The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-08
SENATE ID GIVE 15
 DAYS ID DISCUSSION .OF FREE TOLLS BILL
Will Hear Defense and At tack on Measure Which Passed HOuse-COm-
 mittee Deliberates

Washington. April 7.--Confronted by tell esrams from gulf and Pacific coast ports urging public hearings on the bill pro- rosing the Panama exemption repeal. the Senate interoceanic canals committee to- day decided to give 15 days beginning Thursday to hearing both proponents and opponents of the measure which passed the House. Meanwhile the com mittee win hear various senators who have offered substitute plans for the flat repeal measure passed by the House
 Che committee today entered into no discussion of the merits of the bill itself. A long standing rule that committee meetings should be a secret was put aside and the discussion thrown open to the public. but few senators. a group of senoolgrl tourists and newspaper men were the only persons to take advantage of the departure from precedent.
 Occupies Entire Day
 In the Senate the repeal fight occupied virtually the entire day although formal presentation of the matter will not come rntil the conclusion of the committee hearings and it's deliberations The first roll call on the general subject was taken on motion to refer to the foreign re- lations committee a resolution offered by Senator PoindeXter asking that the President explain what matters he had in mind in writing In his repeal mes sage of matters of even greater delicacy and nearer consequence. and what con pection those matters might have with thn The administration forces. by a vote of a to 27 sent the resolution to the com mittee, seven democrats voting in the negative and nne republicans in the af- iirmative. The Senate adopted without dissent resolution offered by Senator Erandeeee calling for all of the corre- spondence relative to negotiations for the Hay Pauncefote treaty. It was stated that substantially all of this matter aI- ready was in print in Senate documents
 Throughout most of the day the Sen ate listened to an elaborate analysis of the various treaties involved in the re- peal controversy by Senator Works of California, who defended the treaty right of the United States to exempt any of her shipping from tolls.
 Before the canals committee Senator Ransdell presented telegrams from New Oeleans asking for a hearing, and Sen ator Thornton, who is a member of the committee, urged mat the interests of the gulf city should be heard. though he vigorously objected to extended hear ings. Senator Thornton charged that the effort to delay action was the scheme of eoastwise shipping interests who were busy arousing sentiment against repeal.
 Votes Against Agreement
 Senator Brandegee suggested that the Nisest plan would be 60 send the bill to the Senate without any committee fc recommendation. He was the only mem- Der to vote against the agreement as .o hearings. although virtually all members of the committee except Chairman OGor- man and Senator Bristow seemed inclined to hasten disposition of the problem
 Chairman OGorman's suggestion that programme be arranged brought from Senator Shields a proposal that former President Taft, former Secretary of Sta;e Knox, Secretary Bryan and other govern mcnt officials past and present, should be called. This precipltated general discussion during which Senator Sim mons said he opposes the inclination to make the hearing an inquisition with the administration as the defendant. Mir. Shields disclamed any such intention. No action on a programme was taken.