The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-21
DON'T BE HASTY
Underwood Cautions Against
Premature Tariff Judgment.
Declares That Misleading State
ments Have Been Printed.

Washington, March 21.-Democrat-
| &c Leader Underwood has asked that
| the country withhold judgment on the
| tariff revision bill until it is presented
to the house and made public by the
| authority of it's trainers. All along he
| mas insisted, as chairman of the ways
| and means committee, upon absolute
| secrecy regarding the measure. He
| said:
"Since the ways and means commit
tee commenced it's work of revision of
| the present tariff laws, 1 have re-
| Trained from giving interviews to the
| press, but recently [ have read in the
| newspapers so many misleading state
| mentS about the work of the ways
and means committee and so many as
| sertions of fact which are not facts
as to what the committee has done
| concerning the various paragraphs
and schedules of the bill, that I feel
that it is fair to the public to say that
practically every statement that 1 have
| read in reference to the rates of duty
that would be imposed on the articles
enumerated in the proposed new tar
iff bill is absolutely misleading and
| most of them entirely wrong. 1 hope
that the country will not PREJUDICE the
bill until it is introduced in congress
and authoritatively made public"
Mr.. Underwood was weary when he
stopped work yesterday after many
hours study of the coming Underwood
eted with him figuring on the revenue
proba bilitieS and maze of figures had
passed in review before them. Mean
time, the individual members of the
Democratic majority were busted with
tariff details and income tax provisions
of the coming Underwood bill. The
majority will not meet again until next
Tuesday, but the individual considera-
ton of tariff plans will continue.
Currency Reform Likely.
Encouraged by the rapid progress
already made in the preparation of a
tariff revision bill, close friends of
President Wilson predict that there
surely will be currency reform be
fore the extra session of congress adj
journS next summer
The president talked Informally
with some of his callers about the
prospects for currency legislation.
They went away convinced that while
the president would devote himself
first to tariff revision, he now hoped
that at least a start on monetary re-
form, if not actual legislation. would
be possible during the extra session.
From the first the president has be-
lieved the necessity for immediate cur
rency reform and though anxious that
congress should focus its attention and
that of the nation on the tariff ques-
ton, he never has given up the idea
of getting a currency measure before
the country within few months. Some
ticularly hopeful for currency reform
because of the attitude of the Demo-
cratic leaders in congress toward ex-
peditious action on the tariff. Sena-
tor Simmons, chairman of the finance
committee, is reported to have said
that the tariff could be disposed OF
within three months
Like the tariff. the currency bill
when drawn will be presented as
party measure, carefully worked out
by congressional committees in CO.
operation with the president. 1t will
not be made public, it is said, until 1t
has been studied by members OF the
cabinet, recognized authorities on
currency questions, and some of the
leading business men of the country,
in whose judgment the administration
has confidence. 1t is pointed out that
all the work of preparation can bel
carried on inconspicuously while tar
iff debates occupy the center of the
stage in congress.
The president intends to stay in
Washington throughout the extra SEES
sion giving every attention to leg1sla- /
tive matters. He has been declining
invitations every day to make speeches
outside of the city. Two such invita-
lions were extended today for speeches
in Baltimore and Chicago.