THE RECIPROCITY BILL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1180, 15 July 1911, Page 5

THE RECIPROCITY BILL.

WOOL TARIFF AMENDMENTS. By TelcEripli—Press Association—Copyright Washington, July 13. : Senator Bailey's tree list amendment to tho Reciprocity Bill, imposing a 25 per cent, duty on raw wool, was defeated by a largo majority. Senator Bailey then introduced a wool tariff amendment, but tho Senato ailjourned before a vote was taken* Tho amendment is a modification of tho Wool Bill recently passed by tho Lower House, which places all duties on raw and manufactured wool at a general avsrojjo of 30 per cent.

THE OUTLOOK FOR THE BILL. Tho Canadian reciprocity agreement has been held back iii tho Senato because tho opponents of the measure thought that ueiay would help their plans. Their schemo (wrote the Now York "Evening Tost" recently), an old ono and one frequently practised in the Senate, is not working out exactly as they thought it would. Tho delays to which the agreement has been subjected since it passed tho House, instead of weakening the impetus behind it, liavo served to make, clearer to tho country just what persons and interests are preventing action and what are their motives. At the present time President Taft has pledged to him a sufficient number of votes to carry tho agreement through the Senate. He has a majority of tho Senate on his side. I'lns Canadian agreement, continued the Post,'' is tho first pieco of constructive legislation that this Republican Administration has offered to Congress. It is tho first original Taft policy. It is offered by a President whom nearlv every Republican concedes will be renominated for the Presidency next year. It i 9 popular, with the country. It has lieen praised on tho score of its statesmanship and souud public policy, yet the spectacle is presented of Mr. Taft's party associates and party followers in Congress refusing to vote for the single picce of legislation that this Congress was callcd in extraordinary session to enact. :

However, it is Still a littlo early to say definitely what a majority of tho Democratic Senators will do, notwithstanding President Taft's belief that all but sev*h of them will support the agreement. Tho Democratic Senators are not as fully awake to public s-eutimcnt and sounil party policy al tho moment as i» tnc Democratic majority in tho House. Thero are still among them luon who favour tacking the Farmers' Free List Bill as a rider to the reciprocity agreement. There was a small element in tho House that lelt this way, but was finally convinced before a vote was taken that such a course would not be sound judgment or good politics.