Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-02-17
Washington
DEMOCRATS ARE FOR
RECIPROCITY TREATY
House Caucus Goes on Record
by Big Majority In Favor of
the Bargain.

Washington, Feb. S.-Favorable action Of
the House on the Canadian reciprocity
agreement was assured last night when
the caucsu OF democratic representatives
formally pledged the party to vote for the
agreement.
The resolution indorsing the Canadian
agreement was carried, 80 to p. On mo-
ton OF Mr.. Clark, of Missouri, the action
Of the caucus was made unanimous. The
q who voted against the resolution, 1T was
explained later, were those who had voted
against free lumber, etc, and their action
In caucus was to make their position con-
sistent, 1t was said they would vote with
The party.
The resolution as adopted by the caucus
follows:
Whereas, the Canadian reciprocity
agreement, negotiated by the reciprocity
commission OF anada and the presiden
of the United States, while not formulate
In accordance with democratic platform
demands, as a reduction of some OF the
prohibitiVe schedules in the Payne tariff
law, will tend TO expand the trade OF the
United States in Canada and is in part a
recognition Of the principles the democrat
lc party has contended for in the congress
and the platform. Therefore be it,
Resolved, That this caucus indorse the
Canadian reciprocity agreement and bind
ourselves to vote for a bill carrying it into
effect
The caucus unanimously adopted a reso-
tuition by Mr.. Cantrill, of Kentucky, de-
claring that the caucus believes that every
American farmer should nave at his dis
posal the information of the production
and stocks on hand of agricultural prod
ucts and pledge ourselves to attempt to
bring about that end by legislation"
The anti-reciproclty democrats were
given free rein at last nights caucus Of
he House democrats at the capitol. Most
If those opposed TO the Canadian agree
men submitted by President Taft ex-
pressed their views and several dwelt on
agreement should not pass without amend
ments. Amendments, of course, would in
validate the entire agreement.
More than 100 attended the caucus.
Champ Clark, Of Missouri, the minority
leader, and Mr.. Underwood, of Alabama,
who will be chairman of the ways and
means committee. led the movement to in
| 7orse the reciprocity amendment, both Of
hem declaring for it u~nequivocally.
-
Washington, Feb. S.--Jeff Davis, SEN
ator from Arkansas, is being haZed
~ his colleagues. Democratic senators
10 not approve his discourteous meth
Dds n his billingsgate attacks made
for consumption among the "hill bill
les" of Arkansas. Their shame recent
~ was expressed.
Davis took occasion to make a char
Hcteristic attack on Senator Depew,
declaring hat the New York senator
should don court costume n play the
role OF courtier the rest of his days.
The senator from New York was dis
posed to reply, but was dissuaded with
w. ALnA 4A .vA,,1I h. 49, 10
TO dignity the Arkansan's attack with
n notice.
Colleagues Take RAND.
Senator Davis democratic colleagues
took the matter In hand and persuad-
ed him that the senator from New
York proposed to reply and that he in
tended to illustrate his answer in the
Congressional Record, with cartoons,
Of Davis clad in swallow-tailed coat
and silk hat and to accompany the pic
lure with the assertion that Davis wore
Mat costume to the presidents recep-
Mons, at the foreign embassies, etc.
Postmaster General Hitchcock yesterday
was advised Of the arrest at Louisville Of
William Russell, the alleged secretary
treasurer of the Southwestern Wireless
company, with headquarters at Louisville,
which concern has been charged with US
! 'ug the mails TO defraud-
Some of the promoters of this concern
were formerly connected with the Col
Inns Wireless Telephone company and the
Continental Wireless Telephone and Tele-
graph company, and are reported to have
opened business in the south when they
suspected that the postal authorities were
after the latter companies for misusing
ME mails.
Postmaster General Hitchcock also was
Informed of the arrest at Washington,
Me-, OF Theodore +. A~bildgaard, charged
with using the mails to defraud the gov-
srnment in connection with the smuggling
Of diamonds. -A~hildgaard has for some
lime been in the United States service as
quarantine inspector. operating in Maine.
-
Manufacturers Of print paper faced a
Are of questions yesterday when they APP
! peared before the ways and means COM
mittee Of the House to argue in favor OF
the retention of the present duty imposed
upon their product by the Payne-Aldrich
act, rather than the reduction that Is con-
templated III the proposed reciprocity
agreement with Canada.
Both republican and Democratic mam-
| hers of the committee piled the paper men
with inquiries as TO why "A decrease in
The duty was feared, when the reduction
Is months ago had been followed by an in
| crease in the price OF paper rather than
by a decrease. The general reply was that
the increase had been a mere return ia
normal prices after low prices incident ia
tariff agitation.
After the paper interests are heard the
| committee will listen TO reports of other
Industries.
The hearings will close next Thursday.
Figuring on a basis ~ 10000 miles per
annum per car the Interstate Commerce
commission advised congress that the an
nuai cost of maintenance of standard CO.
foot railway postofice cars, using gas for
lighting, is about SIPS each. The report
gives the following figures:
Cost OF construction OF wooden cars.
$3.50 to 5000; steel, $500 to $4,000; steel
underfrane, $500 to $4,000. For each l,0oe
| miles, repairs for average use: Wooden,
$3.50; steel, no figures o~btainahle. Clean
Ing, $50. Lighting: Gas. $3.50: electric,
rs per cent more; heating, so cents.