The San Francisco call., 1906-04-01
ROOT ABANDONS
TARIFF MAT TERS
Secretary Is Convinced That
Present Congress Will Not
Consider Any Treaties
PLENTY OF WORK AHEAD
He Will Be Kept Busy With
Other Questions of Vital
Interest to the Country

WASHINGTON. March S1.-Convinced
that reciprocity treaties with Great
Britain, for the establishment OF closer
trade relations between the United
States and Canada, are out or the ques-
tion at this time Secretary Root has
determined to abandon the tar1H ques-
ton for the present and Is busying
himself with other matters OF vital IN
terest to this country and canada IN
the hope of settling points OF diHerence
which bade fair to be settled by the
Joint High Commission when the Klon-
dixie gold strike caused the negotia-
tions to be broken Oft suddenly and en-
gendered feeling of hostility whlch
did not subside until a mixed tribunal
fixed the boundary between the British
and American mineral lands.
A canvass of the Senate persuaded
Secretary Root that treaty would not
be considered at this session of Con-
gress. Although there was much clamor
for tariff revision and modification
early in the session, 1t failed to gain
many supporters, and the recent an
noucement of Chairman Payne of the
House committee on ways and means
that no tariff legislation would be
passed by this Congress confirmed the
reports that Republican leaders had
agreed to accept the counsel OF the
stand -patters.
CONCESSIONS FOR GERMANY.
AS the State Department is under OBJ
| legations to secure concessions for Ger
many in return for the favor she gave
the United States by permitting this
country to remain among the favored
nations in spite of the discriminatory
| tariffs recently put into force by the
! German Government. Secretry Root
] concluded that it would not be wise to
undertake other tariff propositions at a
time when legislators seem so little in
clined to tariff changes. The preserva-
ton of Niagara Falls, the control of the
| St Johns River, between New Bruns-
wick and Maine, and unjust discrimina-
tions against American fishermen along
the east coast OF Canada are among the
matters demanding adjustment
Seal fishing in Bering Sea and the
North Pacific is another subject of dis
! pute between Canada and the United
States which demands settlement. Sci
| Zure of British vessels by the United
| States resulted in international en-
| tanglements extending over number
of years and in 1892 the subject was re-
ferred to arbitration and the Paris
tribunal of arbitration decided against
! the United States and ruled that the
! taking of seals in the high seas was a
! legitimate and lawful occupation, but
! as the United States and-Great Britain
! had both declared themselves in favor
/ of protecting seals, the tribunal pro-
mulgated a series of regulations for
pelagic sealing, which were deemed
adequate to protect the seals of the
Pribyloff herds.
PLENTY OF work AHEAD.
The regulations have proven made
quate and the number of seals has de-
creased rapidly. Great Britain refused
| to take part in an international con-
ference held in 1897 by Japan, Russia
and the United States to discuss plans
for the protection of fur seals. In the
same year Great Britain consented how
ever, to send scientific men to join in an
! investigation of the fur seals about the
Pribyloff Islands and the report of
these scientists. prominent among
whom was David Starr Jordan, presi-
dent of Stanford University. showed. = a
| diminution of the herd which threat
ened the extinction of fur seals This
report was held by the United States
to sustain it's position against seal
! fishing
Other subjects which will doubtless
be taken up again by Secretary Root
are:
Provisions for the transit of mer-
! chandise in transportation to or from
J either country across intermediate ter
ritory of the other. whether by land
or water: transit Of merchandise from
one country to be delivered in points
in the other beyond the frontier alien
labor laws. applicable to the subjects
or citizens of the United States and of
Canada; mining rights of the subjects
| or citizens of each country within the
| territory of the other: a revision of the
| agreement in 1917 respecting naval
vessels on the Great Lakes; provisions
+ for the conveyance for trial or punish
ment of persons in the lawful custody
Of officers of one country through the
territory of the other: reciprocity in
.wrecking and salvage rights.