The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1911-02-02
NEWS FROM The
NATIONAL CAPITAL
What Our Lawmakers Are DO.
ing and Other Interesting
Events.

months after the Initiation by Presi-
dent Taft of negotiations with the
Canadian Government, there was laid
simultaneously before the American
Congress and the Canadian Parlia-
ment a reciprocity arrangement,
which, If approved, will do much, in
the opinion Of the negotiators, to
enlarge trade between the two coun-
tries.
Mr.. Taft holds that a commercial
agreement with Canada, "by which
we shall have direct access to her
great supply Of natural products
without an obstructing or prohibitory
tariff is not violation of the pro-
tective principle. as has been author
itatively announced by those who up
hold it. because that principle does
not call for a tariff between this
country and one whose conditions as
to productions, population and wages
is so like ours, and when our COM
mon boundary line of 5000 miles in
itself must make radical distinction
between our commercial treatment
Of Canada and Of any other country.
important Reciprocity Provisions.
Among the important provisions of
the agreement are:
Reciprocity on leading food prod
ucts, such as wheat and other grains;
dairy products, fresh fruits and veg
etables: fish of all kinds; eggs and
poultry; cattle, sheep and other live
animals.
Printing paper is to become free
on the removal Of all restrictions on
the expectation of pulp wood.
Both countries put lumber on the
free list.
Mutually reduced rates on a list
Of manufactured commodities, which
includes motor vehicles, cutlery,
clocks and watches, sanitary fixtures,
satchels and similar leather goods,
plate glass, brass band instruments,
printing ink and miscellaneous arti-
cles. Agricultural implements, such
as plows. harvesters, threshing ma
chimes and drills are reduced by
Canada to the United States rates.
Reciprocity Agreement May Fail.
Tho reciprocity agreement with
Canada, according to the opinions of
most members of Congress, will be
buried by Congress. The two places
OF interment, it is freely said, will
be found to be the senate finance
committee and the house committee
on ways and meals. to which the
proposed treaty has been referred.
BaiIInser Report Lost.
An Investigation to determine what
happened to the Ballinger- Pinchot
committees report, which Represen-
tative Hitchcock, Of Nebraska, de-
clared had been unaccountably lost
In its transmission from the house
to the committee on agriculture, was
begun by the house committee on
rules. The committee summoned
Asher Kinds, parliamentary clerk to
the Speaker, and ]. w. H. Resinger,
printing and document clerk, and re-
quested an exact statement of the
methods that had been followed in
referring the report to the commit
tee. The public printer will be sum-
noned before the committee.
Bill to Sell Burnt Timber.
The senate passed a bill providing
that burned timber on unreserved
public land that was damaged or
killed by the forest fires last sum-
mer shall be sold to the highest
bidder. It is provided that burned
timber on land filed upon or entered
may be sold in like manner and the
proceeds paid to settlers upon per-
lection of title. Where settlers fail
to perfect title, the money Is to go
into the reclamation fund.
National Capital Brevities.
Early In March, Immediately after
Congress adjourns, President Taft
will make short swing through the
South, winding up at his home town,
Cincinnati.
Orders were sent out from the
War Department detailing additional
troops to patrol the Texas-Mexican
border during the revolutionary dis
turbance in Mexico.
Senator Jones introduced a bill ex-
tending the provisions of the eight
hour law to clerks in first and second
class postoffices
President Taft scored a victory
when the house committee unani-
mously agreed upon a bill providing
for permanent tariff board Of FIVE