The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-16
Speculation on What Fi- nance Committee Will
 Do To Bill
FILIBUSTER METHOD
 WILL BE DANGEROUS
Measure Is Now In Hands of Commit tee and It Is Believed Senate's Action Will Not Be
 Long Delayed

Washington, February 15.-President Taft may be compelled to designate a leader to take charge of the administra tion's fight over the reciprocity agree ment in the Senate. and if he does the indications are that he will select Sem ator Lodge. The finance committee, to which the Mccall bill was referred when 1t was messaged over from the House today, is lukewarm toward the measure. Several of the members will vote for it, but it Is expected that they will not make any great exhibit in doing so.
 There was much speculation today as to whether the Mccall bill would receive a majority vote in the committee. No member of the committee is inclined 10 delay procedure in view of President Tafts great interest in the agreement. To avoid seeming opposition to the Pres ident's- programme it was reported to- night there might be no vote in coni- mittee at all
 Some senators are trying to have the Mccall bill reported without recommen- dation. giving the opponents the right to prosecute their objections on the Sen ate floor
 By reason of the illness of Senator Hale it is not likely that a meeting of the committee will be held before Sat urday and perhaps not before Monday.
 Filibuster Dangerous
 The fate of reciprocity with Canada, which today became the principal ques- ton before the Senate, is expected to depend on whether the opposition will resort to flibuster to defeat 1t. It Is the best Judgment Of Senate leaders on both sides of the chamber that if the Mccall bill to carry out the provisions of the Canadian agreement is permitted to reach a vote at this session the Sea- ate will pass 1t by as decisive vote as was recorded for 1t in the House last night
 The Senate committee on foreign rela- tions today reported the Canadian agree ment back to the Senate. which is prac- tical recognition of the fact that 1t con- tains nothing likely to involve the United States III obligations with Canada in con f1ict with the peaceful trade relations which exist with other countries.
 Goes To Finance Committee
 The Mccall bill was sent to the Sem ate today, thence to the finance commit tee, which will have control of the whole subject.
 
 up in the finance committee. A majority of the republican members and. at least two of the democratic members, are known to be opposed to it. Neverthe- less, the President is interested in the agreement, and the committee is not disposed to bear the responsibility of encompassing it's defeat by the pigeon hole method.
 The sentiment of the finance commit tee is such that 1t is not thought that action will be long delayed. The cur rent prediction today was that the bill would be sent to the Senate about the middle of next week and that 1t would make little difference whether 1t was by a favorable or adverse report by a com mittee What the fate of the measure will then be is matter of speculation
 The senators from all the agricultural states are opposed to the Mccall bill and the stand-pat republicans to a con- siderable degree will stand by them Nevertheless. the feeling that there are enough votes in the Senate to pass the bill by reason of almost all democratic support that Is to be given. The re- publicans who oppose the measure may decide the objections are sufficient to justify a f1libuster, even in the face of . probable extra session of Congress.
 There is much difference of opinion in the Senate as to whether the President would call an extra session.