The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-17
THE MORNING SESSION.
Resolution IndOrsing Reciprocity Is
unanimously dOpted

The hearty approval of the national rec
iprocity conventions resolution of last year
by the National Association of Manufacture
ers was the event of yesterday mornings
session. The Washington resolution reads
as follows:
Resolved %, That this convention rec
ommends 10 Congress the maintenance
o. the principle of protection for the home
market and to open up by reciprocity
opportunities for increased foreign trade
by special notifications Of the tariff in
special cases. but only where it can be done
without injury TO any of our home interests
of manufacturing, or farming;
% that in order to ascertain the influence
of any proposed treaty on our home inter-
ests this convention recommends to Con-
gress the establishment of a reciprocity
commission. which shall be charged with
the duty of investigating the condition of
any industry and reporting the same 10
the executive and TO Congress for guild
aEce in negotiating reciprocal trade agree
ments.
Resolved %. This convention recon-
mends to and requests of Congress that n
new department be created to be called
the Department of Commerce and Indus
tries the head of which shall be a mem
Der of the Presidents Cabinet, and CD that
a reciprocity commission be created as q
bureau of this new department"
The resolution indorsing the Washington
prOnouncement was couched in the follow
ing language:
Resolved, That we regard the estabI-
ishment Of q department of
and industries as the first and most eff
cient step for bringing about well-consid-
cred and beneficial legislation upon reel
prOcity treaties and tariff legislation gen.
orally. and we urge upon the Congress
speedy action upon the measure now pend
ing in the House of Representatives"
Strong speeches in favor of the resolution
were made by Mr.. Harding, a worsted
manufactures of Pennsylvania, who wrote
the resolution. and by ID. A. Tompkins. of
North Carolina. a well-known maker of
cotton goods and machinery. Mr.. Harding
made a plea for harmony and liberality
among manufacturers. Don't go with a
knife i'm your hand and "a pistol on your
hip he said, lin order that you may Sc
cure advantages which you call reciprocal
at the expense of your neighbor."
The adoption of the resolution commend
ing the policy of improving government
lands by irrigation and disposing of such
lands to settlers under suitable restrictions
and safeguards was accompanied by an in
teresting address by George H.. Maxwell,
member of the executive of the
National Irrigation Association. MI. Max
well said in part: when you put water on
the thousands of acres of arid land there
springs into life instantly a demand for cv-
cry manufactured product which our peo-
pie use.
rs not that a business proposition for
this government? That is exactly what
YOU have approved of in your resolution.
1t is exactly what our association advo-
Gates and what President Roosevelt recon-
mended in this present bill pending before
Why has this not been done before? 1t
has been chiefly because for twenty years
every proposition that has come before
Congress asking for a government apprO-
p~riation for irrigation has provided that the
government shall build the irrigation
works, getting none of its money back.
leaving the land open. to be absorbed by
SPECTATORS; that the works shall be turned
over TO the States TO be operated instead of
being operated by Uncle Sam, who built
them
The convention adopted a resolution pro-
viding for the appointment of "A committee
of five TO prepare suggestions on the sub
Ject of commercial education. TO be report
ed at next years session. The last resolu-
tion adopted provided that one month be-
fore each annual convention the vice pres
idents of the several States confer with
members in their States on topics of i'm
p~Ortance likely to come before the National
Association. 4 resolution suggesting that
a ask Mr.. Carnegie to provide
funds to support a commercial school did
not bear the Endorsement of the committee
on resolutions and was promptly voted
down by the convention.
Shortly before the adjournment OF the
morning session the convention voted to
permit Dir. Birchheld, OF the Pittsburg
Chamber OF Commerce, To talk fifteen min
utes about the advantages that would ac-
crue from holding next years convention. in
his city. Mr.. Birchfeld talked entertain
ingly and with a vein OF decided humor. lie
referred TO Pittsburg as the center OF the
manufacturing Industries OF the United