The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-02
EAGER To TRIM
WOOL TARIFF
Democrats Do Not Exactly Fall
in With Taft's Brief Pro-
gramme for Congress.
WILL PLAY HARD AT
GAME OF POLITICS
Meanwhile Reorganization of
Senate Committees Will Be
Highly Interesting.
BY RALPH M. WHITEsIDE.


BY Leased Wire TO The Tribune,
WASHINGTON, April 1.-When con-
gress meets next week there will begin
game Of politics which will be well
worth watching. Both Democrats and
Republicans realize that the presiden-
tial election in 1912 will be largely
influenced by what will be done IN the
next few months in Washington, and
they will play the game with all the
skill TINT S in them. The people may,
or may not, benefit by the struggle IL
all depends on the point Of view.
President Taft has made it pretty
clear what he desires to have done by
the special session. Here is the pro-
gramme In brief:
Passing Of the Canadian reciprocity
agreement
Making of the tariff commission per
mancnt.
Adjournment.
He favors tariff revision, but only
after the tariff commission has had an
opportunity to investigate and report
The Democratic leaders have an en-
tirely different programme which they
will endeayor TO carry out, regardless
of the president views. They are
willing to give Mr.. Taft his Canadian
reciprocity, and may give him the tar
III commission, but they do not pro-
pose to postpone tariff revision. On
the contrary. it is the present purpose
10 take up first the wool schedule, then
cotton; after that, the others affecting
commonly used necesSarles OF life IN
the order in which it may be decided
they are most important. That order
has not been determined as yet, The
list, however, will include steel. lum-
Der, sugar anad probably some others.
Point to History.
In fact, the Democrats do not take
much stock in the tariff commission
idea. 1t is pointed out that this ex'
pertinent was tried in 1882 and was
most dismal failure.
After an expenditure of considerable
time and money report was submltted
to congress 1t occupied nearly 5000
printed pages. There was no question
as to the thoroughness and value OF
the work and yet, when it had all been
done, congress paid no more attention
to it than if it had been report upon
the planet Mars. The facts, figures
and conclusions of the commission
were absolutely ignored. This, too, In
face OF the fact that the commission
reported that it had been governed
solely BIZ its own views Of justice, eX-
pediency and regard for the interests
of consumers and the public sentiment
of the country
To show how history repeats itself,
it may be added that ''early in the
deliberations the commits ssion became
convinced that a substantial reduction
of tariff duties is demanded, not by a
mere indiscrlmnate popular clamor,
but by the best conservative opinion
Of I'll ecountry," and that 'ssuch re"
ductien of the existing tariff the COM
mission regards not only as due rec"
measure of justice to consumers, but
one conducive to general Industrial
prosperity
This nonpArtlsan commission. like the
tariff board Of today, placed the revls
ion of the tariff upon the high plane OF
public welfare, but congress. as If to
emphasize its disregard of the commits
sion 8 labors. proceeded to enact tar
iff bill which was not based in the
slightest degree upon the investigation
which had been made.
Will Reorganize Committees.
1t will probably be some time before
congress is organized for work. In the
first place, the Republicans have yet
TO MAKE uD luSlI hSSiSH
ments for the house, AS a matter OF
fact. minority representation cuts lit
tie figure in the house committee, but
for the sake of form it is necessary
that measures should be passed on by
full committees.
Then the senate committees are tt
pc completely rearranged The chair
mansbip of the Republican caucus i;
made vacant by the retirement of Mr.
Hale Of Maine; that Of the Democratic
caucus by the retirement of Mr.. Moon
ey of Mississippi Retirement, volun
tary and otherwise, and death have
brought about vacancies in tho chair
manships of the committees on appro
priations. finance. agriculture, contin
gent expenses, interstate commerce
privileges and elections, interoceanit
canals, irrigation, mines and mining
public buildings and grounds, Pacific is
lands and Porto Rico and territories
And the filling Of these vacancies viii
probably mean new chairmen for the
committees on census, civil service
claims, fisheries, forest reservations
immigration. Indian affairs, manufac
tures, military affairs and post Offices
rs we'll as of minor committees,
Many Plums to Fall.
The changes which death and elec
fions have wrought in the membershI
of the senate make tho organization
Of the new senate, both Republican anc
Democratic, of more than usual i'm
pUrtance. The plums are many, anC
there are many hats held up to catcl
each individual plum as it drops. Thi,
is all going TO take time
IT will probably be couple Of week.
before congress gets into its gait
Conference Rates.
For April, 1911, conference reduce,