The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-09
RECIPROCITY WORK
FOR SHORT SESSION.
Beginning of Tariff Revision Elk.
pected Next Winter
s dents Course Important.
journal Special Service.

journal Special Service.
Chicago, July "a Washington spe-
cial to the Tribune says: Tariff reel
procity as the beginning of tariff re.
vision may be made the chief issue of
the short session of the ifty-ninth con-
gress. ..Z#
It is more than likely that after the
election in November steps will be
taken in the direction of the passage
of a general reciprocity law. This
does not mean that any such law will
be passed next winter, because that alb
,solutely is impossible at the short ses
sion of congress. 1t is likely, how
ever, that some preliminary action will
be, taken by way of the appointment of
two houses of congress to draft some
thing in the way of reciprocity law
which will meet the demand for such
commercial arrangements.
s Whatever reciprocity there is must
be by new law because the reciprocity
feature of the Dingley act expired two
years after it's passage, and none of the
treaties negotiated under it's provisions
succeeded in securing ratification by
the senate.
May Not Disturb Rates.
( The reciprocity of the future must be
statutory; that is to say, the president
by the operation of maximum and
minimum tariff or by a horizontal re-
duction, to promote trade relations with
other countries.
This would not mean revision of the
tariff if reciprocity could be accom-
plished on a percentage basis, that is to
say, by the application of a more gen
eral principle of the present without
disturbing the rates themselves, thus
provoking a general tariff discussion.
1t practically is certain that the joint
commission will be adopted at the short
session Of congress.
1t is too early yet to say whether
President Roosevelt will or will not dis
cuss the tariff in his next message to
that subject last fall because he had
30 many irons in the fire he did not
deem it advisable to take up a new
one and endeavor to keep that also at
white heat. The railroad rate fight
was ahead of the administration. It
was certain to be bitter, and his best
friends felt that if the tariff was
complicate matters and enable the enc
mics of railroad regulation to combine
With tariff fanatics.
President Still Firm.
In view of the fact that altho the
administration has succeeded IN secur
ing excellent legislation from congress
regarding domestic matters, it has
failed to secure the ratification of 6
single item in it's foreign policy it ha:
suggested that the president can vel
afford to. wipe off his old foreign slat'
and begin anew with. distinctive
American commercial reciprocity schem
which would commend itself to tn
business sense of the country AM
which would give us much closer for
eign relations than undesirable confer
ences in out-of- the-way countries AM
collection of petty revenues under tn
guns of our fleet.
The president believes in revision O.
the tariff He never has Welded hi
position On this point at all. He ha
listened. however, to the voice O.
"Uncle' Joe Cannon and other wis
veterans of congress, who. say tina
while there are many schedules in tn
Dingley tariff which ought to b
changed, the mere act Of changing
might do more harm to business tina
the benefit derived from reduction o
rates. The president has been cor
WINGED always by these arguments, bu
he yielded to such an extent as to re
frain from making the expected argr
ment for revision in his message. Rec
procity is a safe middle ground betwee
standDatiSm and radical tariff revision