The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-04
Only Item on Which
Agreement Is Not
Reached.
DANGEROUS FIGHT
NOW is UNDER WAY
Ransdell Organizes League of
Five Sugar Senator'S, Who Will
Be Able to Defeat Bill-Ten-
dency Now Is to Shift En-
tire Tariff Burden to
Shoulders of Wilson.
ny JAMES J. MoNrAGUE.

| by JAMES j. MONTAGUE.
/ Washington, April 3-The Ways and
Means Committee which is framing
the tariff that is to bring down the
cost of living. agreed this afternoon on
every item but sugar.
/ The President will announce to-mor-
row whether he agrees with the com
I mittec. The Senate Is still shrouded
| with uncertainty, with the chances
that 1t Will paw the air and refuse to
be hitched to the bill without lot Of
| placating Wool and sugar are making
most OF the trouble. hard fight is
ahead Of the builders Of the bill, and
! they know il.
The Days Developments.
| Here are to-day's Developments
! /. The President sent word to Sena-
/ tor Ransdell, of Louisiana, who Is lead
ing dangerous fight against free
! cent pound Will be given the presi-
Dental sanction. provided sugar is
made wholly free at the end of three
! years
, Ransdell transmitted these tidings
to the Ways and Means Committee,
| which is still mulling over them
/ 3. Ransdell also organized league
of five sugar Senators, who are going
! 10 hold out for the present duty. If
! they stick together, they can beat n
I free sugar bill. or even a l cent pound
bill
4. The assertion was made by a Sen
ate leader that at least three men
Pomerene. OF Ohio; Chamberlain, OF
oregon. and Myers. of Oregon. will be
succeeded by Republicans IL they vote
/ for free wool The terms of the first
two viii expire in two years.
| D. Convinced that the intended tariff
Will reduce wages and discredit the
! administration. the Republicans are
! preparing TO let it so through without
( opposition.
.. Resentment OF the Presidents In
clination To take the tariff bit in his
Senate is there Irritation because of
his predilection for free wool. which
Is attributed to the influence of Sec
retary Bryan.
Z. The Senate Finance Committee
will meet to talk tariff tomorrow. The
House caucus has been deferred in
definitely as far as the tariff is con-
cerned.
S. practical agreement has been
made on graduated income tax.
From one end of the Capitol TO the
other the tariff has become the one
subject under discussion. The Pres
| ident. while adroitly evading anv
statements TO the press as TO his po-
sition, Is beginning TO make II clear
10 the statesmen, and the statesmen
are getting uneasy.
Shifting the burden.
There is n growing purpose now to
SHIFT the whole responsibility to the
presidential shoulders. now that they
have undertaken to carry part of tho
burden. In other words, the statesmen
are afraid of the tariff. and as long
as the President isn't they want him
TO go on the firing line.
Mr.. Wilson for half an hour this
"a fen n.ti iI,.
newspaper men any inkling OF his
purpose. He admitted that the bill had
been submitted to him. and that he had
suggested changes. But when asked
what the changes were he politely de-
clined to reply
He said that he had not taken up
the question OF the income tax and
that while he had closed his mind on
some aspects of the tariff question he
bad not locked it,
The President had consulted a great
deal on the tariff subject with Secre-
tary Redheld of the Commerce De-
partment, who has qualified ms an ex-
pert on the subject There is no evil
lence that he has been guided in his
onclusions by Mr.. Bryan
During the day John Sharp Williams
or Mississippi. was put at the head OF
a league of five Senators who are try
Ing to get recruits for fight against
l.
!iams. there are Shaffroth and Thomas,
OF Colorado, and Thornton and Rams
dell of Louisiana They contend that
while reduction of the tariff on sugar
TO cent pound may enable the cane
sugar growers 10 survive. it will ami
hilate the beet sugar industry. The
Presidents overtures to Ransdeu for
1-cent duty only served to make this
clique all the more determined. Alone,
If they hold together they can beat a
free sugar bill. If they get any re-
ortuts they can imperil the whole
tariff unless they get at least the pres
ent duty.
The wool men come from Oregon.
Montana, Ohio and Texas. and all are
up in arms against the proposed free
WOOL plan. Pomerene of Ohio, is also
protesting violently against tho pro-
vision In the billswhich takes the duty
from farming implements. which are
made extensively in his State. Pom
creme says further that the proposed
farmers free list Will be of no benefit
to the farmer because OF the lower duty
Oh wheat oats and other grain, all or
which can be imported across the Ca
madam border.
Vague Hope Of Passage.
Senator Simmons, chairman OF the
committee which will handle the bill
In the Senate, spent the afternoon con-
ferring with Senator's Smith of
Georgia and Stone, of Missouri. on
tho best way to get the bill through.
In the evening he had talk with the
PRESIDENT and expressed rather
vague hope that there would be no
difhculty when the bill gets to the
Senate.
The income tax that was agreed upon
to-day places the exemption at $4,000.
with per cent tax. upon the incomes
between $4,000 and $50, 900, 9 per cent
on incomes between $4,000 and $4,000,
Continued on Eleventh PageJ