New-York tribune., 1913-05-18
DEMOCRATS FEAR DELAY
IN TARIFF HEARINGS
General Rush of ProteStantS
Likely to Follow Letting
Down of the Bars.
INSURANCE MEN OBJECT
Westerners Ask for Modifica-
tion of Administrative Feat
ureS of the Income
Tax Law.
From The Tribune Bureau. ]

Washington May 17.-Democratic mem
bers of the Senate Finance Committee
confessed to-day to some misgiyinGs that
their assurance that hearings would be
allowed by the subcommittee consider
ing the tariff bill would serve as a boom
erang to delay action on the measure II
was the plan Of the majority members OF
the committee 10 have the bill ready for
consideration by the Democratic caucus
within two weeks There is now some
apprehension that there will be gem
oral rush Of protestants 10 Washington
and that the subcommittee will be
swamped with testimony in opposition to
the bill
meeting Of the full membership OF
The Finance Committee will be called
next week In the mean time the Demo-
cratic subcommittee are scrutiniznE the
various schedules of the bill At hear
ing before the subcommittee of which
senator Williams is chairman. represent
atives OF the smaller life Insurance COM
panies in the Middle West appeared to-
day to ask for the modification Of the ad-
mlnistratlye features Of the income tax
law. T. W. Blackburn. secretary and gen
eral counsel OF the American Life Con-
venton, representing ninety-eight small
insurance companies protested that the
income tax section would place on these
companies an Unnecessary burden in
keeping separate accounts Of all their
agents He was supported by +. w
Fleming. OF the Kansas City Life lnsur-
ance Company.
Income Tax Full OF Problems
The income tax section OF the bill has
received little attention up TO the present
time and il is generally recognized that
it is full OF problems. Up to the present
time Senators have directed their atten-
tion exclusively TO the tariff section Of the
bill. The income tax section. which Is
regarded as cumbersome IN many respects
will come in for a large share Of the
general debate when the bill IS reported TO
the Senate
Another interesting development in line
with the extension Of the private hearings
was the determination Of Senator Hoke
Smith. Of Georgia. a member OF the sub
committee considering the cotton and
chemical schedules. 10 have the private
hearings conducted by him taken down
by a Senate stenographer. This is an in
novation which the Republicans assert
was brought about through the iusistence
Of Senators la Toilette and Bristow. who
urged that the private hearings be pub
lished for the benefit Of Senators not on
the Finance Committee II also has been
agreed that the Finance Committee Will
send TO manufacturers the list Of ques-
tions on cost and production proposed by
Senator La Toilette.
Still another liberalizing feature result
ing from the debate on the Penrose-La
Toilette public hearing amendment was
the relteration by Senator Hoke smith
and some OF his colleagues that members
OF the press could attend the private
hearings Though Senator Smith an
uounced in the Senate yesterday that
members Of the press were welcome al the
urivate hearings that was the Grst the
NEWSPAPER men ever had heard OF IT, and
il also was news 10 other members Of the
Finance Committee. To-day Senator
Smith conferred with other members OF
the committee and found they were agree
able to admitting newspaper represent
atiyes.
Bill May Be Ready June !.
I'VE will Try TO have the bin ready
for the Senate by June l." said Senator
Simmons to-day. "but II probably VIII
he a little later than that. owing 20 the
fact that the subcommittee have agreed
10 give a little more time 10 the manu-
facturers who are protesting against the
rates i'm the Underwood bill. They have
decided 10 do this owing to the insistence
and persistence Of some Of the interests
affected by the bill. We already have lost
q whole week because of the prolonged de-
hate on the reference motions. but the
work will be pushed as rapidly as possl-
BILE"
Democrats Of the committee have prac-
tjcaIlv decided they will propose no
changes in the free wool and sugar sched-
ules and that Democrats opposed to the
present schedules must carry their hght
10 the party caucus. According TO the
nresent plan. the subcommittee having
tbe wool and sugar schedules under con-
sideration will listen TO all arguments
Senators wish 10 lay before them. but VIII
report the bill 10 the fun Democratic
membership Of the committee without rec
concentrations The Democrats Of tho
Committee will refer sugar and WOOL 10
marty caucus. ana the Senator'S interestel
a,iu have an opportunity 10 make "A maj
.r,oaI II they fail In the caucus leaders
h.iiovo thev will fall in line In support
of the entire measure when 1t comes be-
fore the Senate. .-,
Leaders do not expect the two Iou'si-
ana Senators to abide by caucus DC
cislon against sugar. but the vote yester-
dav on the question Of hearings has gwen
,bom confidence that after the last ~or"
10 said in caucus the Western Senators
.ho have fought free wool and sugar VIII
accent the bill as a party measure anu
vote for IT, Republican leaders arc ex-
rected 10 demand vote upon every
aobod,,le giving an opportunity to any
nemocrat TO side with them upon any
scheduIe in which he is particularly In
torested
III IN