The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19
Last of Opposition Amend
ments to the Measure
Voted Down
LEADERS SEE END
OF LONG FIGHT
Underwood and Clark Confident Bill
Will Go to President Wilson by
Monday or Tuesday
at Latest

Washington. December 1S.--With the
democratic Legislative machinery run
ming smoothly, the administration cur
reney bill today moved rapidly toward
It's finnl passage In the Senate. The
last of the opposition amendments TO
the measure was voted down. and Sem
stor Owen began the presentation of
The democratic amendments, calculated
adopted without meeting strenuous
protest.
Legislative leaders declared tonight
the end of the currency fight was In
sight. In the House Speaker Clark and
Majority Leader Underwood expressed
the opinion that the measure would 50
20 the President and be written into
law by Monday or Tuesday at the
latest. Mr.. Underwood announced his
intention of offering an adjournment
resolution. which would give Congress
a holiday recess until January IL, just
ar soon as the bill was passed. In
formal conferences on the measure, he
said. already had settled all but few
S'sputed points in the differences be-
d zen the two houses.
Ideas Voted Down
The final efforts of Senator Hitch
cock and the republicans to put some
OF their ideas into the bill were voted
down one after another today, the Sen
ate operating under the agreement TO
limit speeches TO Is minutes each, and
'hurrying debate along.
Then Senator owen presented the
amendments agreed on by the demo-
cratic caucus last night The opposition
did not insist on roll calls and tho
amendments were adopted with little
debate until senator owen presented
one to authorize the federal reserve
toard to appoint attorneys. experts
and assistants. without regard to the
civil service laws. Then the republic
ans broke forth in protest and prevent :
co Immediate action.
One amendment adopted provided
that banks in the new system could not
employ former secretaries of the treas
ury. assistant secretaries, comptrollers
of the currency or members of the fed
eral reserve board for two years after
they severed their connection with the
government. Another change gave the
Secretary of the Treasury discretion to
use a part of the earnings of regional
banks to build up the gold reserve.
The salary of the members of the fed
eral reserve board was increased from
$4,000 to $4,000.
A number of amendments calculated
70
new system into operation were adopt
Cd and various changes were made to
facilitate the entrance of state banks
and trust companies
Democrats Attacked
Senators Root. Bristow. Burton and
Cummins attacked the democrats for
he proposal that the employees of tho
board should be exempted from civil
service requirements.
ut Is now apparent" declared Sen
f.tor Bristow. that the haste enforced
in the consideration of this bill is
not only proposed to quiet the finan-
cial unrest in the country. but also to
satisfy the horde of hungry office
seekers who have besieged the capital
for the past 10 months Opening up
these positions TO partisanship- would
force the federal reserve board to go
into politics whether it wanted to or
not
Senator owen declared that but
email number of employees would be af-
fected by the provision, and asserted
that the amendment was proposed in
order that the federal reserve board
might not be hampered or delayed In
beginning work.
When the Senate recessed at o'clock
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Da