New-York tribune., 1910-05-24
THE EDAyINWASHINGTON
lFroul The Tribune Bureau-l

lFron The Tribune Bureau-l
Washington, May 23-
RECIPROCITY DEFERRED.-The Sec
retary of State has been advised by tbs
British Ambassador that il will be inpossi-
hle to begin negotiations looking for closer
relations with Canada before next autumn
Mr.. Fielding. the Canadian Minister OF
Finance, is now en- route to Europe, and
other officials at Ottawa are away, or are
preparing to leave. so that no satisfactory
negotiations can be had for the present
The Secretary of State requested the British
Ambassador about ten days ago to make
inquiry at ottawa regarding the feasibility
of beginning such negotiati tions at once, and
Mr. Bryce advised Mr. Knox of the result
Of his inquiry to-day In their conlmuni-
cation to the Ambassador. the Canadian
authorities express the most cordial inten-
tons in the proposed negotiations. and con-
vey their extreme regret that they cannot
sooner take the matter up. They say they
have all along expected to begin such nego-
tiations in the autumn. and othef plans are
now too far matured to permit Of change
Of programme. 1t is probable that this re
sponse was not altogether unexpected by
Secretary Knox. as II is also questionable
If the suggestion made TO Mr.. Bryce was
entirely in accord with the best judgment
of the Secretary of State. Both the Presi-
dent and the Secretary are anxious 10 bring
about closer relations with Canada, but
they fully realize that there is a proper
method of undertaking such affairs and that
expedition is often neither seenly nor ef-
fective: but the attitude of certain mem
bers of the Congress in pressing a resolu-
ton urging the President to begin immedi-
o+c -1e IN NTH Ia
doubtless had its effect in fastening the
action of Mr. Knox
PAYNE JUSTIFIED. - Whatever may
have been the terms of the letter Chairman
Payne of the Ways and Means Committee
sent tc Representative Butler Ames, to-
days developments demonstrated the sound
common sense of Mr.. Payne's position. Mr..
Ames, whose constituents are extremely
anxious for reciprocity with the Dominion
and many of them doubtless nave little
appreciation of the difficulties in the way
apparently believed some advantage was
to be gained by the introduction, and even
the adoption. of a resolution urging the
President to secure reciprocity with Can
ada Mr. Ames- enlisted the support of
Representatives Fish and Parsons and
altogether he secured some seventy names
the Ways and Means Committee. Mr..
Payne then wrote TO Mr.. Ames, saying, in
effect, that serious consideration of the
resolution would be a waste Of time, and
on the floor of the House he declared that
he had found that of the few members
who signed the petition number did not
realize what they were signing, and that
in any event It was the prerogative OF the
Executive to take UP such negotiations
without prompting by the House. MI
Payne knew, Of course, that the President
was as anxious 10 secure reciprocity with
Canada as any one else and that there was
no occasion to spur him on, as was pro-
posed by the Arnes resolution.
PULP AGITATORS.-It is probably a
fact that the agitation of the men VINO en-
tertain dire apprehensions because Quebec
has prohibited the expectation of pulp wood |
also had its effect in inducing the President
and the Secretary of State TO make an ad-
vance through the British Ambassador, but
there is reason to believe that the manu-
facturers and consumers of pulp are prone
10 exaggerate the gravity of the action Of
Quebec in this regard Sufficient emphasis
has not been placed on the fact that this
prohibition applies only to wood cut on
the crown lands. and that these constitute
not more than Is per cent of the area pro-
ducing pulp wood. 1t is further fact
that irnportations from the Newfounlland
forests have just begun. Altogether, the
n,lp wood situation is hardly as bad as it
is assumed TO be, especially as the crown
lands in Canada are passing into private
ownership as rapidly as the public domain
IN the United States, and the provinces
have IF course, authority 20 prevent the
expectation Of pulp wood from these lands
as soon as they cease 10 be part Of the
public, or crown, domain.
THE TARIFF BOARD.-Whle the Taw-
nev provision increasing the powers of the
Tariff Board and carrying an appropriation
of $3.50 0oO was stricken out in the House to-
day on a point of order. and the second
amendment offered by Mr.. Tawney- and
making the same provision seems likely to
go out on the same reasoning. it should be
borne in mind that in the estimation of the