The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-02-21
MAY CONVENE AN
EXTRA SESSION

The first authoritative announce
ment that President Taft will call an
extra session, if the senate fails to act
on the Mccall bill carrying into effect
the Canadian reciprocity agreement,
came from Mr.. Mccall himself, follow
ing visit at the White house Sunday.
According to Mr.. Mccall the president
feels he is under an international OBJ
legation to summon an extra session, If
necessary, to secure action ON the rec
iprocity agreement. That session
would be called Immediately after the
adjournment Of congress at noon
March 4th.
While it is evidently the purpose of
the president to avoid an extra ses-
son by inducing senators to act upon
the agreement, it is the opinion Of
many that the statement has come too
late. Few senators predict that action
will be taken at this session, while
some insist there will be a vote.
With appropriation bills in q con-
gested condition, with the Lorimer
case pending, the permanent tariff
board bill pressing for consideration,
the general service pension bill being
urged by many senators and the reso-
luton for the popular election Of SEN
ators coming up daily as the unfinish-
ed business, it seems the chances for
action on the reciprocity agreement
are slight.
Mr.. Mccall also made the announce
ment that the president would veto
any tariff legislation passed by the
Democratic house and approved by .
nearly Democratic senate il that
should be necessary to maintain the
Republican party's protective prin-
ciples.
Mr.. McCall's statement, which is
generally understood to have been ap-
proved by the president, is:
81 believe Republican senators are
gradually coming to recognize that,
with the certain prospect of an extra
session unless they bring the recipro-
city bill to a vote, there will be very
serious Inconvenience and embarress-
ment, if not danger, to the business
and industrial enterprises that are en-
titled to protection.
"The president feels that he is un-
der an international obligation to
summon an extra session. He will do
this reluctantly because it is bringing
into power a Democratic house and q
senate much more nearly Democratic
than the present senate.
s'But if the senate should fail to
act, the president feels that under his
agreement with the Canadian govern
ment to use his utmost endeavor to
have the reciprocity agreement con-
firmed he will be compelled to call the
session Immediately. I imagine the
Democrats are not anxious for an extra
session.
"They would naturally feel that
they cannot extemporize revision Of
the tariff schedules. The light remark
that you can prepare tariff bill over
night or in two weeks, or a month,
every one knows to be utterly un-
founded.
"But what an extra session is
likely to mean is q constant agitation
and a continuous investigation into
the industries that are made possible
by protection, and interference with
their business that bodies no good for
business at large.
"The consequence is that if any one
should prevent action on the recipro-
city bill, he would be in the position
of helping to bring about condition
most Injurious to those industries
which really need protection. What
follows in an extra session will not be
the presidents g fault.
"The president is protectionist
and expects to use the veto power, 30
far as he properly may, to maintain
the party's protective principles. But
it would be misfortune to have this
inevitable conflict come nine months
ahead of the time when it is natural
ly due.
"The president is impressed with
the extreme Importance to the country
of the ratification of the agreement
and also with the solemn obligation
he has undertaken to use his utmost
endeavors to have it enacted into law.
"In conclusion, desire to call at
tention to the president 3 speech at
Springfield, Ill.,, in which he said:
I" 'The very existence of the policy
protectionists who hang back from
an approval of this agreement on the
ground that it is departure from the
principle of protection and is the
opening wedge to let in free trade.
NY own view is that no step could be
taken more in the interest of reason
able policy of protection than the ap-
proval of this treaty.
The very existence of the policy
depends on our abolition of the tarih
where it is not really needed under
the principle of the last Republican
platform.
"s'If we persist in retaining it in
these times of high prices and gradn-
ally exhausting food supply and base
our retention on protection principles,
we shall rouse an opposition that will
know no moderation and will not
cease radical economic changes until
it has removed from the statute books
the last trace of protective tariff.