The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-01-29
RECIPROCITY BILL
BEFORE THE HOUSE
Presented by Mr.. Mccall In.
stead OF Mr. Payne.
FEAR OF AMENDMENTS
Special Rule May BE Passed to
Avoid Them.
Representative Gardner, Guardian
of the Sacred Cod, Busy with Pc
tition Against Choking on Changes
On the FlOor-Sentiment for Agree
ment with Canada Thought to he
Growing-InsurEent Are Worried.
FEAR OF AMENDM ENIS

A bill embodying the terms of the ad-
ministration's reciprocity agreement with
Canada was introduced in the House yes
terday by Representative Samuel w. Nc
Call, of Massachusetts,.
The bill was presented by Mr.. Mccall
at the request of the White House, and
the fact that he was selected to render
this service in steady of Serene L. Payne.
chairman of the Ways and Means Com
mittee, caused considerable comment.
Leaders in the House declare, however.
that there is no particular significance to
this circumstance.
Representatie Payne has not publicly
declared his intentions in regard to the
proposed legislation. but 1t is believed
that he will be found with most of the
other Republican House leaders, standing
behind the agreement. 1t IS doubtful.
though, if it will be a service of love with
him or any of the other stand-pat lead
ers of the House.
Will Be Pushed.
The introduction of the measure by
Representative Mccall means that he
will take a leading part in defending it
on the floor of the House. He is strong
advocate of reciprocity, and was one of
the first Of the New Englanders to an
nounce his support of the agreement.
Representative Mccall is member Of
the Ways and Means Committee.
The bill was referred Immediately to
that committee. and will be taken up on
Monday or Tuesday. The committee al
ready has received several requests for
hearings. and these will be granted 1t
is the hope of administration leaders that
the proposed legislation will be reported
out by the committee by the end Of next
week The data collected by the nego-
tiators will be turned over to the Ways
and Means Committee.
May Make Special Rule.
President Taft's supporters on this
subject in the House have not yet forInu-
lated a plan for the bill when it leaves
the committee. There is talk Of the
Rules Committee being asked to report
a special rule barring amendments to the
reciprocity bill. The chief purpose OF
this would. of course. be to hasten the
passage of the bill. although the rule
could be overridden by a majority Of the
House.
The opponents of the reciprocity agree
ment in the House are already focus
ing their efforts in an attempt to pre-
vent the adoption of such rule. Rep
rcsentative Gardner. of Massachusetts,,
who halls from the Gloucester district,
where they are half-nasting flags in
sorrow for the sacred cod. was buhy
to-day circulating petition designed to
insure the reporting of the bill to the
House. subject to amendments.
OF course such procedure would mean
the quick death of the reciprocity plan.
1t would be loaded with amendments in
a jiffy. eliminating fish, grain, cattle, and
all other foodstuffs that are included in
the free list. II is doubtful if the recip-
rocity plan could be carried through with
d single amendment to the present agree
ment. Any change would entail the con-
sent of the Canadian negotiators before it
could become operative. and would lead
to endless confusion, with the possibility
of opening the entire negotiations up
again. The Taft administration will exert
every effort to prevent any change in the
bill as it was presented yesterday.
Sentiment in favor of the agreement
seems. however. to be increasing. and adj
leaders are fairly confident
now that the bill will pass the House.
In the Senate the outlook is still dark.
The administration leaders are awaiting
with interest the declaration of Senator
Cummins. the insurgent leaders. and 9TH
erer Senate progressives. Mr.. Cummins,
who has been advocating a downward
revision of the tariff for more than n
year, has declined thus far to comment
upon the agreement.
Administration leaders acknowledged
the talk of an extra session
Of Congress in the event Of the agreement
failing to pass before March /, is not
entirely groundless. Some Of these lead
ers have the idea that the President is
this contingency. but that
the probability Of his putting the plan