Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-02
Action Delayed
 on Repeal Bill
SENATE COMMITTEE WON'T
 MEET THIS WEEK.
MOVE FOR HEARINGS
Administration Leaders Declare Pur- pose is to Cause DeIay-May Have the Committee Discharged.

Washington, April 1-The adminis- tration bill to repeal toll exemption for Anerlcan ships in the Panama canal which passed the house yesterday amid spectacular scenes, reached the senate today ana was promptly referred to the committee on inter-oceanic canals without debate.
 senator OGorman, chairman of the canals committee, who is marshaIing the nti-administration forces, an- nounced definitely tonight that he would call 8 meeting of the committee for next Tuesday. Until that time no formal consideration of the repeal measure or proposed amendments can develop. Although friends of the pres ldent had hoped to- have the canals committee meet earlier. they decided to make no effort to induce Senator O'Gorman to change his plans. They in reasonable time after the commit tee gets down to work.
 Won't Submit to Delay.
 Senator Owen of Oklahoma. who will lead the fight in committee for the ad- ministration, visited the White House early in the day and conferred with the president. Later he made the eu- phatic declaration that friends of the repeal bill would not submit to un- necessary delay in preliminary con- slderatton of the bill and fatIy de- clared that the gauntlet of committee discharge would be hurled should an attempt be made to impede the progress of the measure
 That some members of the commit tee who oppose exemption repeal de- sire to have public hearings on the bill was apparent late today, but adminis- tration senators insisted that such hearings were entirely unnecessary and that there could be no reason for them except deliberately to cause delay.
 Possibility of Hearings.
 Senator O'Gorman has said repeat edly that there would be no unneces- sary delay in the committee in con sidering the bill, but it is expected that requests will be made of him to grant hearings
 On this the committee may be forced to act, and it would be considered as test on the real issue. Just how the committee stands is uncertain, both sides claiming a majority of one An un1avorable report on the bill would be followed by minority report and this would bring the controversy before the senate on a motion to adopt the minority report.
 Arbitration of Treaty Dispute Proposed
 Many complications are possible in the situation, even before the commit tee, because there are half a dozen bills pertaining to the tolls question now before the committed That persistent effort will be made to amend the repeal bill as it passed the house is certain but friends of the presi- dent declared that nothing but fiat re- peal of the toll exemption will be ac- cepted and in support of this they claim safe majority. Estimates ot this majority vary from two to tWen- ty-four
 Today Senator Norris of Nebraska introduced a, resolution which would provide for arbitration of the treaty dispute in the tolls controversy and Senator Poindexter submitted another sideration of the tolls issue until Pres ident Wilson submits details, in con fidence, if he chooses, as to foreign relations to be affected by toll exemp- tion repeal. No action was taken on either resolution