Evening star., 1914-04-07
Senate Committee Votes Over
WheImingIy for Open Dis
cussion of Question.
WILL BEGIN THURSDAY
AND LAST Fifteen DAYS
Secretary Bryan and Former Secre'
tary Knox to Be Asked
to Appear.

fngs on the Panama canal tolls repeal
bill. beginning Thursday and lasting fol
fifteen days.
This action Is believed to show concur
sively that the bill will not be reported
from the committee for at least three
weeks. It may be even longer before the
bill comes into the Senate. The vote to-
day does not prevent the committee from
voting two weeks from now to extend the
public hearings still further.
Secretary Of State Bryan will be asked
to appear before the committee, II sug'
carried out. Former Secretary OF State
Knox. also. will be invited to appear.
Vote Was Overwhelming.
The committee voted overwhelmingly ir
favor Of granting limited hearings on the
bill Senator Brandesee OF Connecticut
and Senator Thornton of Louisiana were
the chief opponents to the hearings. The
vote came on a motion offered by Senator
Thomas of Colorado. democrat, and
amended by Senator Simmons Of NORTH
Carolina, also a democrat. Senator Thorn
as moved that the hearings begin at once
and last thirty days. Senator Simmons
amendment cut the hearings down to nj
teen days, which Senator Thomas saic
was perfectly agreeable to him.
The senators attending today's meeting
of the committee. which was open to the
public, were Senators O'Gornan, chair.
man: Thornton Shields, Thomas, Sim.
mons and Walsh, democrats. and Sen
ators Brandegee. Borah, Crawford. Bris'
tow. Perkins and Page, republicans. Sen
ator Owen Of Oklahoma, who has beer
<JaI Iaod Of ho dar1 nNr 4
favoring the Presidents repeal bill. was
in New York today, awaiting the arrtva-
of his daughter from Europe
When Senator O'Gorman. chairman OF
the committee. presented the repeal bill
he called attention to the fact that
some nine other bills dealing with the
subject were before the committee. and
that they should be considered along
with the House measure.
Appeals for New Orleans.
Senator Ransdell Of Louisiana ap-
peared before the committee and asked
that hearings be granted to representa-
tives of the New Orleans Board OF
Trade and Association of Commerce
He presented kilograms from these or
CARNATIONS.
Senator Thornton, also Of Louisiana,
said that II any one were to be heard
lowed to make their statements. He
said. however, that he was opposed to
granting hearings to representatives
of the Pacific coast states. who had all
been heard two years ago when the
Panama canal law was before the COM
mittee for consideration. The New Or
leans people had not been heard at that
time he said.
Senator Jones of Washington pre-
sented to the committee many tele-
grams from organizations in Washing
ton. Oregon and California asking te
be heard.
Senator Thomas of Colorado suggest
ed that while he was in favor of grant
ing hearings to the parties interested
it would be necessary to set a time
limit, as otherwise the hearings might
drag on for months.
He suggested that each state should
select one man to represent 1t at the
hearings.
Fears Ulterior Motives.
Senator Thornton declared that he
thought the persons who were asking
for hearings had Interior motives; thai
they wished to delay action on the re
peal bill while sentiment against Il
was being manufactured in the coun
try. He was opposed. he said, to hear
ing any parties who had been heare
two years ago.
The hearings two years ago, said Sena
tor Page of Vermont had been largely
| directed to the questions whether rail
pass through the canal and the toll
| question had hardly been touched. II
this way he was supported by othe
members of the committee. Senator
O'Gorman called attention to the fac
that the personnel of the committee hat
changed greatly since the matter was be
fore it two years ago.
| Limited hearings on the bills were ad
vocated by Senator Borah. If person:
interested in the tolls question We're de
| MED hearings, he said, there would b.
an outcry against the action of the com
| mittee.
Senator Brandegee in Opposition.
Senator Brandegee insisted that hear
ings on the tolls question two years ag'
had been ample, that it would be merel.
waste Of time to grant further hearings
The hearings on the canal act EXTENDED
over nine weeks at that time. He pointed
out that so far only those persons wh'
opposed the passage of the repeal bill
had asked to be heard. The other side, h
said, would insist upon being heard.
| Perhaps they have not asked to be
| heard because tley leel lHey ooii nave
to be heard" said Senator Borah, smil
| insly.
THE time used in these hearings would
be absolutely wasted" continued Senator
Brandegee. THE report of this com
| mittee on the repeal bill will not be
| worth a cent SO far as influence upor
the Senate is concerned. The committee
! may be divided evenly, or it may vote
| 10 10 g. or any other way, but II Is no
going to have any effect upon the vote Of
| the Senate. Already the Senate has be
gun the debate of this question, and M
| votes are going to be changed by the
| committees report. suggest that the
committee make a report Immediately
| without recommendations
| Senator Brandegee said that two year:
| ago Mr. Wheeler, representing the Pa
| cific coast states, had lived" about the
Capitol, being paid a high retainer.
Resented by Senator Bristow.
| Senator Bristow of Kansas resente,
this statement, and declared that Mr.
| Wheeler had not been paid a retaine
at all. He insisted that the persons in
terested in the tolls question had righ
to be heard; that more false Information
had been spread about the country re
| garding the tolls matter than on an.
other subject before Congress. except
perhaps. the tariff.
II would like to have former Secretar,
Knox before the committee" said Sen
ator Bristow. Ito question him regardin,
| the treaty with England. l would lik,
to have Mr.. Bryan, the present Secre
tary Of State, before US also
| 1T has been alleged that many nation.
have protested against the exemption
/ frav, toll ~ ftn fyyics