Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-07-10
President Roosevelt Likely to
Take Up Tariff Question
Next Session
GENERAL RECIPROCITY LAW
May Not Pass Both Houses at the
Short Session, But Preliminary Work
Will Be ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Still Firm in His Stand for Tariff Re-
vision.

Chicago, July ia Washington
special to the Tribune says: Tariff
reciprocity as the beginning OF tariff
revision may be made the chief issue
of the short session of the fifty ninth
congress-
1t 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 abb
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
commission or joint committee of the
two houses of congress to draft some
thing in the way of reciprocity law
which will meet the demand for such
commercial arrangements
Whatever reciprocity there is must
be by a new law because the recipro-
city feature of the Dingley act expired
two years after it's passage and none
VI lllS tISdlISS llCSsOlittSu 'eS
provisions succeeded in securing ratif-
cation by the senate.
May Not Disturb Rates.
The reciprocity of the future must
be statutory: that is to say, the presi-
dent must be authorized In some way,
either by the operation of maximum
and minimum tariff or by horizontal
reduction, to promote trade relations
with otherfcountries.
This would not mean revision of the
tariff If reciprocity could be accom-
plished OH 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 discussion 1t prac-
tically 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
discuss the tariff in his next message
to congress. He consented to eimin-
ate that subject last fall because he had
so many irons in the fire he did not
deem it advisable to take up q new
one and endeavor to keep that also at
white heat The railroad rate fight
was ahead Of the administration. 1t
was certain to be- bitter, and his best
friends felt that il the tariff was
dragged into the situation it would
complicate matters and enable the en-
emies of railroad regulation to COM
bine 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 a
single item in its foreign policy it has
suggested that the president can well
afford to wipe off his old foreign slate
and begin anew with distinctive
American commercial reciprocity
scheme which would commend itself to
the business sense of the country and
which would give us much closer for
eign relations than undesirable con-
ferences in out Of the-way countries
and collection OF petty revenues under
the guns Of our fleet.
The president believes in revision of
the tariff. He never has yielded his
position on this point at all He has
listened, however, to the voice of
Uncle Joe Cannon and other wise
veterans Of congress. who say that
while there are many schedules in tho
Dingley tariff which ought to be
changed, the mere act Of changing
might do more harm to business than
the benefit derived from a reduction Of
rates. The president has been con-
WINGED always by these arguments, but
he yielded to such an extent as to re-
frain from making the expected argu-
ment for revision in his message. Reel
procity is a safe middle ground be-
tween standpatism and radical tariff
ray;cior