The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-02
TARIFF is SUBJECT
Wilson and Underwood Hold
Conference ON Revision.
Bill to Be Submitted to Demo-
cratic Senators Friday.

Washington, April 2.-President
Wilson and Representative Under
wood conferred for several hours al
the White House last night for the
second time. over features of the pro-
posed tariff revision.
The conference was asked for by
President Wilson.
Other conferences which are to fol-
low with Mr.. Underwood and Senator
Simmons, chairman of the senate
finance committee, will settle the
status of the sugar, wool and agricul-
turaI schedules, so far as the party
leaders can settle them; and Will de-
eide whether one general bill or
separate schedule bills shall be passed
by the house.
Opponents of free sugar, chiefly
representing the cane growing sections
of the south, have adopted strong
representations to the president our
ing the last week against removal of
all duty from that product and the
president has been weighing the argu-
ments upon this and other tariff ques-
tons. Since his first conference with
Mr.. Underwood, President Wilson had
gone over the tariff bill with Secretary
Redfield of the department of com
merce, for whose tariff views he has
high regard. ,,
1t was understood that few detailed
rates were under consideration at last
night conference, but that the gen.
eral questions as to the free admission
of raw materials and the extent to
which the duty should be removed
from agricultural products and arti-
cles largely consumed by the public
were discussed fully.
Efforts to bring the senate and
house into accord before the details
of the new tariff bill become public
are to be made late this week Sena-
tor Simmons will ask Democratic
members of the senate finance COM
mittee to meet Friday for preliminary
n of
time it is expected that a copy of the
bill prepared by the house ways and
means committee will be submitted
to the Democratic senators for con-
sideration.
Should the senate committee deter
rhine that certain features of the bill
will not be acceptable in the senate,
efforts will be made to have the draft
of the bill changed by the house com
mittee or by the Democratic mem ber-
ship of the house when it meets in
caucus next week, so that house and
senate may be brought into as COM
plete accord as possible in support of
&he house bill.
After the conference between Presi-
dent Wilson and Representative I'm
derwood ended last night the free
sugar plan and the Is per cent tax
on wool were hanging in the balance.
Mr.. Underwood, upon leaving the
White House, would only VouchSafe
the information that some progress
differences between the president and
himself and that the majority of mis-
committee would meet again today.
However, the fight against putting |
raw sugar on the free list and again |
retaining the duty on raw wool and |
over some other parts of the tariff re- |
vision, is understood to have led the |
president to hesitate IN committing |
himself upon these matters until he |
has had an opportunity to further |
light. He will confer over the tariff |
situation today and within the next |
"a hours communicate his views final |
ly to the ways and means committee, |
which is, meantime, virtually mark |
ing time.