The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-22
WAYS IND aEAIS. PROGRAMME
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS HAVE
DRAFT OF THE NEW Law PRAC-
TICALLY COMPLETED
WORKINGS OF RECIPROCITY
Futility of the DingIey Law Provis-
ion Demonstrated In Negotia-
tiOns for Treaty With
Russia.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21-The Renub-
hcan members of the ways and means
committee made much progress TODAY
with the bill to amend the war revenue
law that it is expected the first draft
will be comDleted by tomorrow night.
The committee decided today to make the
bill for reduction of $30,00000O a year
This is the amount suggested by secre-
tary Gage YESTERDAY, and 1t is understood
meets with the views of the president
In fact, the members of the ways and
means committee, who saw the president
last evening, say that before Secretary
Gaze appeared before the committee the
whole matter had been carefully consid-
cred by the president and the secretary.
Briefs of interested parties are being
received and considered, but the commit
tee has given no hearings and will not
do SO. Gen. Grosvenor was not at the
meeting today, having gone to Ohio for
q few days.
RECIPROCITY WITH RUSSIA.
Negotiations are in progress between
the state department. and the Russian
government, as reported respectively by
Special Plenipotentiary Kasson and AM
bassador Cassini, looking to the making
of a reciprocity treaty under the terms
of the Dingley tariff act. AS both coun-
tries are large producers of raw ma
terial and as Russia is making enough
strides in the development of manufac-
lures Of metals and textiles, it is with
great difficulty that the. plenipotentiaries
can find articles to form the basis Of
tariff reductions for such a treaty A
VeXauouS commodity, for instance is su-
gar, which Russia is producing in rapid
ly increasing quantities and is now mar
ketng in the United States. At one phase
in its production and its expectation this
sugar receives substantial aid from either
the local or general Russian government
Under a strict construction of the coun-
teryailing duty section of the Dingley
act such bounty which aids sugar is la
BILE to a discriminatory duty But the
United States government, upon the nv
gent representations Of the Russian gov
ernment, has indefinitesss& suspended the
eXaction of such duties. For its part
the Russian government has refrained
from imposing maximum (and in many
cases prohibitory) duties upon United
States exports to Russia Now it is in
.timated that the situation is rather pre-
carous, that there is danger at any mo-
ment of judicial decision or some ex-
ecutive action on one side or the other
that may destroy the amicable under
standing, This appears from the news
ACOO4hS GU Oi1 Tic COdSI II1dI INuSSld
is contemplating an so per cent increase
of the duties on American flour, while the
sugar deal is by no means permanent.
IN PAGo PAGo.
The navy department has received
report from Commander b. f. FflIey. the
commandant of the naval station at
Pago Pago, on the island of Tutila. Sa-
moa. Peace and quietness, says Com
mander Tilley, prevail everywhere among
the natives. and they are obedient, tract
able and industrious. Attention is be-
ing to the cultivation of cocoanuts
bananas, and marked increase in the
expectation of copra is noted. A num-
Der of roads and harbor entrances are
said to be suffering for want of improve
ments, and Commander Tilley says that
the natives would be much ENCOURAGED
by government expenditure of a few
thousand dollars for this purpose.
FOREIGN SECRET AGENTS.
A published statement to the effect that
the state department has at the instance
of the war and navy departments ad-
dressed demands to the embassies and
legations here for information that viii
lead to the disclosure of the identity of
secret agents of foreign governments,
met with most prompt and sweeping
denial by the officials of each one of the
departments mentioned
The same publica ton threatened the
dismissal of a number of worthy foreign
born government employees as a result
of this movement 1t also is denied
that such a thing is in contemplation,
and it may be stated officially that all
this government has done in the matter
of communicating with foreign govern
ments respecting war material has been
to secure reciprocal advantages for
American attaches abroad and it has
not issued any note that might be lc-
garded as discourteous to any legation.
COLOMBIAN REVOLUTION.
The developments in the Colombian
revolutionary movement are being watch
ed here with keen interest as well as
with some anxiety. This is specially true
of the movement of the British gunboat
Pheasant, from Vlvtorfa to the Isthmus,
where it is understood she is to effect
a settlement with the Colombian govern
ment for the seizure of the British mer-
chant ship Taboga by the Venezuelan
army as transport The fact that a
considerable sum of money was offered
to the captain OF the Taboga for the
use Of his ship does not legally offset the
protest of the British consul against the
seizure, so it may be expected that the
Colombian government will be called to
severe account. AS no American Interests
have so far been directly affected by
what has happened no orders have yet
been issued for the dispatch of United
States nava vessel to Columbia.
The Bancroft was sent South some time
ago and will be in the vicinity of the
trouble should any necessity arise for
looking after American interests in that
quarter. On the Pacific side the Phila-
delphia and Iowa are available. They
Will go South before long for winter
cruise. though there is no present purpose
OF using them In connection with the
disturbance in Colombo, which has not
up to this time assumed an aspect re-
quiring the presence of any anxiety.
REJOICING SUSPENDED.
The secretary of the treasury has is
sued circular, under today's date, sus-
pending the refunding operations, to take
effect Dec. 81, 1SOs
MISS GARY'S. WEDDING.
President and Mrs. Mckinley will go to
Baltimore Saturday to witness tnes mar
riage Of Miss Lillian Gary, daughter OF
ex-Postmaster General Gary, to Robert
G. Taylor They will be accompanied by
nearly all the cabinet officers and their
wives. The president and party viii
remain for breakfast, but early In the