Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-20
TAFT'S STAND PLAIN
Under Obligation to Canada
for Trade Agreement.
EXTRA SESSION HIS DUTY.
Will Call One Unless There Is Ac-
ton Before March 4.
MCCALL MAKES STATEMENT
Given Out After Conference With
the President, and Has White
House Approval.
EXTRA SESSION HIS DUTY
MAKES STATEMENT

Representative Mccall of MasSachu-
sets, author in the House of the Canadian
reciprocity bill, had a long conference
with President Taft yesterday. At the
conclusion, and with the approval of the
President, he gave out the following
statement
Il believe republican senators are grad
ually coming to recognize that, with the
certain prospect of an extra session un-
less they bring the reciprocity bill to a
vote, there will be very serious incon-
venience and embarrassment, If not dam
ger, to the business and industrial enter
prises that are really entitled to protec-
ton. The President feels that he is under
an International obligation to summon an
extra session. He will do this reluctantly,
because it is bringing into power a demo-
cratic House and a Senate much more
nearly democratic than the present Sen
ate.
Feels Bound to Canada.
But if the Senate should fail to act
the President feels that under his agree
ment with the Canadian government to
use his utmost endeavor to have the rec
iprocity agreement confirmed, he will be
compelled to call the session Immediately
| imagine the democrats are not anxious
for an extra session. They would nat
urally feel that they cannot extemporize
revision of the tariff schedules. The
light remark that you can prepare a
tariff bill overnight, or in two weeks, or
month every one knows to be utterly
unfounded.
But what an extra session is likely to
mean is a constant agitation and a con-
tinuous investigation into the industries
that are made possible by protection. and
with their business that BODIES
no good for business at large.
THE consequence is that if any one
should prevent action on the reciprocity
bill he would be in the position of help
ing to bring about a condition most in
furious to those industries which really
need protection.
Veto Power Suggested.
what follows in an extra session will
not be the Presidents fault. The Presi-
dent is a protectionist, and expects to use
the veto power, so far as he properly
may, to maintain the party's protective
principles. But it would be a misfortune
to have this inevitable conflict come nine
months ahead of the time when 1t is nat
urally due.
Garfield, when in the House, voted
against denouncing the Elgin treaty,
which was drawn on almost exactly the
In Grants administration a treaty in
nearly the same terms was negotiated
and rejected by the Senate. Mckinley,
in later times, advocated a like policy
and after many years of agitation the
present administration has been able to
take advantage Of an international situa-
ton and to bring to a conclusion a fair,
equitable reciprocity agreement which
fills the measure of McKinley's require
ment. namely, that it shall injure no in
terest at home, and shall further increase
our foreign trade. The President is i'm
pressed with the extreme Importance to
the country of the ratification of the
agreement, and also with the solemn OBJ
legation he had undertaken to use his ut
most endeavor to have it enacted into law.
Taft's Warning Quoted.
In conclusion, desire to call attention
to the following extract from the Presi-
dents speech at Springfield, Ill, with his
attendant warning.
There are those conservative protec-