The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-10-25
CHANGE OF SPEEDY PASSAGE.
ADMINISTRATION HOPES fOR
QUICK ACTION ON CURRENCY
BILL.
President Would Accept Amendments
I'm Order to Secure Passage at Pres
ent Session-,Jim Mann on Warpath
Against Democratic Leader.

stantial amendments to the admins
tration currency bill in the hope of
securing speedy action on the measure
in the senate committee, supporters
of the administration today grew op-
timistic over the chances for the pas
sage of the measure before the end
of the extra session of congress.
The president himself in a letter
to Majority Leader Underwood, an
'nounced his willingness to consider q
proposal for a recess of the house,
because. he said, conferences with
members of the senate committee led
him to believe the bill would b re-
ported to the senate the first week
in November and passed during the
present session.
Republican members Of the COM
mittee and Senator Hitchcock of Ne
braska were inclined to look upon
this plan as too optimistic but other
members of the committee said they
hoped to be able to live up to the
presidents expectations
A reduction in the number OF re-
serve banks. fixed by the administra-
ton bill at IL, and the removal Of
the secretary of agriculture and the
comptroller Of the currency from the
federal reserve board, which would
control the new currency system, were
the amendments which the president
let 1t be known he would not oppose.
Witnesses before the senate commit
tee almost unanimously have con-
tended for these amendments and a
majority of the committee Is believed
to favor them.
The proposed amendments would
retain the federal board as a strictly
governmental institution but would
provide that 1t shall be composed of
seven members. six to be appointed
by the president and to devote their
entire time to tho work of the board.
and the seventh to be the secretary
of the treasury.
The proposal for recess of the
house was taken up at the White
House and at the capitol today and
negotiations continued without any
denfinite conclusion. President Will
sons letter to Mr.. Underwood said
the president was confident the cur
rency bill will be reported to the sem
ate the first week Of November and
would be passed within three weeks
thereafter
Later Mr.. Underwood sought Rep
resentative Mann, minority leader of
the house. and urged him to consent
to the passage OF joint resolution
for a recess Of the house until No.
vember Is. Mr.. Mann. who has in
sisted that congress should adjourn
because OF his belief that the cur
rency bill could not be enacted at
this session, postponed decision OH
the request until tomorrow. Then he
went to the senate and discussed with
Republican and Democratic members
the presidents assertion that the cur
rency bill would probably be disposed
of in November"
II found" Mr.. Mann said later
that the senate was without a
quorum, as is the house. / found
that the president had not consulted
with Republican senators nor received
assurances from them that the cur
rency bill would speedily be disposed
Of / found that the president must
have been mistaken or else was mis-
led
II found, that i'm all probability, the
currency bill will not get into the
senate until the next session of con-
gress and that the president will be
lucky III 1t passes by February. The
president says there is an ambitious
legislative programme for next win
ter.
Unless congress begins work on
the programme now we will be here
until next September and unless there
are concessions on the currency there
may not be much legislation on the
currency at the next session."
Representative Mann had not de-
cided tonight whether he would agree
tomorrow To the passage of joint
resolution permitting a recess ot tho
house. AS n quorum Of the house Is
not I'm town, the Democratic leaders
can not act without the consent of
the Republicans.
Victor Morawitz of New York. di.
rector Of the National Bank of Com
mcrcc and n student of the currency
problem, today defended the adminis-
tration bill before the senate commit
tee. He advocated u reduction i'm the
of federal reserve bankS