The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-14
PREPARE
 FOR TOLL REPEAL
 BATTLE NEXT WEEK
Informal Conferences Pave Way for Simultaneous Action in Both
 Houses

Washington, March 13.-Admnistra- ton leaders in the Senate and House today set themselves for a quick and decisive battle next week over the re- peal of the toll exemption clause of the Panama canal act, confident that Pres ident Wilson's plea for reversal of pol icy in the interest of the governments foreign relations would be needed. In the Senate, after informal con- ferences of democratic leaders and l talk with President Wilson, Senator owen of Oklahoma introduced a repeal in the House in order to have the is- sue Immediately placed squarely before the committee on interoceanfc canals. It also was determined to hasten con- sideration of the measure by this com mittee in order that it may be ready for action in the Senate as soon as 1t | is disposed of in the House.
 Representative Adamson. chairman of l the House committee on interstate com merce, who is leading the fight for the Presidents plea in the lower body, | conferred with senators during the day giving assurances that the repeal bill ! would be passed by comfortable margin by the end of next week.
 Urge Vigorous Action l Senate leaders were urged to begin vigorous action before the House con- pletes it's work on the matter, because | of realization that, while ultimate passage of the repeal Is assured, there will be a hard fight in the committee on interoceanic canals, which has jur- | t..zI
 q majority member of that committee , took the initiative. Senator OGorman the chairman, and some other demo- cratic members being opposed to the | repeal Senator O'Gorman, who is out of the city, will return Monday to find an ineessant demand for taking up the owen bill and also the compromise bills submitted by Senator Chiffon, another member of the committee, which would empower the President to assess tolls l against American coastwise ships.
 Among the democrats on the com mittee who voted for toll exemption who have assured the President that they would support the repeal are Sen ator Thornton. the ranking member, and Senator Simmons of North Car olina. Senator Chiffon also is counted upon by the administration leaders to 1 vote for a flat repeal measure since l the President has declared that there must be no compromise in settling the issue.
 Open to Conviction Senator Walsh of Montana who 1 fought for toll exemption, has declared himself open to conviction, but as yet has made no announcement of any in- | tention to change his views. Republic an members of the committee also are divided. In any event, the action of the committee on the Owen bill is certain to be close. Should the ma
 jority report the bill unfavorably Sens
 ator Owen and others of the minority
 will submit minority report upon
 which the Senate will be asked to act.
 No matter what action the commit
 tee may take" said Senator Owen to-
 night, "this is a matter that must be
 settled and there is no reason for de-
 lay. The House has determined upon
 a programme and should there be any delay there, we should be ready to pro-
 ceed in the Senate
 Much discussion prevailed in the
 Senate today as to the outcome of the issue, it being generally conceded that
 the repeal bill would pass. Claims that it would be adopted by a majority of
 about 30 were not accepted however, } by the conservative leaders, who pre- dicted that the majority in favor of the
 repeal would not exceed 10.