davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15
THE PROPOSED TAX on COFFEE.
HOSTILITY REVIVED BETWEEN THE Ar
BUCKLES AND THE SUGAR TRUST

The Arbuckle and Sugar Trust interests are
again showing signs Of active hostility toward each
other' the melting cause this time being the
rumored purpose OF the House Ways and Means
committee In case OF war. TO place all stocks Of
conce and tea now on hand a stamp tax equal to
the revenue tax 70 BE- placed on mportations Of
those commodities. the probable rates being 3
cents pound coffee and 10 cents on tea. The
Arbuckes. who primarily handlers OF coffee.
and are Just embarliny in the sugar refining busi-
ness. are reported to be well supplied with coffee.
while the Sugar Trust. which only recently en-
tered the coffee field. - generally supposed not 10
nave much or that staple on hand The PROPOSE
ton 10 tax coffee alreaay In this country has In
censed the Arbucke side. while The trust is said TO
favor II. Indeed u T. nsinuated by enemies OF the
sugar Trust that the projected legislation as 10
inerna! stocks or coffee was suggested BY tho
The Arbuckle brokers say that the total quantity
OF coffee on hand Is only about one hundred and
thirty million pounds, all OF which has been accu-
INFLATED In the ordinary course OF business, abso-
imposition OF a tax upon future importa ton. and
that stamp tax on present stocks would De taking
from man property which he has accumulated.
and would be unconstitutional.
The Sugar Trusts spokesmer retort that II cof-
Zee Is to be taxed the burden must fall upon all
alike: that II the Government wants money. it
wants IL now. ami not six or eight months hence
when the supply on hand is exhausted. as. unless
the stock on hand were taxed equally with that 70
be brought in. not a pound would be Imported until
the present supply should be exhausted. that that
pounds, but more than twice that quantity that
the Sugar Trust has all the coffee for It's present
needs and that II would be easy TO collect stamp
tax II the large dealers were required 10 make
80 per cent OF the coffee manufactured IN this
country is sold in packages
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15
TO RAISE ADDITIONAL REVENUE.
SOME OF THE TAXES Mr. DINGLEY WILL PRO.
POSE IN CASE OF WAR

POSE IN CASE OF WAR
Washington. April II (SpeciaD.-It Is expeots4
that as soon joint resolution in relation to
Cuban affairs shall have been passed by both
branches OF Congress. II not before. Chairman
Dingley Of the Committee on Ways and Means
will introduce In tho House OF Representatives Q,
bill to raise additional revenue, and also Ia
fortify the resources OF the National Treasury
until the additional revenues shall begin come in
For several weeks Mr. Dngley has had these mat
ters under consideration. and has frequently con-
suited with Treasury officials. and also with
eral OF his colleagues OF the Ways and Means Com
mttee in regard to them. Thus far. however. no
formal conference Of the committee. the major.
lily OF IT, has been held the subject. but there u
no doubt that prompt action will be taken soon
as the necessity OF Il shall become apparent.
OF course the main sources OF additional rev.
enue must be Internal taxation. but Il may be 70.
sarded probable that duties will be laid sew
erai imported commodities which al.
mitted free. and perhaps higher duties imposed on
several dutiable articles. Chief among the formes
are tea and coffee. The yearly consumption Of tea
Is about iW0U.yo pounds. and II Is steadily In.
creasing. and the importations OF coffee 10
about 6Oo.oco00o pounds year. duty OF ten
cents pound on tea. which would be equivalent to
about 20 per cent ad valorem would yield 100000
a year. and duty OF three cents pound coffee
would amount 10 $4,000 600 year making total
OF S2s 10000
II these duties shoulc De Imposed an lnternal TAX
unsold stocks OF coffee and tea would have to
be imposed. According 10 the best information
obtainabe there is a six months supply of both tea
and coffee-500 1000 pounds OF the former and 9c.-
900 600 pounds OF the latter-on hand. which could
be reached by the collector At ten cents a
pound the tax the unsold stock OF tea In the
hands OF importers and wholesale dealers would
amount TO s. O60.0O0 and tax OF three cents n
pound on coffee would yield 100000 making
total Of s1io00o which could be speedily collected
and turned into the Treasury.
In the opinion of experienced Treasury officials
the collection Of this tax would be practicable ana
not unduly expensive. Much OF the tea and coffee
is held by a comparatively small number OF In
dviduas and concerns. For example. Il Is said
that a single concern now holds 100000 pounds
of coffee. and another half as great quantity:
have TO be a penalty TO prevent removal or salo
without payment OF II
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15

vrcE-CONSUL-G SPRINGER HERE
TIE TALKS BRIEFLY OF CT'BAs WOES AND THE
OUTLOOK FOR INTERVENTION.
,o.snh A. Springer for thirty years the vice-con-
az, General OF the United States at Havana
reached the city yesterday morning from Wash
ington. whittier he accompanied Consul-Generai
Leo after the latter's recall. MI Springer at
once went to his home No l@ West sixty-fourth-
=, where he was seen yesterday afternoon by a
Tribune reporter.
"Th.re is little that l say that Will interest
~, n,,hlc" Mr. Springer said. Everybody Is
well acquainted now with what General Lee has re-
norted TO the Government. and what might
add would not prove OF interest. The almost IN
bunan treatment accorded to the suffering Cubans
nv the Spanish ofncials has already been set forth
moro eoqucntly and in more detaii than cou'd
.u :, Int am sure that It has not been over
s,ated Misery Is apparent on every mana. IN
usvana as well as In the provinces. ana something
should be done to alleviate the lot OF the unlortu-
nate reconcentrados 1t is true that the relief dis
,r,huted by Miss Clara Barton and her noble as-
sI.tants OF the Red Cross has done much 70 save
nart ~ the Cubans from starvation. but there are
thousands Of others who barely exist on the cruss
md remnants from the tables or their more fortu-
rats fellow -countrymen. who because OF the ousi-
ness depression incident to tho rebellion. are unable
=. .rora them more relief. This condition of
S psaes The President has already pointed the
pee. n accomplish that end and II the Senate will
way u Iii as the House has already done Cuba will
again become the prosperous Island that IL was De-
fore the instruction began
iT In sneaking of the alleged Republic of Cuba and
the ability OF It's officials TO administer the ahalrs
nsred to say anything about the republic. will
say, however that the Cubans as SAL, rule are law;
can rule In their warfare they have been humane
and not wantonly destructive OF property General
Gomez has good control over his men, and one
seldom hears OF excuses committed by them ex-
cent where II Is necessary to prevent supplies
from falling into the hands OF tho enAmy. When
we intervene / think 1t will be necessary for US to
conquer not only the Spaniards. but also the
chance TO show whether not they are able to
,raintain a stable government Of their own. The
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15
GENERAL LEE DECLINES A RECEPTION.
WANTS NO FUSS MADE ABOUT WHAT ANY
AMERICAN CITIZEN WOULD HAVE
DONE HE SAYS.

Washington April l4-Ceneral Fitzhugh Lee de-
clined to-day the honor OF d reception offered 70
him by the Union Veteran Legion and the Con-
federate Veteran Association Of the District oe
Columbia When the committee waited upon him
to-day TO receive his final decision he started his
speech OF decl.naton in a characteristic manner
Look here boys" ne said In q matter-of-fact
tone Il haven't done thing that either one OF
YOU or any American citizen would not have done.
and don't why there should be any fuss made
about H. Now I don't want you TO think am
,ngratefuI for I am not; but have studied over
the matter and feel satisfied that II would be
better not 10 have tho reception. don't want for
an instant for anybody to think that wish to PUT
myself forward, and | must decline your most kind
offer" .
one Of General Lees most intimate friends said
that one reason for his not wanting the reception
was that he recognized the fact that he occupied
an official place and felt hestancy in accepting
any formal demonstration on this account.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15
CAPTAIN SIGSBEE'S TESTIMONY.

Captain Sigsbee in command Of the Maine at
the time Of the disaster. was examined on March
81 He repeated his belief that the Maine was
destroyed by n mine, but no larger one than
could be planted near the vessel NJ any time In
broad daylight and under direct vision with
the means available In Havana for that pur-
pose. He thought twelve men. having mutual
confidence and preserving secrecy. could have
planted II. and that II could have been done
while the ordinary discipline and watchfulncss
we're observed on the ship. ship moored at
harbor would swing around 10 a given point
where mine might be located. and when II
should reach that point the mine would be ex-
ploded. He thought It could have been planted
from a scow between decks. There were, he
ga Id. lot OF idle army officers in Havana. and.
while he would not charge them with anything,
he thought it not out OF place to speak OF the
possibilities OF the case. lie had shown a sketch
involving these theories to Captain Sampson.
who had also commanded torpedo station. and
had asked him II vessel could drop a mine
Ike the one he had described instantly, and that
Captain Sampson and other officers had replied
that II could and that twelve men could do IT,
That" said Captain Sgsbee. is the real
re ason asked to have the Montgomery taken
away. II they were going 10 do anything to
blow us up ! wanted TO have It done with
smaller vessel. They had no vigilance what
ever and no guard over vessels. Their
vigilance great where their vessels
were concerned Their boats were coming and
going all the time. and they generally refused
To answer when we hailed them. When they did
reply 1t was generally in an impudent manner"
In reply TO a question. Captain Slgsbee said
re thought II possible that the explosion could
have occurred without the knowledge OF the
higher officials"
JUST THE PLACE FOR MINE.
II was a curious fact that the officers OF the
deck said the vessel had never swung before in
the particular direction In which II swung on the
night Of the explosion. Continuing. he said:
The Maine is lying now in about the position
she would have taken to play on the Spanish
batteries. Now. II mine had been planted
there I assume It would have been planted In
inst that place. II only had been planted II
would have been just there.
In reply to a question as to what examination
the Spanish Board made Of the accident Cap
tain Sigsbee said:
They had not done anything for a week; had
not been down at I'll. car people leugheo at
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15
= OLIVER IsELIN's OFFER
prAny TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY IN ANY cAPAc

READY TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY IN ANY CAPACITY
C. Oliver Iselin has offered his services to tho
Government Mr.. and Mrs. Iselin arrived homo
from Europe on the White Star liner Majestic
yesterday.
Yes" said Mr.. Tselin, Il offered my services to
the Government through Ambassador Hay wheh
was in England I shall be glad 10 do any kind
-, saryice for my country, matter what"
Have you made an offer OF any yacht to the Gov
eminent
NO" Mr. Isein replied. Il have mono good
enough. | don't think the Defender ~;
No I don't think. when the country 70 IN 70
grave an emergency as 1t Is that u ID proper 10
consider such thing -. A.,
Mr.. and Mrs. Iselin went to their homo At New
Gontain w r. Wheeler. attached to the Regular
Army from 1914 to a few years ago ana now re-
iocn nj. services at tho disposal Of the Govern
mont Captain Wheeler has lived In Paris Tor four
yyncnt' He will go to Washington
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15
european Advertisements.

EUROPEANS AND TRAVELLERS will anA
~ the London ONCE Of The Tribune. l%o
Fleet street, q convenient place to leave
their advertisements and subscriptions fog
The Tribune.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15
LONDON WAR CORRESPONDENT HERE

A LONDON WAR COhHESfONDENr hEhE'
Among the passengers who arrived yesterday on
49,, white star Line steamer Majestic from Liver
nooI and Queenstown. was Captain r j. MacHush
who comes over to represent "The Londoh Da'iy
r,,nh" IN the event Of the breaking out Of
hos,1it,e. Mr. MacHugh has letters Of introduce
lion to the Secretary of War and other oieials At
Washington. where he went immediatey' ne ea
vessels. -. A. .-.ur,.,.. -, .rh.
rativ reieeraph accompanied Captain MacHugh.
Nr lie Sage viii remain IN this city until war be-
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15

General Iee-Nothing more tnan from inc
aoor 0ndicafjng) The way the insurgents 90 IS
This ,rhev have little patches Of sweet potatoes
everything grows there very abundanty IN
short tIme-and Irish potatoes ana irults' ihey
dr,,a their pigs and cattle into the valleys ana
hilsides and they use those ana scatter ou.
THAT In the reason why they all scatter our; a
great many planting. The Insurgents pam a
crous In many parts OF the islahd HpeahIit
ohort az armistlce they have not been interfered
With much since General Blanco came there
with the exception Of the campaign or renerai
Pando in the eastern par OF tna ,norr
nave been very few military operations inaugn-
rated by the Spanish. SO 1t has been practicaIIy
q sort Of a truce for some time-the insurgents
because they did not want TO fght. ana oecauS"
n was against orders to nghI
HAVANA COULD BE STARVED
Senator Mills-suppose Havana was BLOCK block
aided so that no provisions couio go H. "ou'u
The people there have any way 10 get any
General Lee-NOne whatever. The town "ouid
surrender in a short while
General Lee said that all but about 100000
Standards Of the population OF Cuba, which IS
about 500 900 were Cubaps.
Arc all the Cubans friendly to the insur-
oents?" asked Senator Foraker.
"I never saw that was not. Responded
General Lee
(encral Lee said he had spent all but about
G, 600 or the $4,000 appropriated for the reilef
y, American citizens in Cuba Senator Morgan
al ~ IL was n matter VI hStu"' i'N~N'N'
food them. 10 which General Lee replied;
they were practically in the condition or an
,ha cher inhabitants Of the Island Tney nau
,arv little to work at. There were no. tnaiiy
VeIs niantatons IN operation nor tobacco
susa. and they were suffering like everybody
else. -. -, c..,ah Aruy
-, INV OF the supplies sent by the United
NO sir" said General Lee Occasionally
49,, might have got q little here and there
SPANISH SOLDIERS.
Senator Frye asked various questions IN re,
card TO the physical condition OF tne opaiiS"
so,d,ers and the method Of providing TOT mem
s,-,e,, ,,. following are specimens, with their
replies 49,, a,,,or NJ the
ccnator Frye-What is the conoi,ioh u ''
snanish soldiers there In the isianc'
General Lee-Very bad.
SNo,or rrve-As TO clothing and subsistence
how they? ,..,,o, a,d worry
General Lee-They are badly clo'ijed anu 'e''
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15

autonomists. who are quite generous viii have -
be considered in estab shing this government"
Mr.. Springer asserted that he felt that the
Maine explosion was caused from the outside and
ne declared that the place whore the unfortunate
oatie-ship was moorcd was known by the Span
Ism authorities TO be sunken mine
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15
ADMIRAL IRWIN A WITNESS.

Admiral John Irwin. a torpedo expert. ap
reared before the committee on April . He
said he had bee in the harbor OF Havana as a
puot hundreds OF times He was there a great
deal while he was employed in laying the West
India cable system. and there much Of the
time during the rebellion from 1865 TO 1871. At
tho, time the Spaniards were bitterly hostile
toward Tho Americans on one occasion during
that war Americans we're fired on by Spaniards
,r q caf4 n number Of persons being killed and
wounded He believed the destruction OF the
Maine was caused by the explosion OF sub
marine mine
"rr" he added. the mine had been originally
laid 70 communicate with a magazine on shore
and then they had changed their minds and
wished 10 use II FOR ship It would have been
n very simple operation 10 detach the cable
from, IN. shore magazine and convey the ends
surrcnti,iously to the ship. Any one versed in
handling and knowing the ground would have
No. d,niculty or the cable might have been
tanned from any ship and the splice made. II
corld have been made in the space OF half an
bour under cover OF darkness without any one
having any knowledge Of It except the parties
implicated"
He said that torpedo mines were planted al
oxactlv known places and there would have
hoen no difficulty at all for people on shore to
know the exact location Of the ship and that
she was over mine. He was not surprised
that there we're no dead Ash the next DAY
"a how can explode a little dynamite on the
surface OF the water and stir up quite mum
hor OF dead fish II there are any 1sh there. ne
s,id and again during my work in Mobile
Raw which is n fine fsh-producins water In
three or four weeks work never saw one dead
dsn" He went on then to relate several expe-
rIences confirming this opinion
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15
STUDENTS FORM NAVAL RESERVE.

Ann Arbor Mich, April H-At a meeting hs,9
for that purpose last night. naval reserve battal-
ion of 100 men formed at the University OF
Michigan II Is expected that within week the
membership will be increased 70 200
Evening star., 1898-06-28

GERS on the river at and near tho Cra,,
ans ana also an undivided one-half in
the Maryland side"
bill, said: U''o usseu ehe
MI chairman. as / understand the pur-
pose OF this bill. it is not merely TO Increase
the water supply of the District fn thu or
binary sense of water supply but Inc oh
1ect OF the bill is to provide a means by
winch the government can generate and
supply Its own electricity for all public pur-
poses IN the District of Columbia Now the
government of the United States acting for
the District OF Columbia, either has or has
not sufficient title to acquire and TO exer-
clse these water rights and privileges. II
1t has sufficient title under the cession made
by the state of Maryland in the act sf 1874
or otherwise. why, then the bill is useless
liz We have not sufficient title then the gov
ernment has to acquire the title.
The Original Grant.
BY the original grant from Charles I to
Caecilius Calvert the boundary of the state
OF Maryland runs to the south bank of the
Potomac river. so that the state of Mary
land owns the whole Potomac river. That
is admitted by decisions of the court Of an
peals of our state, by legislative proceed
ings and it has. If / mistake not. congress
sional recognition. The state of MARYLAND
is the proprietor of the bed and of the
stream. Not only is the bed of the river in
the territory Of Maryland but IT actually
belongs TO the state public property and
before you can condemn that property YOU
must admit that you can sue a state which
no member of this House will hardly con-
tend for.
My contention is that the Great Falls
Power Company has no trans ferable rights.
has no rights that can be acquired by con-
demnation, and that you can only acquire
the property from the state of MARYLAND by
agreement with the state, through her Leg
islature, or by making her, with her con-
sent, party to proceedings which are tan
tamount to a suit"
Mr.. Pitney opposed the bill vigorously,
and Mr.. Dockery also urged objections 10 1t.
Evening star., 1898-06-28
JOSEPH GREEN'S DILEMMA.
Destroyed Suit of Clothing md Had
Bad Luck.

Joseph e. Green, the young man under
indictment here for the alleged theft of
clothing from an E street boarding house.
and for stealing bicycle from a local
dealer, was brought here from Nashville
Tenn yesterday and placed iii Jail, as pub
lshed III yesterdays Star. When the pris-
oner reached here in charge of Deputy
Marshal Bell, his appearance was that of
cne who had been ION the road for long
time, though he was known 20 have dress
ed well curing the few days he spent here
several weeks ago.
This complete change in his appearances
was accounted for by hlmGelf He put the
blame on the Nashville police authorities
Whie in his cell he begged the officers to
give him a good outfit from his trunk, but
as the trunk and contents had been seized
as evidence IN the case the re quest was re-
fused. Green thought the matter over and
one day he took off his clothes and amused
himself by tearing tnCm In such small
pieces that they could not be put together.
Now" he said, when H. had finished, Il
know you viii have to give me a suit
The loss OF his garmen,o lid not cause
him any great Inconvenience, because of
the warm weather. Before starting in this
direction the officers took to his cell neat
ly wrapped bundle, and the signt of it
made the young mans hear, shade
lighter for he had every reason to believe
IL contained a new suit. When he opaned
the bundle, however, he was surprised to
find an old ,econd-h hand suit and the c:Ii-
GERS explained that it mad beea bought
from a second-hatd store and the prics
paid for it was only few cents. This old
suit was far worse than the one he had de-
strcyed, but there was no remedy, and in
this trampy-looking, condition he returned
Green, whose home is in Nashville, was
in this city about four days and stopped
ut a boarding house on street northwest
between 9th and 10TH streets The hight
he disappeared the rooms of some of the
other boardars were riaed of clothing. De-
tectves Boardman and Gai'aher and Police
man Miller of the ifirsh precinct recovered
the clothing and two bicycles and caused
the young mans arrest. His alleged VIC
tins r. R. Burr 81, Co. Aukam & Co.
and H. w. Highams& Co. 1t is alleged that
he hired bicycles from ftilesc firms ana dis
posed of them % d
The police have information that Green is
also charged with having robbed a Ph,la-
delphia firm of a bicycle. A plea of not
guilty has been entered in The two cases in
which he is under Indictment and the trial
will be had later.