New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-02-11
from The Tribune Bureau.l

! Washington. February 10.
A GIANT STRIDE.-A giant stride in
the Improvement OF the consular service
~ the United States was accomplished
Yesterday under the supervision of Sena-
tor Lodge. but II was done so quietly that,
with popular and legislative attention so
largely concentrated on the important
question OF Canadian reciprocity. few real
lied what had been done With that legis-
lative fnesse Of which he is a past mas
ter Mr.. Lodge has been for some days
quietly working TO make friends for the
reorganization bill prepared By the De-
partment Of State, and in which Secretary
Knox tine President and. indeed. all who
are interested in the foreign service of
| this country. are so deeply interested.
| This bill. which was somewhat amended
nv the Committee on Foreign Relations,
esta bhshes grades ranging from consuls
general. at salaries ranging from $4,000
/ 10 $4,000, TO consuls, at salaries from
! Sc. 900 TO $4,000; abollshes certain consular
Offices in accordance with changed condi-
| lions Of trade, and establishes others
where they are needed, and paves the way
| for promotion based on showing of eff
! cheney and length Of service. The bill, as
prepared by the Department Of State,
would have caused an Increased appropria-
ton of approximately $4,000. but the
committee made certain reductions by
which some $4,000 was saved. although
| making other increases OF. salary. and the
net increase Of expense called for by the
measure as passed by the Senate will be
about 10000 The passage of this bill Is
,lNy,
| Of rcorganizing and systematizing the
| c )nsular service Senator Lodge will now
| turn his attention TO the bill already
pased by the House, which provides for
the purchase Of sites and the cons truction
of American embassies in foreign capitals,
and hopes 10 be equally successful In Sc
curing for it the approval Of the Senate.
CONFERENCE A FIZZLE.--The Demo-
I cratic conference called Tor this morning
proved a fizzle There the usual wide Diff
ferences Of opinion developed. Senator
Newlands threatened to make speech on
the tariff board bill, and rather than incur
that the conference decided to lay the
matter on the table. The Canadian reci-
procity agreement developed such wide
difference of opinion that no vote was
taken, although there appeared to be a ma =
iority OF the Democrats In favor Of the
measure. Senator Stone said he favored
IL. but did not want To vote on il at this
session. and Senator Bailey was disposed
to believe he would vote against it after
all Some one suggested that there was no
need OF the Democrats showing their hand
at this time. and perhaps their views on
the subject would be clearer when the
House had acted. This suggestion was
greeted with acclaim. ana the conference
adjourned TO meet again next Tuesday. by
which time II is expected that the House
will have acted. An effort was made TO
get together on the Borah constitutional
amendment. Senator'S owen. Gore. Cham
berlain and Clarke. Of Arkansas, announced
that they favored the Sutherland amend
ment-an announcement which came very
near causing row, as that proposition is
strenuously opposed by most of tine genuine
Southerners Senator Bailey said he did
not like the Sutherland amendment but
supposed he would have to abide by the
decision of the majority. Then II was de-
cided that there was no occasion for the
majority To commit itself on this PROPOSE
ton, especially as any vote taken would
be certain to be reported in the newspapers,
notwithstanding the fact that the confer
ence was strictly secret Members began