The Washington herald., 1911-06-06

The hearing before the Senate Finance
Committee on the Canadian reciprocity
bill formally closed yesterday afternoon,
preliminary 10 vote tomorrow but this
morning Secretary of State Knox will be
invited TO take the stand. and point out
Informally to the committee whether the
bill as It passed the House accurately
embodies the terms of the agreement
negotiated between President Taft and
Minister Of Finance Fielding, OF Canada.
The last days hearings on the bill were
replste with interest, and frequently
punctuated with exciting colIoquys be-
tween members OF the committee and be-
tween Senators and witnesses. At one
point Herman Ridder, OF the American
Publishers' Association. charged that a
representative OF the International Paper
Company had perpured himself, and char
acterfzed the men whom he charged with
conducting the paper trust as "a gang
or thieves"
During the afternoon hearing the psy-
chology Of the news instinct and the
philosophy OF news gathering and news
publishing received the attention Of the
committee, while President Frank B.
Noyes and General Manager Melville E.
Stone, of the Associated Press, were on
the stand.
Quiet In Afternoon.
In somewhat striking contrast to the
vigorous and sometimes belligerent man
ner OF members of the committee to-
ward Mr.. Ridder was the treatment aox
corded the heads of one of the great
news gathering and news disseminating
associations Of the country. Mr.. Stone
and Mr. Noyes were treated with the ut
most Difference.
Bruce Haldeman, president of the
American Newspaper Publishers Asso-
citation. and business manager of the
Louisville Courier-JournaI and Louisville
Times, when called as a witness, said
no member of that association had con-
strued the letter of Herman Ridder bear
ing upon the Canadian reciprocity agree
ment, and suggesting that Washington
vorable" reports. as any suggestion to
color the news. No such instructions had
been issued by him, he said.
War Began EARLY.
The appearance OF Herman Ridder, OF
the Publishers Association. before the
committee created furore. Before the
questioning had Proceeded twenty min
utes, Senator McCumber. of North
Dakota. charged Mr.. Ridder with having
made a false statement. The witness
had said that newspapers had been gfv-
ing fair reports on the hearings be-
fore the Finance Committee.
That statement is absolutely false,
and I want the record to show It."
shouted Senator McCumber. Immediate
ly there was an uproar in the commit
tee. Senator Stone protested. Senator
ATr
draw the statement. Finally Senator
Bailey poured oil upon the troubled
waters by saying:
81 think when the Senator from
North Dakota reflects he will withdraw
HIS statement" .
II will not" persisted Mr.. McCum-
Der. when a witness comes here and
states something that every member of
this committee knows TO be false,
want the record to show that 1t is
false"
Finally Mr.. Mccumber was induced
to modify his statement and substitute
the word "unfounded" for the word
false"
Later on Senator Clark. OF Wyoming,
In questioning Mr.. Ridder commenced
to criticise the witness and to condemn
his form of answers. Senator Stone
protested against calling witnesses be-
fore the committee and then trying 10
and lecture them.
Finally, after a general word mix-up,
Mr.. Stone paced out of the room, but
soon returned.
Press Association Fair.
Witness said there were several press
furnishing news to news
papers. among the most prominent of
which, he said, were the Laffan service,
the United Press Association, and the
Hearst service. He said the Associated
Press had no monopoly Of this field Of
supplying a news service; that It was
not operated for profit, but for the mu-
tuaI benefit Of the subscribers.
The witness told OF the recent action
0f manufacturers of print paper in ad-
prices from to 21-2 cents
pound.
IL this bill fails we will be at their
mercy" said Mr. Ridder. They would
advance the price to cents pound
( they had the nerve"
They could raise prices to 5 cents
pound, but for the fear OF foreign
competition interrogated Senator Stone.
Certainly" replied the witness.
But the papers could not pay 1t for
ong and Iive," continued the witness.
Over cents a pound is practically a
,rohibitory price The paper mills could |
make money at l75 cents pound"
Asked about his letter to newspaper
publishers urging them to have their
correspondents treat the reci-
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