The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-03-16
CONGRESS MEETS
TO talk TARIFF
Extra Session Begun Today
in Both Houses.

in Both Houses.
BILL GOES TO COMMITTEE
Latter Body, Having Held Hearings
on Measure, Will Not Retain It
Leng-speaker Cannon Reelected.
He Shares Honors Of the Day With
Representative Payne, Father Of
the New Revenue Act.
Washington, March 1s.-The COM
ing together of the hands in the big
clock in the hall of representatives at
noon today and the fall of the speak
er's gavel from the hand of Clerk Nc
Dowell marked the opening of the
representatives. part of the extra SEES
sion of the Sixty-first congress, called
by proclamation of President Taft.
Today's proceedings in the house
consisted mainly of organization. The
senate is a continuous body and never
dies, but when the house adjourned
before the Inauguration it passed out
of existence. 1t was necessary, there
fore, to attend today to such details as
the swearing in Of the members, the
election of a speaker and other Off
Gals, the assignments of members to
committees and the drawing for seats.
Although the presidents proclama.
ton, issued on March 6, did not state
the reason for the extra session his
message, prepared for transmission to
the two houses at the beginning of
the session, calls upon them to DELHI
crate over the ACCESSIBILITY Of prepar-
ing and passing a new tariff law for
the United States. In many previous
utterances-notably in his inaugural
address-President Taft has made
known his conviction that the Repub-
lican members controlling the two
houses should carry out the provision
of the Chicago platform pledging the
party to tariff law affording protec-
ton to the industries Of the nation
equal to the difference between the
cost of production abroad and the
cost Of production here" For months
the ways and means committee of the
old house, most of whose members
were reelected, were busy with the
preparation Of bill declared to en-
body that idea.
Speaker Cannon REELECTED.
Probably first in interest and impor-
lance among the events of today in
the two houses was the reelection of
Speaker Cannon. The old Republican
"war horse has been too strong for
the house insurgents" and his face
wore a little smile of triumph as he
ascended the rostrum after the an
nouncement by the clerk of the vote
re-electing him and thanked the mem
bers for the honor. In accordance
with ancient custom the oath of Office
WAS administered to the speaker by
the father of the house" That
honor now belongs to General H. H.
Bingham, who today began his thir-
tieth year of continuous service in the
hoase.
Speaker Cannon had to share the
honor of the most conspicuous place
in the attention of the crowded gal
leries today with Representative
Serene E. Payne, chairman of the
committee on ways and means. Mr..
Payne is the father" of the new tariff
bill and its unofficial title is "the
Payne bill"
After the organization of the house
and the adoption of the rules the
house programme included the offer
ing by Mr.. Payne of the new bill, the
fruit of long hours Of work by him
and his confreres on the committee.
The bill goes for consideration to the
new committee on ways and means,
from whose hands it will soon emerge
with the committees 20. K" at
tached. The long hearings, during
which such prominent men as Andrew
Carnegie, Ebert H. Gary, Charles M
Schwab and others appeared before
the committee, convinced that body
that the country would welcome q
speedy report on the bill and the
measure will therefore not be allowed
to linger in the committee room.
The Committee Hearings.
The committee hearings on the pro.
posed new bill, which is now ready
for the consideration of congress,
filled six weeks and were, according
to Bourke Cochran, one of the Demo
cratic members of the committee,
the most. extensive and the fairest
that We're ever held for the purpose of
revising the tariff More than 300
men Interested in the revision of the
tariff appeared before the committee.
They embraced importers and ex,
porters, manufacturers, farmers and
Others. Included in their interests
were an exceedingly wide variety Of
businesses. Government experts and
other statisticians were also called
upon to furnish information to the
committee. Probably the most inter
esting witness was Mr.. Carnegie, who
had declared in magazine article his
belief that the iron and steel industry
of America no longer needed protec-:
ton. Judge Gary, chairman Of the.
board of-directors of the United States
Steel corporation, declared that the
Independent manufacturers needed
hio1, .5J1fioc Ia IN An,