The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-08
Present Country Tariff Bill
VOlumni0us in Detail
and Radical in
Reduction
PRESIDENT IS STILL
UNDECIDED AS TO
ITS EXACT NATURE
Senator's Argue Against Single Bill
Proposal-Wilson Not Decided
Just Which Course to Pursue.
Confers With Chairman
Oscar Underwood

Washington. April 7.--The democrats
party. In full possession of the exec
utive and legislative branches of the
national government. today turned the
wheels of legislation toward revision
of the tariff.
Leaders of the House presented to the
country tariff bill. voluminous in de-
TAIL and radical in its proposed redue-
tion of existing duties. As a whole it
was the product of debate and study
by the democrats from the time they
came into the majority in the Hou-s
two years ago. but II represented par%
tlcularly the conclusions Of the House
ways and means committee after sew
eral months of work. 1t carried also
the approval of the President
Coincident with the Introduction OF
the measure in the House during the
opening hours of session called es
pecially to revise the tariff. the Pres
ident was turning over in his mind
questions of procedure and strategy
upon which the success or failure or
the party programme may depend.
While the democratic majority in tha
House is sufficient to gain tariff revi-
sion by single bill or by a series Of
bills embracing separate schedules, the
situation in the Senate admittedly IS
different a. sectional interests already
have produced alignments which make
the question of method all Import-
ant
Fear Single Bill
Seven of the 10 democratic mem-
bers OF the Senate finance committee
early In the day. headed by Chairman
simmons, told the President that an
attempt to put through a single blu
would be hazardous. With all sched-
ules nodded in single bin they ar
pued that the enemies Of separate
schedules. feeling certain response
to the Will OF their Constituents vha
might be adversely affected would
unite and the whole measure could be-
defeated. The President said ne did not
believe any of the democratic senator's
would seek to shoulder the RESPONSE
bility for defeating the programme OF
the party. lie nevertheless heard in
detail the arguments advanced for a
schedule -by-schedule revision and de-
cided to consult again with Representa-
tive Oscar w. Underwood. leader of the
House, who favors the single bill pro-
cess
Late in the day the President talked
the situation over with Mr.. Under
wood The latter declared as he left
the White House that the President
was still undecided and that no con-
clusions had been reached. The Fresi-
dents disposition is TO await Develop
ments.
Mr. Underwood said the caucus of
House democrats tomorrow would be-
gin to consider Items and that the
question of reporting a single bill from
the ways and means committee or seq
regating those portions around which
opposition centers would not have TO
be decided Immediately.
TO Conyass Situation
The President in the meantime, Will
canvass, through his friends the situ-
alton in the Senate. If 1t should be-
come apparent that single bill can
not pass 1t is not unlikely he will
consent to a segregation of the sugar
schedule providing for a duty of one
cent with the free-in- three-years pro-
vision, from the rest of the bill. This,
IL Is believed, would insure passage OF
the great bulk OF tariff reforms by the
democrats In the Senate while the
sugar schedule would be pulled through
with the aid of progressive republican
votes
The Louisiana senators are being urged
by their constituents to oppose ultimate
free sugar and are said TO have the sup
rort of other democratic members of the
Senate.
Just what opposition to the bill might
be expected from those who are against
free wool was not apparent today Sena-
tor Ashurst who had been reported as
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