The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-20
TARIFF QUESTION
 WILL BE TAKEN UP
 DURING THE WEEK
Underwood Expects to Map Out Whole Plan of
 Procedure
TO PUSH CANADIAN
 RECIPROCITY FIRST
Most Complex Question Is Whether Tariff Schedules Will Be Placed on the Reciprocity Bill
 as Rider

do RiucT
 Washington. March 19.-It is the ex- pectation of Chairman Underwood tha the democratic members of the House committee on ways and means will be- gin. work on tariff questions some time during the coming week and that by the time the extraordinary session of Congress is convened on April 4 some plan will have been mapped out to gov ern the committees procedure after the Dill to carry out the Canadian reef procity agreement has been framed. The most complex question that will come before the committee is whether any tariff schedules will be placed on the Canadian bill as riders, or whether such schedules as the committee de- cides should be revised shall be treat ed as separate measures
 The certainty that hearings will be demanded by producing and manufac- turing interests affected by any pro- posed revision of the tariff may de- termine the ways and means con nit tee not to complicate the Canadian question with consideration of such schedules as wool and woolens, cot ton or agricultural implements. The majority of the committee Is a unit in favor of the Canadian agreement and 1t Is believed the decision will be to keep 1t separate from. other tariff mat ters and take up no schedules until after the Canadian bill has been sent to the Senate.
 UnderwoOd's Bill
 Contrary to the general report, Rep resentative Peters of Massachusetts will not introduce the Canadian bill which will be presented almost im- nediately upon the convening of the special session. That honor will fall to Chairman Underwood following the prac- man Underwod following the practice of having revenue measures presented by the chairmanrof the ways and means committee. The bill, however, will be the one framed in the committee and will be known as committee meas ure.
 Although the prospects are that the Canadian bi1, will not carry general tariff revision as rider, 1t Is not ini- probable that it may go a great deal further than the Mccall bill, which passed the House in the last session. At the same time the Mccall bill will
 
 to carry out the terms of the agreement with Canada The difference between that measure and the one which will come from the democratic committee probably will be in the nature of an ad- ditional provision which would give to the President the power to enter into freer commercial relations with Can ada with respect to articles not named by the agreement.
 | 1,o b,ril the plan of section 3 of the Dingley act That provision, known as the trading section of the Dingley law, en- abled the President, without consulta- tion with Congress to enter into nego- tiations with other countries Tor mu- tual tariff concessions on certain stipu- lated articles even to the extent Of sus- bending absolutely the imposition Of du- ties.
 Favor Free Trade
 Most of the democrats in congress arc fin favor of absolute free trade with Can ada but they realize that they have not the power to legislate to that end. Their course would be, therefore, to put the au- thority in the hands of the President 10 exercise at such time as Canada, by ac- ton of its parliament, might consent. Such a provision, it is said, would not Ill anyway involve the existing agreement. The introduction of such provision Tn the Canadian bill might necessitate very slight change in the agreement ltset. That agreement was patterned a1ter the language of the Dingley act, rather than the later Payne-Aldrich act. unoer the former. the words articles. the growth product or manufacture of, were held by decisions of the general appraisers to be too broad. They permitted the intro duction of articles which were assembled in foreign country, comprised or parts manufactured in countries to which the concession was not intended to apply. Cognizance of this fact was taken by the framers of the Payne-Aldrlch law and the word wholly was made prefix to the words 'the growth, product or manufac- ture off,
 The effect was to narrow the applica- tion of the law to the original intent or Congress. The Canadian agreement as negotiated by the two countries does not use the word wholly" Many of the tariff experts regard this as an oversight and think it should be rectifed. In the event of the adoption of an additional section which would enable the President to extend the agreement at some future time, these experts would consider the use of the word wholly" to be absolutely necessary.
 Will Revise Tariff
 Members of the ways and means com mittee mean to take steps to indicate their intention to proceed with revision 1 of the tariff in the event they fail to tack | any revision of schedules on the Canadian ! bill. They say they will make 1t clear . that they will follow the Canadian bill with one or two schedules in any event and that the House will be held in session | long enough to give the Senate time to act It is the general opinion that the Canadian agreement will be sent to the Senate by May 1, less than 90 days after the special session is called to order.
 It Is impossible to estimate how long the Canadian question will be before the Senate. No action can be taken at this time even to ascertain sentiment for nearly half of the finance committee was decimated by death and the ickleness of political fortune, and the vacancy will have to be filled before any action can be taken. It is almost certainty that Sem ator Penrose will be the chairman of the committee. but there is sure to be 8 struggle over the question of filling the vacancies. Of course, the friends of the Canadian agreement will try to have the vacancies hlled with men friendly to that measure. but the outcome is uncertain.
 National Regatta at Saratoga