The Washington herald., 1911-02-03

The Mccall bill embodying the Cana.
dian reciprocity agreement will be re-
ported by the Ways and Means Com
mite. mot yet but soon.' as Representa-
tive Payne. OF New York. the chairman
Of that body, expressed 1t yesterday.
The committee. after a full days hear
ing devoted entirely to the sacred Goldfish.
decided to hear from some lumbermen in
the district represented by Representa-
tive Fordney. Of Michigan. a member of
the committee, next week. Mr.. Fordney
made an impassioned declaration yester-
day that lumber was more important
than Goldfish, and demanded n hearing
for his constituents. Representative
Gardner. OF Massachusetts,. in whose dis
trict Gloucester is located. took the fish
end of the controversy.
It has been practically decided by the
Democratic leaders in the House that
their party in that body will caucus on
the Mccall bill Following the lead OF
New York Wednesday, Indiana, Kentucky.
and Georgia-that is. the House Demo-
Gratis of those StateS-met yesterday and
decided to support the reciprocity agree
ment There is some little opposition
from a small proportion Of the House
Democracy, which 1t is believed will be
puIleu lIllO ny Scieid di SooSoS.
All Opposed to Treaty.
Most Of the witnesses who appeared
before the Ways and Means Committee
yesterday were Gloucester fishermen. and
all of these were against the treaty TO
the limit. But one or TWO fish packers
from that town thought the enactment of
the reciprocity agreement would be the
best thing that could happen.
Capt. Sylvanus Smith, who is eighty
two, but doesn't look it, and who shipped
before the mast away back in 1887. OPP
posed the treaty. He insisted that times
were mighty hard in Gloucester during
the ten years that the so-called WASH
ngton treaty providing for free fish.
which was enacted in 1871. was in force.
The cod was not a profitable proposition
then. and only the mackerel industry
saved Gloucester. The mackerel. he said.
had recently moved.
There were many other speakers for
and against
Representative Champ Clark became
somewhat weary of the fish conversation
and asked when the committee would
make its report. He Thought Monday
would be good time. Mr.. Longworth
seconded this view and opposed any pro-
position for general hearings.
Lumber vs.. Fish.
DO you mean to say" remarked Rep
resentative Fordney. Of Michigan, indig-
nantly, that lumber is not more i'm
portant than fish. have no objection
to fish, as fish, but / don't concede its
superiority to lumber
Representative Mccall, Of Massachu-
setts. objected to any extended hearings
On the lumber question.
Gentleman. gentleman" cried Mr.
Payne. rapping with his gavel, "let US
defer this argument to the secrecy OF an
executive session
1t is not believed that the hearings will
last late into next week.
Senator Root, Of New York, declared at
the White House yesterday that he be-
lieved ii impossible to get Canadian reci-
procity legislation at this session of Con-
greSs. Senator Root had just left the
President He does not frequently make
predictions SO his remarks aroused much
interest
II do not believe said Mr.. Root. that
Canadian reciprocity legislation will
pass the Senate at this session. Short
sessions are primarily for matters of ap-
preparation and appropriation bills will
consume most OF the remaining time.
THE great amount of legislation" con-
tinued the Senator. which is now before
Congress will cause such congestion that
bill 1t will be very much like a crowd
trying to leave a theater; everybody
pushes and nobody gets out