Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-12-05

vEAH If law, the lowest since
1916 and In many respects
approaching a free trade ba-
sis, is the most important achievement
of the first session of the Sixty-third
congress. Coming into complete legisla-
tive power for the first time in twenty
years, the Democrats marked their
control of the government by fulfilling
their promises on the main issue which
divided the two great political parties
for more than half a century.
1t will take some time for the people
to understand what has really been
done with the tariff and what effect
the rates will have upon the prices
they pay. Details of the tariff are
somewhat nebulous to the average per-
son, and even those who have heard
the subject debated day after day and
have studied the schedules for years
really been done. save that there has
been a very great reduction-a real re-
vision downward.
The most marvellous thing about the
new law is the east with which 1t was
passed. Its author, Oscar W. Under
wood. took it into the Democratic eau
Gus, where differences were thrashed
out and where Democrats were moral
ly pledged to stand by the ways and
means committee. Then the bill vas
taken into the house and passed with
only such changes as Underwood and
his lieutenants thought necessary. A
similar method was adopted In the
senate, although Senator Simmons,
who was in charge of the bill, allowed
more latitude to his ~lieutenants on the
finance committee than was given
members of the house.
And so was passed the measure for
which the session was called by Presi-
dent Wilson. All, that name recalls
something! 1t may be mentioned in
passing that had 1t not been for the
iron hand of Woodrow Wilson the
tariff would have seen stormy times.
There vnenld have been no free sugar
and free wool, and the rates generally
would have been much higher. The
president set his stakes ON free wool
and free sugar, held them in the bill In
spite of the efforts of many Democrat
ic senators, thus setting the scale upon
which many other schedules were ad-
justed.
Currency Which Never Came.
Naturally when the president found
that it was not such a difficult thing
to pass a tariff bill he felt sure that
currency would run along just as
smoothly. Somehow it has been diff
ferent. 1t seems to dave st dck snags
which at times WEI about to wreck
the measure. The majority in the
house were docile. They only had to
know that the currency bill suited the
administration and then gulp it down
without asking questions. oh, of
course, there were a few inquisitive
persons. fellows who thought they
knew something about finance. and
they showed a disposition to kick, but
the majority was SO great that their
outcries and kicks caused only a slight
and momentary disturbance.
IN the senate it was different. The
Democratic majority is very small.
Strange TO say, there were three of the
seven Democratic members of the
banking and currency committee who
never would-no, never, never, never
vote for the administration bill. One
of them stood out till the last. while
the other two gradually yielded to
the personal influence Of the president
and the lure of the party call. But
this did not happen in time to make
the currency bill a law at the special
session.
All this proved a surprise to Mr..
Wilson. When he called congress In
spend the summer with his family In
New Hampshire and a month of the
fall at Panama. Just the other day the
president told an inquirer that he
thought he might go to Panama in
1915. He didn't sign the tariff act I'M
til Oct. 3. He may not sign the cur
rency act until April g.. Woodrow VIII
son has learned the ways of congress
during the special session. and he
knows he must have patience.
Newlands Act Very important.
Although the special session of CON
gress dedicated itself to the tariff and
| President Wilson sentenced it to cur
rency as well. ii did also take up leg
islation. A law of f~arreaching impor-
lance is the Newlands act. which was
passed, providing for mediation, con
Citation and arbitration between the
employers and the employed. For a
long time there was the Erdman act.
which vas we'll enough In its way, but
It. did not have very much strength in
averting or settling strikes. The New
lands act really amounts to something.
Already 1t has averted the tieup of all
the eastern railroads and not long since
was responsible for stopping a strike
on the Southern Pacific. A real board
for the settlement of labor disputes has