Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-04-23
REFORM IN FINANCE
PRESIDENT BELIEVES BANKING
AND CURRENCY LEGISLATION
Is VERY MUCH NEEDED.
AS IMPORTANT AS TARIFF
Executive 10 Anxious That Special
Session Of Congress Take Up the
SubIect-Prompt Action Would
Open Way for Other Matters.
BY GEORGE CLINTON,

Washington,-It seems finally to be
definitely determined that President
Wilson, believing banking and cur
rency legislation to be of as much i'm
portance as the tariff bill is getting
anxious that such legislation shall be
enacted at the special session in adj
dition to that affecting the customs.
If the tariff bill shall make slow
progress after it has reached the
senate and should not go to the White
House for signature or veto before the
first of August, 1t Is perhaps likely
that Mr. Wilson would be willing that
the special session should come to an
end and that there should be a recess
of congress for at least six months.
There is a growing feeling here that
If the tariff bills go through quickly
the president may ask that the cur
rency legislation be taken up, but If 1t
shall prove a long-drawn out tariff ses-
sion the president may call another
extra session to begin about October
l, for the special purpose OF trying
to reform the banking and currency
with the views which his party holds
as being best from the financial point
of view
Admittedly, there has been any
amount of nothing more or less than
guess work about the probability of
currency reform being taken up at the
extra session. The president has in
timated very clearly that he intends
to send special currency message
10 congress, and from the tone of his
intimation it is taken to mean that
he intends to send it in before the reg
1lar session begins in December. A
good many of the Democrats in con-
gress do not want the currency touch
I'd until next winter, and the whole
natter therefore depends largely upon
whether the congressional leaders or
he president have the final say so
n the matter.
Pave Way for Other Work.
There are some OF the Democrats in
congress, on the other hand, who urge
hat if tariff and banking and cur
.ency can be passed and put into law
!ession of next year can be given over
argely to work of so-called social leg
station and to the solving of the prob
ems OF greater economy and eff
:iency in the administration Of the
'ederal affairs. At this extra session
here are three appropriation bills I'M
Ter consideration. These bills failed
q 1xN1% 1ay Ion
md so congress has something to do
1t the present moment In addition to
he tariff The work Of economy and
efficiency is bound up In the finances
If the country, but it seems likely to-
lay that the work OF forming bud
get system and of recognizing the
departments on an economic basis
will not begin until next winter.
Now, it is said that President VIII
ION intends, among other things, after
ais economy and efficiency program
has been made known, to ask congress
10 revise the civil service laws so as
% obtain greater efficiency in the civil
service and, as the Democrats say,
turther to safeguard it. The mem
bers of Mr.. Wilson's party say that
ne is as firm believer In civil service
reform as Grover Cleveland was and
that in the time that has elapsed
since the last Democratic administra-
ton to the present one there have
been sufficient developments In the
civil service to enable Mr.. Wilson to
Judge rightly of where further i'm
provement can be made.
The Republicans in congress do not
take this civil service reform program
Of the Democrats very seriously. They
say that the service is on good basis
today, and while the Democrats may
do little something the real credit
for the work must belong to the Re-
publican party. The Democrats on
their part say that the Republicans
did only as much for civil service as
they were forced to do, and that under
the Wilson administration greater I'M
provement will be made.
Supreme Court overWorked.
The Supreme court of the United
States is overworked. Perhaps it
should be put this way: "A good
many members OF congress think
that the Supreme court is over
worked" There Is said to be no COM
plant on the part Of the justices that
they are overburdened with labor, but
the average of age In the membership
of the court is high and the judges
have an immense amount to do,
though they bear 1t uncomplainingly
and perhaps one of the reasons Is
that they are opposed to having any
change in the present system made, e,
change which has been urged fire.
quently and which may become chief
matter of discussion, IL not of action
before the present congress ends its
days
A proposal came from Senator Gore
of Oklahoma some little time ago that
it might be wise to increase the
membership of the court to IL judges.
His plan, it seems. is finding some IA
vor, and President Wilson, who was