The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-14
Confident That Wilson's
Plea for Repeal Will
Be Needed.
OWEN INTRODUCES
BILL IN SENATE
1t Is Similar to Sims Measure
Pending in House, and Will
Put Issue Immediately Be-
fore Committee = Early
Passage by Lower
Branch Expected.

Nashineto ton. March -Administra-
ton leaders in the Senate ard House
to-day set themselves for "A quick and
decisive battle next week over tn" re
pe"l "f the toll exemption clause of tn"
l'anama Canal art. confident that Prcsi-
dent Wilson'S plea for reversal II pol
Icy in tho interest Of the govcrnmcnt's
foreign relations would be hcedcc
IN the Senate, artcr informal con
I"rcnccs cf Democratic leaders .1d a
talk with President Wilson. Senator
owen, of oklahoma. Introduces . ~ peal
hi'l similar TO the Sims bill pcndiny In
the House in order TO have tn Issue
immediately placed squarcly before Tho
Committee Oh Iutcroc"anic Canals II
also was determined to hasten consid
5iIiion of the measure b., this commit
-. in order that 1t may be ready for
actlon Ia the SENATE as soon as it IS dis
posed Of in the House.
tonfcrs with Scnntors.
Representative Adamson. chairman Of
thc House Committee on ntcrstat"
Commerce. who 10 leading the iirht Tor
the Presidents plea in the lower body
conferred with Senators during the day.
SiNint assurances that tho reveal bill
would be passed by I. comfort abl. mar
gin by the end Of next week
senate leaders were moved To BEGIN
vigorous action before the House com
plc'cs ITS work. because Of 4 rcaIizn-
ton that. while ultimate lassaG. of
Wv q i''-ti * IL SUf-u. tnsTF " III ltH n
hard fight in the Committee or Inter-
oceanic Canals, which has jurisdiction
over tho bill senator owen. a ma
iority member of that committee. took
the Initiative. senator O'tiorman, tho
chairman, and some other Democratic
members being opposed to the repeal
senator oGorinan, who is out Of the
city, VIII return on Monday 10 ind an
insiatcnt demand for taking up tho
owen bill, ana also the compromise
bill submitted by Senator Chiffon which
would empower the President to assess
Tolls against American coastwise ships
VIII Support Repeai.
Among the Democrats on the commit
tee who voted for toll exemption and
who have assured the President that
they would support the repeal are
Senator Thornton, the ranking mem
Der, and Senator Simmons, of North
Carolina. Senator Chiffon also is
counted upon To vote for a lat repeal
measure. since the President has de-
clered that there must bc no com
promise in settling the issue
senator Walsh, Of Montana, who
fought for toll exemption. has declared
himself open to conviction Rcpubli-
can members of the committee also are
divided. In any event, the action of
the committee on the owen bill is Ger.
tain to be close.
NO matter what action the commit
tee may take said Senator owen to-
night. this is a matter that must he
settled. and there Is no reason for de-
lay The House had determined upon
plan, and should there be any de-
lay there. we should be ready to pro-
ceed In the Senate"
Much discussion prevailed in the
Senate to-day as To the outcome Of
the issue. IL being generally conceded
that the repeal bill would pass Claims
that ii would be adopted by q majority
OF about fifty were not accepted, how
ever by tho conservative leaders. who
predicted that the majority In favor
of the repeal would not exceed ten.
In his conference with the President.
Senator owen agreed TO do all he could
TO hasten consideration of tho repeal.