Evening star., 1901-11-15
OPINIONS DIVIDED
Division Among Republicans Of Ways
and Means Committee.
HOPKINS and FAWNEY CONSERVATIVE
interests That VIII CIamor for
Reduced Taxation.
THE RECIPROCITY QUESTION

A division of sentiment in the republican
membership of the House ways and means
committee has developed upon the subject
of reduction of the war taxes. Mr.. Payne
of New York the chairman of the commit
tee, with his following is in favor of heavy
reduction, and Mr.. Payne is understood to
be preparing bill to be introduced at the
opening of the session providing for the cut.
Some other members of the committee,
however. are inclined to proceed with eau
tion in that direction notably Mr.. Hopkins
and Mr.. Tawney. Both gentlemen are in
Washington today and in discussing the
question said to a Star reporter that they
would not favor depicting the revenues of
the government until it is ascertained what
the demands will be upon the Treasury De-
partment by the appropriations of the ses-
sion and the probable liabilities of the next
fiscal year.
Appropriations to BE Considered.
We do not know yet what our expenses
will be-" said Mr.. Hopkins. The appro-
priations committees will have to be con-
suited, the estimates of the Secretary Of
the Treasury considered and the general
legislation of Congress involving the spend
ing of money taken into account. What
will the Nicaragua canal cost, and how
much will have to be appropriated toward
it's construction out of the revenues of
each year? If that ship subsidy bill gets
through. what will that cost?
There is a demand for river and harbor
improvements for public buildings and for
increased expenditures on account of the
government service in many directions. 1
think We would do better to take all these
liabilities into reckoning before slashing
away at our assets indiscrimnately.
ut is much easier to cut down your reve-
nues than to bring them up. and we have
had experience, under democratic rule, with
wiping out the surplus. We saw some hard
times before the republican party could get
back into power and put the country on u
business basis-make its income greater
than its outgo.
II do not say that there should not be
some reduction. I do not favor levying the
taxes unnecessarily. but ! think we ought
to go about the reduction very carefully,
and. / stated not until We find out how
much We need"
MIR. Tawney Urges Conservatism.
Mr.. Tawney, just in from the west, ex-
pressed similar views. He urged conserva-
tism of action IN regard to war tax reduc
tion, and said he would like to have the
policy of public expenditures determined be-
fore proceeding far along the path of re-
duction of the revenues.
Opinions similar to those thus expressed
are widely entertained in congressional
circles. The difficulties and embarrass-
ments of a partial reduction of war taxes
are beginning to become apparent. The in
terests are conflicting and clamorous, and
Congress will have hard task to discrimi-
nate among them and select the particular
interests to be favored by reduction or re-
moval of the war taxes.
The strongest pressure for reduction Will
probably be brought by the beer brewers.
The ways and means committee is divided
upon the question of giving the brewers
further relief, and although a majority
might be rallied among the republican
members of the committee against mate
rial reduction the brewers are strongly
intrenched in the House and Senate, and
when the war tax reduction bill gets out
of the committees hands it will meet with
some vigorous treatment.
1t is now said that the whisky distillers
are organizing to secure lesSening of the
Internal revenue tax on their product. The
tobacco men are rallying for further re-
duction and the bucket shops are expect
ed to have lobby in Washington to have
their tax removed. Every interest has its
faction of friends in the House and Senate
and once started on the rocky road of tax
revision, no one can foresee the end.
Sugar "a Bone of Contention.
Sugar may be great bone of contention
in this Congress Signs are beginning to
shape up into Indication of very lively
fight over sugar The sugar trust wants
free sugar from Cuba. Many senator's and
representatives think that justice and gen.
erosity to the Cubans dictate a policy of
reciprocal commercial arrangements when
Cuba establishes government, by which
the Cuban sugar product can find an easier
market here, and our dairy produce and
machinery. clothing and shoes have ad-
vantages in Cuba.
But the beet sugar growers of the west
ern states say no: the cane planters of the
south say no; the Hawaiians. whose prod
uct now enters the mother country free saw
no; the Porto Ricans, just beginning to
enjoy free trade, say no. Just as soon as
Cuba cuts adrift from the United States
and begins TO paddle her own canoe the
fight will commence. but in the meantime
the interests affected are working up senti-
ment and agltating the question in their
own favor.
Question of Reciprocity.
Incoming Senator'S and Representatives
are very indefinite in their expressions of
opinion upon reciprocity. They talk in
bland and general way, but get them in
corner and try to pin them down to a def
mite statement and it is found Immediately
that there is conflicting interest to be
considered. Reciprocity will be declared
all right as principle. but its application
must not touch this or that certain article
Of home production. Use the other fell
lows articles to trade with. but keen off
my knit goods. or my jewelry, or my farm
truck" they say.
reciprocity, however, finds some advo-
Gates it did not possess the day when Mr
Blaine smashed his hat on the finance com
mlttee table and declared the Mckinley
Dill would not sell another barrel of flour
or cask OF pork to foreign countries. Then
fhe Iumbermen of the northwest wera
anxious Tor high tariff on Canadian INN
Der Now the changed conditions cause
the Canadian lumber in free. " 'e'
DOMESTIC TERRITORY.