Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-02-21
TAFT, REITERA TES
DEMAND FOR ACTION
PRESIDENT AUTHORIZES REPRE-
SENTATIVE McALL TO TELL
CONGRESS THAT THE BILL
MUST BE PASSED.

lngS on the Mccall bill, to carry out
the provisions of the Canadian reci-
procity agreement, were begun today
by the senate committee on finance.
During the forenoon the only witness
was John Strange Of Neenah, Wis, a
paper manufacturer and former lieu
tenant governor of his state.
Mr.. Strange attacked the agree
ment with vigorous language, charging g
that false statements had been made
by a league of newspapers, which he
believed to be in violation of the Sher-
man antitrust law Considerable diff
Guilty was experienced by Senator'S
Lodge, Cullom, Flint and Stone in
keeping Mr.. Strange to his subject and
obtaining from him reason why the
agreement should not be confirmed.
Several times Senator Lodge sharply
demanded something other than at
tacks upon the motives of newspapers
in their demand for cheaper paper.
John Norris, chairman Of the paper
committee of the American Newspa-
per Publishers, was also an active lis
tener to Mr.. Stranges testimony. He
said that later he would have some
thing to say on the subject.
Canadian Timber Not Needed.
Shifting his attacks on newspapers
and other organizations which favor
the agreement Mr.. Strange in his
statement declared:
That this country has no more need
for Canadian pulp wood than 1t has
for Canadian disease germs; that
. pruce is not necessary to paper max
ing, as any wood which has a fibre
will suffice, and there are many woods
which are better than spruce; that the
paper and that there is nothing better
than the soft woods of the south"
In connection with this statement
about timber Of the south Mr.. Strange
said that if the democrats knew what
they were about they would take such
action as would make them the future
paper makers of the country.
Mr.. Strange declared that Wis2on-
sin, Minnesota and West Virginia in
twenty years would be growing enough
for all the mills of the country and
that paper making was just developing
in the south through the utilization of
timber unfit for lumber.
These statements were brought out
chiefly by questions from Senator
Hale, whose evident purpose was to
show that Canadian timber for paper
making was not needed in this coun-
try: that there was sufficient standing
timber for immediate needs with
conservation taking care for the fu-
ture.
Taft to Call Extra Session.
President Taft today has authorized
Representative Mccall to state that he
will call an extra session of congress
II the senate fails to act on the Nc
Call bill carrying into effect the Cana
dian reciprocity agreement. The au-
thoritative announcement came after
an interview Mr.. Mccall had with the
president in the white house.
Mr.. Mccall explained that interna-
tional obligations compel the president
to call an extra session, If it be neces-
sary, to get action on the reciprocity
agreement. That session would be
called Immediately following the adj
1ournment iof congress at noon March
4, should the congress fail to act be-
fore adjournment.
While it is the evident purpose of
the president, in permitting the an
nouncement of Mr. Mccall. to avoid
an extra session by inducing senators
to act upon the agreement, it is the
opinion of many about the capitol that
in all probability the statement has
come too late.
Few senators are sanguine enough
to predict that action will be taken on
the agreement in the upper branch Of
congress at this session. while some
insist that there will be vote.
With appropriation bills in badly
congested condition. with the Lorimer
case pending, with the permanent tar
iff board bill pressing for considera
tion, with the general service pension
bill being urged by many senator's,
ard with the resolution for the popular
election of senators coming up daily
as the unfinished business, it seems
the chances for acting upon the Cana
dian reciprocity agreement are slight.
There is some prospect that the Lor-
imer csse may be disrosed of Wednes-
d ~. following a speech Senator Lori
mer will make in his own behalf, but
there is no apparent likelihood of early
votes en- any of the other important
measure1 n~,tioned.