The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-12
TEST ON TARIFF
COMES TUESDAY
Senate Votes Tomorrow on
Question of Finance Com
mittee Hearings.
PENROSE MAKES MOTION
Democrats Expect to Be Able to Con-
troll the Situation by a
Close Vote.

Democratic leaders In the Senate will
begin the delicate task of revising the
Underwood tariff bill this week. Up to
this time little progress has been made
by the Democratic members Of the
Finance Committee in actually settling
rates
In spite of the agitation for public
hearings, which wouio carry the infer
ence that no industrial interest has been
heard on the bill by the Senate Com
mittee, 1t is a fact that most of the time
of the Democratic members Of the
Finance Committee in the last two weeks
has been taken up in personal inter-
views with manufacturers and their rep
resentatives who have come on to Wash
ington to be heard on schedules in the
Underwood bill.
These hearings have not been made
public, but the subcommittee and indi-
vidual members of the Finance Commit
tee have met these interests privately
and listened to their arguments to the
exclusion of the actual business OF re-
vising the bill.
II was said authoriatively last night
that only one of the subcommittee
named by Chairman Simmons had made
any considerable progress with its work
up to this time. This subcommittee has
at least ten days work ahead of il, which
will give some idea of the time that will
be required by the Democratic majority
of the Finance Committee to complete
its work.
Report in June.
1t is not likely that Democratic Sena-
tors will be called into conference until
after a majority of the Finance Com
mittee have concluded their work on
mendations 1t is evident that the
bill cannot be reported back to the
Senate before the first of June. and it
NAV be as late as the 10th of June.
After the Democratic members of the
Finance Committee have concluded their
work, the Democratic caucus will take
up the bill and probably will repeat the
performance Of the Democrats in the
House by considering it paragraph by
paragraph, and probably amending II in
some particulars.
Such consideration will involve a lot
of speech-making and controversy. Fol-
lowing the action of the Democratic
caucus of the Senate in approving the
bill, the measure will be turned over to
the full Finance Committee and the
Republican members will be accorded
an opportunity to consider the bill and
make up their minority report.
Detection Is Small.
1t will he the purpose of the Demo-
cratic leaders in the Senate to put the
Underwood bill in form that will COM
mand the votes of every Democratic
Senator except the two from Louisiana,
whose detection is believed to be GER
tain.
The tariff bill will be referred to the
Finance Committee shortly after the
Senate meets at o'clock Tuesday. There
is likely to be some sharp debate, but
the Democratic leaders believe they will
be able to have the bill referred to their
committee without instructions for pub
lie hearings.
They probably will have not to exceed
two majority on this vote, which is al
most too close for comfort. They eX-
pect that the two Louisiana Senators
will vote against them.
The test vote will come on Senator
Penroses motion to refer the bill with
instructions to the committee to grant
public hearings in all cases where such
hearings are requested. If this is voted
down, the vote will recur on Chairman
Simmons motion to refer the bill with
out instructions, which would then pre-
vail