The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-20
CURTIS new BILL.
Designed to Put End to Foreign
Discrimination.
He Explains Importance of This
Measure.
THE POTASH CASES.
inflicted a Burden Upon Amer
lean Farmer.
Puts Necessary Power in Hands
of the President.
Washington,

q.
ninistration measure. it will be strong
~ advocated during the present spe-
cial session of congress
This bill was favorabIy reported in
the last few days of the regular ses-
sion with the endorsement of the de- |
partment of state. Suggested primar-
lily by the potash difficulty with Ger
many, Senator Curtis bill will afford |
a means of relief in many cases of for
e1Sn discrimination with which the |
government can not now meet eff
fect1vely with no other weapon at it's
disposal than the maximum minimum
provisions of the tariff law.
Declaring that he intended to make |
every effort to secure the passage Of |
the bill, Senator Curtis said today:
"Germany's attitude in the potash |
case, 1nf1icting an enormous burden |
upon American farmers and involving |
gross discrimination with respect to a |
product essential in soil fertilization, |
has shown the need for a measure |
which will place in the hands of the |
against such treatment by foreign ma |
tons.
1.-THE bill introduced by me enables |
the president to apply such measures
of retaliation as may be unfortunately |
necessary in given case. without haV-
ing recourse to such a radical step as
the application of maximum duties on
all imports from an offending nation.
1.-THE tariff law restricts the presi-
dents authority within very narrow
bounds, while in this bill it is pro-
vided that whenever the president
shall be satisfied that the government
of any foreign state by repressive, dis
criminatory or confiscatory measures,
either of legislation or of discrimina-
ton, jeopardizes, impairs or destroys
the capital of citizens of the United
States legitimately invested in such
foreign state; or whenever the presi-
dent shall be satisfied that undue dis
ordinations are made or that relative
treatment not equivalertly favorable
is given by or under the authority of
any foreign state adversely affecting
the importation into or sale in such
foreign state of any product of the
United States; or that the government
of such foreign state, whether by law
or by administrative measures, i'm
poses exactions, regulations or limlta-
lions restrictive of or harmful or
amounting to relative treatment not
equivalently favorable TO the com
merce of the United States with such
foreign state with respect to the I'M
ports into or exports from such state,
he may direct that such increased ad
vaIorem rates of duty as he shall de-
termine are equivalent to the INJURY
inflicted upon American capital cor
commerce, or both, shall be imposed
upon imports of all or such dutlable
products of such foreign state as he
may deem proper.
'',The president is also empowered
to impose duties on articles on the
free list, and to exclude importations
entirely in extreme cases of d1scrlml-
nation.
s'That existing statutes do not pro-
| vide an adequate or practicable rem
edy in the potash case and other IN
stances of unfair treatment or Amer1-
can interests leads me to believe that
fn n me a G
ure which will enlarge and make more
flexible the presidents authority III
such cases..
| "a name is written on a hotel regis
| ter now and then that causes some re-
view of the nations history, re-
marked Richard A. Arnold, of Kan
sas who is a guest at the New Will
| lard hotel Here on the Willard
| guestbook is the name of Thomas
| Ewing He registers from New York;
but the name takes one back to the
famous old town of Lancaster, Ohio,
where Thomas Ewing, grandfather of
this visitor was one of the first citi-
zenS of the state
THE original Thomas was a native
of Virginia, but went to Ohio a far
mer's son, and graduated from the
old Athens academy, receiving the
first degree ever granted by the insti-
tuition. This Ewing became senator,
and it was his first political office.
Later on he was secretary of the
treasury, then secretary of the inter-
| ior department, and then senator
again, succeeding Tom Corwin. He
lived to be more than 80 years old.
and is buried at Lancaster.
| His son Thomas came to Kansas,
and became member of the supreme
court. He served in the civil war as
colonel and brigadier general, COM
manding a Kansas regiment, and
then went back to Ohio. He served
| two terms in congress from the old
Lancaster district, and then moved to
New York, where he died a few years
ago.
''His son. the recent visitor in
Washington. has also been eminent in
New York politics, and there are few
of the family left in Ohio.
st always have thought that if
! Thomas Ewing, II, had remained in
| Kansas he might have become power
! full in our politics, but he did very
well in Ohio and New York. It seema
| that his birthplace, Lancaster, is get
ting on the map again. with Vorys
! the Taft manager, and Hills. the Taft
/ secretary. coming from there, and it
I is recalled that John Sherman and
/ General Sherman were both born and
reared in the old town.
| Congressman Phil p Campbell has
/ introduced the following measures:
T Bill to make Cherryvale. Kan, a sub
port of entry, and for other purposes;
( bill to esta blish in the department of
| agriculture a bureau to be known as
the bureau of public highways, and
to provide for national aid in the i'm
/ provement of the public roads; bill to
amend the pension act of June 81,
1890 and the act of April 10, 1908; bill
suspending the patent and copyright
+ laws of the United States when pat
ent or copyright or any article or
product protected by patent or copy
right is owned, used or leased by any
trust or monopoly in violation of any
law in restraint of trade; bill for the
relief of registers and receivers of the