The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-07
Prominent Republicans Are
in Doubt If Bill Can Be
Disposed of So Quickly
BILL GETS BACK TO
SENATE THIS WEEK
LaFolIette Prime Mover in Opposition
to Bill--Lobby Investigations
Will Again Occupy Atten-
tion of Congress

Washington. July 6.-Republican
members of the Senate have been quiet
ly preparing for some weeks for the
attack that is to be made on the Tn
derwood- Simmons tariff bill, when It
gets back into the Senate late this
week. While programme Of tariff
policy has not been laid out by the
republicans. leading representatives of
the party in the Senate have prepared
amendments, substitute schedules and
protection arguments directed at many
Of the important sections of the demo-
cratic bill
Give Weeks Debate
Chairman simmons of the Senate
finance committee. who Will bring the
bill in from the committee with the
seal of the democratic caucus approval
upon it, estimates that fve weeks will
be enough to wind up general debate
and discussion of the measure to Sc
cure vote on its final passage.
Prominent republican senator's doubt
whether the tariff can be disposed of
in the Senate in that time.
The bill has been In the democratic
caucus for more than two weeks While
the party members were practically
agreed upon the general scope of tar
iii revision before the caucus began.
1T has taken much longer than had
been expected to smooth over debated
questions and something has been said
about an agreement on tariff rates, in
come tax and other important features
in the bill
The democrats are not yet in COM
plete harmony over the measure be-
! cause Of the insistence of some west
ern and southern senators that free
sugar and free wool plans of the ad-
ministration be modified. An attempt
is to be made late tomorrow to put
binding rule through the caucus,
pledging every democrat to vote down
amendments in the Senate and to sup
port the bill in its entirety. Pronounced
opposition to this plan exists within tho
party ranks.
Republicans Will Oppose
Even though the democrats may
adopt the unit rule and attempt to
stamp out all opposition 10 the BILL
/ that might come from sugar and wool
districts the republican leaders will
use every effort on the foor to break
the democratic ranks Advocates OF
protective duties on these articles and
on many others that have been greatly
reduced by the democratic bill will
seek to muster strength from the
sugar and wool states to effect de-
sired changes.
Two views of the public attitude
are shown i'm the work that has been
done by Senator Smoot of Utah and
Senator LaFollette of Wisconsin in
preparation for the approaching fight
in the Senate. Senator Smoot has pre-
pared amendments to scores of the
democratic items and will offer COM
plete substitute for the democrats
wool tariff plan. His proposal will be
for a substantial reduction in raw wool
and manufactured goods on such a
basis that a reasonable protection Will
be retained
LaFollette Prime Mover
senator LaFollette has been at work
for weeks with the aid of experts. pre-.
pairing substitute schedules for many
sections of the Underwood simmons
bill. He also has attacked the wooden
and cotton schedules and is prepared
to make a long fight in the effort to
rally republicans progressives and
some democrats to the support of
woolen tariff that Will be much below
the present rates, but will preserve
some protection. II is expected, how
ever, that the LaFollette proposals will
suggest much lower rates than those
TO be made by Senator Smoot.
Other republican senators have been
tariff revision and will insist upon dis
cussing from every angle reductions
they think threaten the life of Amer
lean industries. II Is believed that the
tariff debate, even should Ii start the
first of next week, the democratic
leaders now expect. will not be con-
cluded in the Senate before the latter
part of August.
Lobby Investigations
Lobby Investigations, which grew
out of the tariff revision. but nave gone
far beyond its realm. promise to en-
gross the attention OF Congress again
this week The Senates investigating
committee Will begin tomorrow a series
OF hearings that is expected to last
for two weeks or more. Interest will
center about the activities of officers
In the National Association of Manu-
facturers, who have been charged by
Martin M. Mulhall. one of their for
mer employees, with being engaged in
general attempt to influence legisla-
ton and to control the election of menu
bers of Congress.
Should the House succeed Wednes-
day in adopting the resolution debated
in that body yesterday. the Mulhall In
vestfgation Will be double barrelled
affair, with committees working upon
1t at each end OF the capitol.
The Senate committee will dispose
VI NiiHtSStS tpHiltcJtu Win W all street
activities and with the activity in
Washington In support of tariff duties
on sugar and wool before taking up
the Mulhall charge.
Washington, July Edward Iauter-
bach. the New York lawyer, about whom
centered the extraordinary activities II
David Lamar" has been subpoenaed 70
appear tomorrow morning at 1880 o'clock
and probably will be the first witness be-
fore the Senate committee
| II was an effort - get Lauterbach job
with the Union Pacific railroad or other
interests that Lamar said he schemed and
planned and impersonated congressman.
He represented Lauterbach as man
who could grease the wheels at Wash
ington.
The currency and banking committee of
the chamber of commerce of the United
States will meet in Washington July .. to
consider currency reform legislation.
pending IN Congress 1t had been intead-
ed to have the various groups of n,
Committee meet in their respective SER
tions, hut because OF the Importance Of
the subjects 10 be considered the first
Joint meeting in the history OF the organ
ization was decided upon Members ex-
pected to attend lnclude: f. b. tiolten-
berg. Little Rock. Ark. j. A. Pondren,
Texarkana. Ark. end Charles Godchaux.
New Orleans. La.