The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-22
Republican Sen tie Is
Juggling With Reel
procity Agreement.
MAY BE
EMBARRASSING
Two Forces at Work, One Sin
cerely Trying to Strengthen
Bill, Other Merely to Middle
Afairs-Congress Will Stay
in Session Until Some
Action Is Taken.

Washington, May 2l.-Democrats in
the House of Representatives are wor-
ried. Having disposed OF practically
all the legislative program, except the
wool schedule, and that is almost ready
for action. they now face a puzzling
situation in the Senate. the chief fea-
ture of which is the Canadian reciproc-
ity bill
In Democratic councils for several
days the attitude or tile Senate toward
the reciprocity agreement has been dis
cussed and efforts of the House lead
ers 10 find out just what is to he done
were not satisfactorily fruitful. Tn.
Democrats argue that they took the
reciprocity agreement just as II came
from the international conferees anu
the President and passed it as a matter
of national policy, without attempting
TO it or embarrass the adj
ministration with tariff riders. The
farmers free list bill, which followed
IL, they argued, was an affair of theii
own. and need not stand in the way
of the bill to consider which the ex-
traordinary session OF Congress was
called.
Now they say that the Republican
Senate in Juggling with the agreement
Should 1t be amended and the Demo-
cratic House be called upon TO consid-
er in an amended form, the Houss
leaders fear that They might be placed
In an embarrassing position.
Two Forces ut Work.
One Democratic leader to-day de-
clared that there were Two forces at
work in the Senate to amend the bill,
one force sincerely trying 70 strength
en- the agreement ana the other seek
ine to muddle affairs.
The Democrats are determined 10
stay in session until the Senate has
taken some action on the bill. a vir-
tual ultimatum from the House TO the
Senate leaders that the Senate must
also vote, one way or another. on the
farmers free list bill and the wool bill
when It Is passed through the House. is
TO hasten the Senate along on the re-
ciprocity measure. II the reciprocity
bill is passed by the Senate, after the
House has disposed OF the wooi sched-
ule, some Democrats think that the
House would not insist upon anything
more than a clear indication from the
Senate that 1t would not act on the
other tariff bills. and that it would
agree To a summer recess.
House leaders are grati6ed tina they
are out OF the woods on the wool re-
vision question, The Ways and Means
Committee has solved the cardinal
principal Of the wool question. and
Its decision is that The revised schedule
Will not place raw wool OH the free
list, but Will cut the existing rate very
materially. from II cents a pound to
) or 6 cents 2 pound. or its equivalent
in an ad valorem duty.
Forced TO Yield.
Advocates of free wool in the com
mittee were forced to yield by Speaker
Clark, Majority Leader Underwood,
chairman of the committee, and other
con Sc rES ttve. 1ea darE "a ffar - ~, nj 80
canvass of the States. Democratic
leaders in each State delegation were
called In. The revenue situation was
explained to them. They were told
that it was an impossibility to cut off
with one fell swoop the s21, 900, coo in
revenue from raw wool, and We're
asked to poll their delegations. This
they did with tine result that the advo.
Gates of a revenue on raw wool We're
supported by a majority in every State
delegation except New York. New der
sey and Massachusetts,. Hence the
surrender In the committee of the free
raw wool leaders. and the
anticipates nothing more serious than
the usual agitation, when the tentative
bill is placed before the party caucus
in n few days.
The bill providing for statehood for
Arizona and New Mexico will come
up for passage. by agreement, in the
House Tuesday afternoon. That will
about wind UP the House for some
time. there being little for it to con-
slider until the wool bill is ready!
In the Senate this week a lively pro-
gram is provided. Senator La Toilette
will reopen the Lorimer case Monday
morning, and Mill make a speech to
his resolution providing that there he
a reinvestigation OF Senator Lorimer's
right to his seat.
On Tuesday, 1t being the unfinished
business OF the Senate. the joint reso-
luton providin,. for popular election
of Senators probably will be called up
by Senator Borah. The Finance Com
mittee VII continue hearings on the
Canadian reciprocity bill.