The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1911-02-03
Senator Root Says Treaty
Will Not Be Passed
mot ENOUGH TIME AHEAD
Pass This Session Is the Frank
Opinion of the New York
Senator
by wATTERsoN sTEALEY

Washington, February 2. (SpeciaD.-
Senator Root of New York had a con-
ference with the President today, and
as he was leaving the White House.
frankly expressed the opinion that net
ther the Canadian reciprocity agreement
nor the permanent tariff commission
measures would be enac,o.- -hto law at
this session.
Il am inclined to believe said the
senator, that the short session has too
much business before it for us 10 hope for
TIE passage of the two big measures in
which the administration is most inter-
ested. There is a congestion on our
calendar which is almost unprecedented.
I'VE have before us not only the ap-
preparation bills. but we have the Lori
iner case, the ship subsidy bill, the tar
iff commission, the Canadian agreement
and the Appalachian park reserve meas
ures They constitute a legislative pro-
gram which might well occupy the
time of a long session of congress.
Primarily, these. short sessions are de-
signed for appropriation bills Therefore,
the appropriation measures must be Civ
en- the right of way. If all else must
suffer, 1t is the fault of the system, and
not of any individual"
Should a group of senators start out
seriously to try to block the appropria-
ton bills, it would mark new era in
Senate procedure 1t is likely it would
co away largely with the practice OF
filibustering. 1t is the practice of these
Senate leaders and has been for years, TO
hold back the big appropriation bills I'M
til late in the session, then jam them
| through. The effect is to crawd aui
most other proposed lggislatio. hat
!, comes up late in the session. These ap-
preparation bills are treated in the Sen
ate as If they were something sacred, and
are generally given right of way over
every thing else. If now they should be
treated with just as little consideration
as other bills, and blocked just as other
bills are, it is likely that next session
cne would witness much more haste to
get rid of appropriations earlier in the
session than customary. Viewed in this
light, some of the senators think fight
on the appropriation measures might
have good effect.
Representative Underwood took up with
the chief of the weather bureau this af-
ternoon the displaying of weather signals
in Birmingham. Chief Moore, upon Mr..
Underwoods S suggestion, has agreed to
send an agent of the bureau to Birming-
ham and install good service. The
agent has instructions to furnish one OF
the tall buildings in the city with wealth
er reports and the necessary weather sig
nal flags, so that they may be visible
throughout the city.
Mr.. Underwood has also arranged with
the directors to have Birmingham in
cluded in the list of cities which daily
appears In the papers throughout the
country giving weather conditions in the
several localities.
News that Senator Jeff Davis, foe OF
the piutocrat and enemy of the CONNER
cial octopus, recently rode from the Union
station to the White House in a taxi
cab almost like a plutocrat, filtered back
to the country districts of Arkansas
which are responsible for putting Mr.
Davis in the Senate. And some of the
country folk patronized Uncle Sans pos
tai service to let Mr. Davis know they
had heard of his famous ride.
Senator Davis was prompt to give ar
explanation, and in one of his letters he
said:
ITO ride in a taxicab here, from the
station to a hotel or similar distance
at a cost of 20 cents, is nothing more
than to ride from the depot in Fort Smith
to the Hotel Main in a horse cab Or
the occasion spoken of. I was compelled
to go to see the President on very i'm
portant business. 1t was a very bad
wintry morning, and I think it has come
to high pass when man cannot take
a cab that isain common use rather than
expose himself to the weather.
There should not have to. be caucus
to determine what attitude the democrats
of the House will take in the question OF
Canadian reciprocity
Most of the House deserted today to see
j. r. Andrew of Montgomery demon
strate his railway safety appliance and
all of them voted it success.