Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-31
Lively Times in Congress
From Now to March 4.
Country Likely 10 Have "1afItf'
Enough IN Next Few Months.
taft Reciprocity Agreement rakss
real Out Of Democratic Thunder.

washington. d. c.. Jan. 30. fsnsnla,
mere Is every promise of parlous
legislative times from now on to the
end Of February. One sees in Wash.
ington at this moment about the mosr
interesting political situation that has
existed since Theodore Roosevelt hacked
S"ay the big stick and vacated the
White House. While the situation 10
political il is especially tariff. It looks
as though the big tariff battle, which
can not be finally disposed of for a
year or two, had begun in earnest.
washington. perhaps also the country.
viii he tariff sick before the last gun
has been fired
AS has been much reiterated this tar
lift situation portends much 10 Maine
but president Taft has got in ahead of
ire democrats little by putting forth
his Canadian reciprocity agreement.
which, if enacted into law, will admit
potatoes, eggs, hay and kindred pro-
ducts through the custom houses on the
Maine border free of duty.
The long expected efforts to swat
New England good and hard, something
the Westerners have been anxious to do
seem at hand. The retirement of such
men as Senator Hale, who were lions In
the pathway of such achievements, have
made the opportunity more attractive.
The verdict OF the country for lower
tariff. as the November elections were
Interpreted, has impelled the president
TO comply with the demands of consurn-
ers, as cgainsI the manufacturers and
producers. who afford the wage workers
II chance to work.
There is much agitation just now be.
fore Congress over a parcels post and
Fpetitions are pouring in from Maine, as
~cll as from other states. Many Of
these petitions are for parcels post. al
though much sentiment appears In GER
TAIN communities against an extension
of the present law The Maine people
have made known their views through
these petitions in no uncertain way, OF
late considerable number OF bills have
been offered, one of them by Represent
tatlVe Guernsey of the Fourth Maine
u Stl1ct. for a zones parcels post. Mr..
tpernsey's bill provides for an investi-
g@tion by the Post Office Department to
determine how far parcels can be car
ried without loss of revenue at given
rates. Then Mr.. Guernsey proposes
that parcels shall be carried within that
zone at prescribed rates.
The subject of All extension of parcels
post is a very old one in congressional
legislation. Tens of thousands of petit
lions have been sent to every Congress-
for the last decade and many hearings
have been given first and last by the
Senate and House committees. Early in
the session it seemed as though some
KIND of n preliminary measure would
set upon the statute books before March
/. As the days Of the session advance
the chances are smaller and yet there
are some hopeful people, who believe
that something will be done. The mer-
chants of the country towns persist in
opposition. because they beiieve such a
law would subject them to competition
from the mail order houses in the large
cities. If there is failure to enact a
parcels post law at this session it will
be due probably to this oppos ition OF
the country merchants.