The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-06
DID NOT BELIEVE
TAFT vOJLDCALL
EXT RA SESSION
Fulfilment Of Threat
Caused Surprise in
Congress
GREAT PRESSURE
BROUGHT TO BEAR
Senators Especially Were Com
fdent Up to Last Moment
That Proclamation Would
Not Be Embellishments
Faced by Greater Work
Than Revising Tariff. M

. . y. s "
Washington, D. c.. March 5-Not-
withstanding the positiveness with Il
which President Taft had declared re-
peatedly in all but direct and official K
language that unless Congress should 4
enact legislation to put into operation
tho Canadian reciprocity agreement.
he would summon an extra session kn
resume consideration OF the subject, 81
his fnlflment OF that threat within
two hours of adjournment was an act
ual surprise to many members OF that il
body. It was especially SO in the SEN
ate. AS late as an hour before final z
adjournment yesterday, prominent K
Senator'S and others about the Capitol
made bets that there would be no extra II
session, Pressure nothing less than IS
tremendous had been brought to bear
upon the administration and upon
members Of Congress to prevent the +
calling OF the extra session. Until the
last moment rurnors were incessant
that way would be found to avoid
It. One Of the most persistent was II
that there were in progress some kind III
OF negotiations between the President
and the Canadian government looking
to the withdrawal ofrthe reement by
one party or the other, so as to giv6 NJ
excuse for Withholding thei special y
call. Another rnmor was that there
was some kind OF an understanding
lean leaders In Congress to the effect
that one or more OF the grent n pro
priation bills, preferably the general
deficiency bill, was to be lost IN the s
shuttle. 50 that the special session
would be voidahle g still another
was that the leaders had dcternineda q
to hold up some appropriation bill lii f
which the White House was specially
interested, and at the last moment
make its passage conditional upon the
abandonment OF the extra session pro- #
iect The bockade OF tho approprla-.s
ton bill In the hlibusters in both
houses yesterday. tended to give color
to these stories.
Met Scnnt Welcome.
. some go 10 far as to say that ifF
certain Senator'S had believed the Pres 4
ident would actually make good his n
threat. they would have made siren
uous effort 10 pass the reciprocity BILL
Whatever may be the degree or ali &
sence OF truth In any OF these stories.
there can be no doubt that the issue
of the Presidents extra session proc
lama ton met scant welcome at tia x
hands OF those members Of Congress
who. after the stress OF the past ses-
sion, will barely have time to go home
for brief respite, and to adjust their
affairs for another session which many q
mink Will extend far Into the summe i5y
There are those who believe 1t will ba X
SO long as to leave only "construc-
tive recess" before the regular session u
begins in December. Il
At the present time any prediction
or the length OF the special session a
must be sheer speculation. The Dem
ocrats OF the House who will Initiate Il
tariff legislation have had no time ia 4
inausurate plans. Any program pre- an
praed now or at any time within tho
next several weeks would be subject 81
to sweeping changes. dictated by con u
tinSencies which the administrations
the Democratic House or the Republi- &
can Senate could neither forcsce nor 81
control.
The best informed leaders OF both
the Democratic and Republican parties
VINO are familiar with tariff questions.
realize that whatever may be the sem
tineht throughout the country, there
can he no sudden reduction Of customs 4
duties It is conceded that even q Dem III
ocratic House, which immediately WIFE
be hoinbarded with demands for radical u
modification OF the tariff. or even the III
destruction OF the protective policy, ~
ton. TaI5
Democratic leaders OF the House wili III
nave many conferences during the COM
Ing session with members Of their partva#
III the Senate. This fact became known 81
to-day. when 1t was announced unohl-
"''tiiS t'iie SA expenditures would be NCOn-3tsf
sidered in connection with revenues It
was suggested that work would be 4
given TO the committees on eXpendi- #
lures IN the various departments which 4
III the past have been empty assign 81
ihents. intended only 10 give the chair
man thereof extra allowances for clerk Fl
hire and similar pcruuisites in the gift
OF the party which happened to be in
the majority or The tIousc. Tho same
condition OF affairs has existed In the r.
Senate.
thnnsc la Approximations.
Approximations for the large part, K
have been In tho hands Of tie House Il
and Senate Committees on Approprlu- 81
tons There have been few cxcep-
tons. such as The billsF for. the army
navy, pensions and Post Office Depart al
ment. but for the most part tile great
bulk OF expenditures has been pa ssed on M
By overworked Committees on Appro- a
priations. The eject has been that
Items agSrcEating millions have heeE III
voted upon by the great body OF Con 3 80
Gress with little or no opportunity for II
study OF their merits I; was iH that N
way that tho "Rillion Dollar Congress,, $s
was created. II rests with Congress s
whether the rapid growth or eslinate eE SSsS
and the almost as rapid growth Of cps 4
preparations IL 10 be checked a S15@'
Some OF the Democratic leaders who ~
have given Thought 10 this situation s
have come To the conclusion that .hdyS rs
have before them n greater work thanS8j
revising the tariff They realize that ss
the executive hepartTeria arc called S
upon 70 cxpcud grcEt Su,ns} OF money. 81;
as The result of uublic sentiment and w