Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-11-25
TO STUDY RECIPROCITY
COMMISSION MAY Be
AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Treaties Will Certainly be Kept Be-
fore the Senate and Furnish
Constant Topic for Discus
sion - The Secretaries

Washington, Nov. 6.--The question
Of reciprocity is one OF the most i'm
portant problems to come before Con-
gress at its approaching session. Presi-
dent Roosevelt is particularly anxious
that something should be accomplished
In that direction, and is seeking advice
from those Senators who would have
most to do with the settlement Of the
ratter. He and several leading Sena-
tcis. latest aiaong whom was Senator
Aldrich, Of Rhode Island, have con-
suited together on this point. Sena-
tor Aldrich, 1t will be remembered,
was one OF the opponents OF the pend.
ing reciprocity treaties during the lat,
session OF Congress. and 4 is under
stood that his view that they do NOT
give the United States sufficient re-
turn for the concessions they make
has not been changed. That he Is not
opposed to reciprocity as a theory IL
geenrally believed, the dificulty being
to solve the problem practically. Presi-
dent Roosevelt Is equally anxious for
such a result. and at the recent con-
sultation of the President and the
Rhode Island Senator this subject was
most carefully considered.
One thing seems certain. and that i.
that tn ereciprocity treaties will be
kept before the Senate, not necessarily
with the hope that they will finally he
ratified, but rather than they may
serve to keep the question agitated
Aside from the selfish opposition of In
terests that fear they would be injur.
ed by the concessions granted In the
pending treaties, there is the broader
ground OF opposition that involves e
principle the opposition to legislatins
through treaties. to giving the execu-
tive the power to determine, subject.
Of course, to the approval of the Sen
ate. what reduction OF duties shall be
made in return for similar reductions
by some foreign country. A PROPOSE
ton IL being considered that. Its advo-
Is to form a commission, somewhat
similar to that which framed the tarin
Of 1888. which shall endeavor to make
some plan which will satisfactorily
solve the vexing question. The idea
seems to be for this commission TO Ar
range a schedule Of minimum rates 70
be charged on foreign importations.
Thus the present tariff rates would be
the maximum ones and the minimum
ones would have to be arranged by the
commission, subject. necessarily, "
the approval Of Congress. Under this
plan, II France or Germany or some
other nation should propose to grant
concessions to American goods nI
treaty would be negotiated, but the
President would have to say. possibly
with the approval Of the Senate.
whether the concessions were SUN.
cient to Justify the enforcement of the
minimum instead OF q maximum rates
Of duty on imports from that country.
Instead OF certain articles from that
country being admitted on lower du-
ties the minimum rates would apply
without change to every importation
from that country. This Is the plan In
operation in several foreign countries.
and those who have considered It is
applicable to the tariff policy Of the
United States seem to find favor with
It. but the matter is now being con
cidered tentatively only, and may new.
er develop further than that.
1t will be admitted that Secretary
Root should be well informed regard.
ing Philippine conditions. Consequent
ly the determination to reduce the ar
my in the Philippines from forty-one
thousand some odd hundred men to
thirty-five, or possibly thirty tho l.
sad men. would appear to indicate
;,a: the apprehension rs 10 the real
Philippine situation might not be well
founded. 1t is rather interesting, IL
this connection, to note that neither
hdjutant General Corbin nor any one
of the bureau chiefs who visited the
Philippines In the past summer has
seemed to be apprehensive as to the
situation there, Secretary Root main
tains that such outbreaks as that in
Samar are to he expected at intervals.
hut that they offer no cause for seri-
Gus concern, thirty-fve thousand men
being ample for all emergencies. The
responsibility for the decision rests
with the President and his Secretary of
War, but to an outsider 1t would seem
as II there were no little danger in
their present optimism, particularly
when the treacherous character OF the
Filipinos is remembered.
President Roosevelt absolutely re-
fuses to interfere with the policy Of his
Cabinet officers In matters Of admin
istrative policy that are not really ma
tional in scope. Here is an example
On Monday Of this week Representa-
tives Fitzgerald Of Brooklyn, and Rup-
pert of New York, called upon him Ia
urge him to recommend in his message
that some of the new war vessels be
built In the United States Navy Yards
The President was enthusiastically
courteous, but absolutely refused Ia
touch upon the matter in any way
saying that If anything of that kind
was done II should come through the
Secretary of the Navy. That official, II
happens, does not believe that the
Government can ln a q we'll In tho ,nn