The Washington herald., 1911-01-08
RECIPROCITY BILL
WILL BE- PUSHED
President Wants the Present
Congress to Act.
HOPES TO EFFECT AGREEMENT
First Conference Between Canadian
Officials and State Department
that Negotiations May BE Com
pleted During the Coming Week.

President Taft is hopeful of completing
a reciprocity agreement between the
United States and Canada for submission
to Congress before the end of the pres
ent session. The President is said to
believe that the course to pursue will be
to complete the reciprocity agreement as
rapidly as possible and submit it to the
present Congress. rather than to delay
the question until next year. when the
House of Representatives will be Demo-
cratic and the Senate Republican by
majority of only eight.
As only seven weeks of the present
session remain. the President realizes
that a reciprocity agreement with Can
ada must be submitted to Congress at
as early date as possible if it is to
stand any chance of enactment by this
Congress.
First Conference Held.
The first conference on the subject was
held at the State Department yesterday
afternoon. Those present We're Secretary
of State Knox, Chandler P. Anderson.
counselor of the State Department, and
Charles NJ. Pepper. a commercial expert
of the Bureau of Trade Relations. repre-
senting the United States. and W. S.
Fielding, minister of finance. and William
Patterson, minister of customs, of the
Dominion of Canada. The conference
lasted about one hour and a half. The
Canadian members presented the reply
of Canada TO the proposal of the United
States, the details of which were laid
before the Canadian government at the
conferences in Ottawa last September.
Another conference will be held to-
morrow afternoon. The negotiations are
a continuation of the conferences held in
Ottawa last September.
The original proposal made by the
United States is said 10 be liberal, and
officers of the State Department who are
in touch with the negotiations express
the opinion that an agreement will be
reached shortly. 1t was said yesterday
that the present conferences will con-
tinue for about week, and if no serious
obstacles are encountered an agreement
may be reached in less time.
1t is admitted that the Canadian ne
EotiatorS have the whip hand. and it is
likely that they will drive a good bar
gain from their point of view. The
United States is richer. more populcuS,
and has more diversified Industries than
the Dominion, and, of course, will be
expected TO grant more important con-
cessions fhan can be required of Canada
in order to effect an agreement The
President however. is understood to be
willing to go to any reasonable extent
to reach an adjustment. In view of his
conciliatory attitude, it is not expected
that there will be much difficulty in ar
ranging a mutually satisfactory reciproc-
ity agreement.
Coal Figures in Agreement.
Coal will probably also figure in the dis
cuSsion. The administration is in favor OF
the free admission of coal to the United
States from Canada, and an unsuccessful
attempt was made to admit Canadian
coal free of duty when the PayneAldrich
tariff bill was under consideration. The
manufacturing interests of New England
and the Puget Sound region are in favor
of admitting Canadian coal to the Aneri-
can market 1t is likely also that wood
pulp and pulp wood will figure in the ne
Sotiations.
Prior to their business session yesterday
Secretary Knox escorted the Canadian
negotiatorS to the White House, where
they were introduced TO President Taft.