The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-13
GOES TO CANADA.
Congressman Campbell Will
Study Reciprocity Question.
Compare Prices of Farm Pro-
ducts in Two Countries.
THELUMBER QUESTION
Says That United States Wants
Cheap Lumber.
THELUMBER QUESTION
Captain Vreeland of the Kansas
Made q Rear Admiral.

Washington, March 13.-Philip Pitt
Campbell, a long time member of con-
gress from Kansas, continues at work
during the interim pending the COM
ing together of the new house member
ship. Ever a student and quite calm,
if you please, about the political con-
dition in his district. the Hon. Philip
P. thinks it the part of wisdom to
study the reciprocity proposition at
first hand. So he has left Washington
for Canada and will look things over
in the smaller towns and farming dis
tricts rather than in the cities of the
dominion.
Il want to compare the prices for
farm products in Canada, as compared
with prices on our side of the boundary
line said Mr.. Campbell to the cor
respondent of the Topeka State Jour
nal before leaving the city. Il will
endeaVor to study the situation care
fully and If there is a marked differ
ence in prices to find out the cause
| of it.
Excepting a few days that 1 will
spend in Ottawa, where the Canadian
congress meets, my time will be spent
| in the agricultural sections and 1 will
get information from the farmers
| themselves. 1t is also my plan to visit
| British Columbia, the western part of
Canada, and there 1 will look into the
! lumber business. also the mining in
dustry.
II want to know if the reduction of
the duty on lumber, as proposed by the
reciprocity bill, will cheaper the cost
| of lumber on this side. OF course, we
want cheaper lumber in Kansas, where
we do not grow much of it, but 1 am
not making this investigation solely for
the benefit of my own state, but with
a broader view, keeping in mind the
whole country.
1T is apparent that the reciprocity
proposition will be the sole topic in the
special session Of congress, and want
to be well informed before the discus
sion begins"
Phil Campbell has always been no
ted as a student, and his fellow men,
bers will be interested in his trip to
| Canada and the Information he will
bring back to Washington early in
April. He will have the pleasure of
greeting four new members from his
own state when the extra session be-
gins They are Messrs. Jackson,
Reese, Mitchell and Young.
While the new members of the house
| from Kansas have been classed in
surgents,'' continued Mr.. Campbell, II
| am not quite sure that the term will
| be used in referring to them once they
have begun their duties in Washing
ton. There is less doing in the in
| surgency camp the country over than
| there was last year. You cannot play
| on one string all the time. 1 was a
regular Republican myself do not
| say a standpatter, for I hardly know
! just what that means. but I believe in
being regular Republican and in be-
| ing faithful to good old-gashioned Re-
publican doctrine"
Not only American potash interests,
but number of industries whose
| trade abroad is injured by foreign dis
elimination have already made plans
to press for the enactment of the Cur
| tbs bill at the extra session Of con-
| gress. This measure was favorably re-
| ported by the finance committee of
| the senate just before adjournment. 1t
also has the strong Endorsement of the
state department, and the belief is
general that congress will put the
measure through promptly. Demo-
cratic senators and members showed
their active interest in the potash mat
ter all through the last session. Sena-
tor Curtis says that he is very hope
full of passing the bill next month.
| While section 2 of the tariff law
gives the president the power to meet
trade determinations by foreign ma
tons this power is put in such un-
weildly form that some change in the
law is found desirable. The Curtis
bill gives the president authority to
make such reprisals as may be neces-
sary without placing the maximum
tariff on the entire exports of an Of
Tending nation. In the case of potash
1 the president could, under the Curtis
bill, order such duty increases on Ger
man exports as would compensate for
the discrimination in this particular
instance, without levying higher duties
on all German products.
The language of the bill as amended
is that the president may direct that
there be imposed such increased ad
valorem rates of duty as he shall de-
| termine are equivalent to the injury
| oil
The Curtis bill covers repressive dis
criminatory or confiscatory measures
either of legislation or administration.
Should the state department be I'M
able to secure a satisfactory adjust
ment of the potash difficulty, the in
terests affected are confident that this
measure will bring the desired relief.
Incidentally, it may be said the Cur
tbs bill is an administration measure
When President Taft makes his
western tour in September he will ex-
tend it to include a number of western
cities and may make it an opportunity
to open the 1912 campaign. The ex-
act date for his first speech will be
left to the presidents convenience.
The invitation to go to Kansas was
extended by Senator Curtis and Con-
i gresham Ed Madison. While the
president only accepted several weeks
ago, he had promised Senator Curtis
last summer that he would speak in
Kansas this fall, the details being left
for future consideration. Congress
man Anthony later urged the presi-
dent to extend his visit in Kansas to
a number of other cities.
The details of the program for the
presidents western trip will have to
be arranged later. So far it is only
known that the itinerary in Kansas
will take in the state fair at Topeka,
Leavenworth and, perhaps, two or
three other important places. Senator
haf no Iof
three, and perhaps four days, would
be consumed by the president during
the Kansas trip
There is hope among Kansas Re-
pubIicans that the trip of President
Taft may aid in restoring harmony
among the factions there, and for that