The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-02
Work of Framing Revision
Legislation to Start
Tomorrow
DEVOTES DAY TO
CUSTOMS EVIDENCE
A Number of Administrative Reforms
to Supply Customs Requirements
Urged by James l.. Gerry.
Bill Ready by March 15
THE DAY IN CONGRESS.

Senate conyened at 11:45 a., M.
Passed Works resolution for consti-
tutional amendment to provide single
six-year presidential term.
Elections committee considered cleo
tions of Senators watson and Chiffon
of West Virginia with a view to in
vestigation.
Adopted conference report on i'm
migration bill which now goes to Presi-
dent for signature.
LaFollette eight hour bill for women
workers taken up in committee.
Adjourned at p. m. until noon Mon
day.
House conevened at II a. m.
Ways and means committees re-
sumed hearings on tariff.
Continued debate on District or Co
lumbia appropriation bill
Merchant marine committee con-
tinued shipping trust investigation.
probing into Pacific-Central Ameri-
can traffic.
Tariff revision hearings were con-
cluded by ways and means committee
which now begins executive meet
ings to frame bill
Representative Edw9rds introduced
bill to officially designate civil war
"as war between the states"
Adjourned at 4:4o p. m. until noon
late Senator Rayner of Maryland.
Washington. February AL tariff
hearings so far as the House is con
cer1ed were concluded today and th'
real work of framing in COMMITTEES
the revision legislation for submission
to the next Congress will begin mex
Monday The House committee oil
ways and means devoted today to hear
ing evidence suggestive of changes II
the customs administrative act and |
miscellany of items bearing on the fre'
list
James J.. Gerry of New York, forme
chief Of the customs division of th'
treasury. and w. J Gibson of New
York. advocated number of admins
tratiye reforms based on the conten
tion that they would simplify the Gus
tome requirements and make then
more equitable.
The final testimony in the 2s-dayl
OF hearings was plea from the do
mestic manufacturers of surgical ap
pliances against the free admission o
those articles from abroad.
The democrats of the committee vii
meet Monday in executive session AM
meet daily thereafter to form the new
bill. According to democratic leaders
it probably will be ready abou
March Is.
To Take Up Schedules
The II schedules of the bill will b.
taken up in regular sequence and
democratic caucus OF the House as soo1
as the extra session begins Will deter
mine nnally whether schedule by sched
ule consideration in the House Is tn
most feasible pla1.
Chairman Underwood said tonlgh
that the net result of the hearings
was of benefit to the committee am
that they had produced some new iigh
on various articles which would aid II
the work of revising the tariff.
The final testimony was by witnesses
interested in the free list and in tn
phraseology of the administrative por
tion of the tariff law.
The programme included a discus
sion of fur, milk products, tapioco
church statuary, beeswax, bristles am
other things. With the evidence all IN
supplementary to mass OF informa
tion gathered when the Payne-Aidrici
bill was framed In 1909 the commit
tee is ready to proceed next week witt
executive sessions, possibly both da'
and night that may continue not onl'
through February but through mos
of March, in the formulation OF tenta
tive legislation for the incoming Con
gress. The free list part OF the re
vision plan which was up for consid
Grafton will not substantially di1fe
from the former democratic Tree lis
bill insofar as that measure went, bu
~ may carry some additions. The OLE
free list bill was estimated by Hous
leaders to involve reductions OF $s,
375.g7s a year. though President Taf
raised that estimate to slo.00o.00o -ol
s14.000.00
The hearings were finally closed b,
speakers in favor OF beeswax and tap
loco.