The Washington times., 1902-02-05
STEERING COMMITTEE
TO Be ANNOUNCED
Senate-Will Need Programme
Shortly.
War Revenue Abolition Bill and
Cuban Tariff Concession to Come
Up Soon for Consideration.

Senator Allison will probably announce
the names of the Senate Steering Com
mittee today, as he was authorized to do
by the Republican caucus before the hoii-
day recess. There has been no necessity
for haste in the arranging OF a pro-
gramme, and so matters have been. al
lowed to drift along in the Senate with
out any formal decision as to the right
of way
1t will be necessary to have a Iegis-
lative plan, however. when the Philip
pines tariff bill. now under consideration,
shall be disposed Of, as it is evident that
the Committee on Interoceanic Canals
VIII not be ready to report canal bill
for some time
The Abolition of War Taxes.
The hearings in the committee are to
De exhaustive, and many witnesses are
to be examined. Senator Aldrich. the
chairman OF the Finance Committee. has
returned to Washington. and the COM
mittee will be ready to consider the bill
abolishinS the war taxes as soon as il
comes over from the House But il has
not been decided yet what action to take
on the measure, and it will not be until
definite and detailed information has been
obtained and considered regarding the
probable receipts and expenditures for
the coming fiscal year
The Senate Finance Committee has mot
been favorable TO the policy OF removing
/ all OF the war taxes. although at present
they are disposed TO think that the in
ternal revenue taxes of one kind and an
other should be reduced to the extent of
about s7O,0O0, 900.
1t is now practically certain that the
Senate will not take the initiative in the
Cuban tariff legislation, even though the
House should be very deliberate about
passing bill. The situation as regards
the details of the proposed legislation is
! very much mixed. but there is now no
reason to doubt that bill making some
kind of tariff concession to Cuba will be
framed by the Ways and Means Commit
tee and eventually passed by the House.
Differences of Opinion.
The arguments in favor of such a bill
are so strong that they cannot be re-
sisted. although there is a very serious
difference of opinion among leaders of
both the Senate and the House as TO what
form the concessions to Cuba should take
Some of the Senators and Representatives
who are closest to the Administration fear
the political effect of q reduction in the
Cuban tariff in the beet sugar States. and
are trying to find q way to give Cuba
the relief demanded without antagonizng
the representatives in Congress from
those States.
One Senator, who is n man of great
influence among the Republicans in Con-
sress and out. is now considering the
terms of bill to be submitted to the
rival factions on the Ways and Means
Committee OF the House proposing % do
nate out of the Treasury a sum equal to
% per cent of the duties collected on
imports from Cuba. to be paid to the new
| Cuban Government for distribution among
| the needy planters of the island.
Relief VIII Be Granted.
| Another Senator of as great influence
as any man in the Senate. and who is a
member of the Committee on Cuban Re
| lations. says that while it is certain that
| relief will be granted TO Cuba at this ses-
| sion OF Congress, it will not be done in a
; hurry. and that the precise form it will
| take is as yet uncertain.
| He thinks that there should be n re-
| duction of say 20 per cent in the tariff
rates, which. it has been estimated on
! the basis of present importations, would
I put about Sc. 900, 900 back into the pockets
| of the Cuban planters.
The leading men of the Senate and
House who are convinced that some sort
| of concession must be granted. declare
| that there is no occasion for haste in
passing the bill. because it is only neces-
sary to let it be known that the United
States will enact this legislation. anC
/ Cuban credit will at once be established
! and whatever hardships exist now viii
, disappear