
ship Of the court. The instant such a
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