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Show i Win MffiSil House Democrats Issue Call for Party Conference on the Matter. WILL MEET TONIGHT President on Way to Washington Wash-ington to Take Part in ! the Controversy. WA.SII1XGTOX, Srjit. 1 1. Democrats M" the lionto, opposing tiie proposed war , tax cm ;'roiu-lu transport;) tion 1 fills, had a Lirll issuorj today for a party caucus on the .subject tomorrow nipht. Kcpr'esenta-tive Kcpr'esenta-tive I ndt-rwood and other administration leaders, however, hope to o lay caucus consideration of the question, at least until the president has had an opportunity oppor-tunity to weigh the situation in the light of recent developments. President Wilson ivill return to "Washington "Wash-ington tomorrow, and it is the purpose of Mr. Underwood to nriko it clear to him that i'. will (Le impossible to put a freight tax lurousli the house unless lie pives tlie proposal his unrpialitled indorsement and indicates that i;ic ejnei-geriry rle-i rle-i nands siidi a step. Should Jtic president uixier these eireums lancets mire that the levenue bid as r'vanied by the Democrats of the eis and mean-5" committee bo accepted ac-cepted by eonercss, Mr. Underwood, as the party leader, will do all he can to allay the opposition, and will advise against a caucus, on the ground that nothing noth-ing can be accomplished there that cannot he accomplished in the house itself. Attitude of Underwood. ."As a matter of fact," said Mr. Underwood Under-wood today, "any tax plan we may propose pro-pose is bound to meet opposition, and it necessarily must have the backing of the president as head of the government and leader of the party. "Of course, no Democrat wants to vote for any lax upon the people any more i vn a Republican wants to vote for it. it" the president believes that we can find some more expedient method of raising revenue than through a freight tax we thall try to frame a new bill." Today in the house there was an vndereurrent of belief that the president would not insist upon the freight tax. but would urge the committee to suggest a new bili. probably to include a stamp tax un commercial instruments. Dr. Harvey YV. Wiley, former government govern-ment pure food expert and champion, to-dav to-dav addressed a letter to Representative Underwood, urging that the war tax be levied upon rectiried liquors, soft drinks ontaining alkaloids, bleached flour and so-called secret remedies. He suggested mat the entire $100,000,000 might be raised '.n this way, "with a view to protecting the health and the pocketbook of the people." |