The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-02-26
FOR RELIEF OF CUBA
WHITE HOUSE PROGRAM AGREED
TO.
Leaders in House and Senate Confer
with the President and He VIII
Gain His Point.

NEW YORK, February 15.-A spe-
clal to the sun from Washington SAYS.
Presidents ROOsevelts recommended
tons for tariff concessions to Cuba
submitted in his annual message to
Congress, will be acted upon during
the coming week. As soon as the bill
abOlishing the internal revenue war
taxes shall have passed the House.
Tuesday afternoon, i'm accordance with
special rule that will be adopted to-
morrow for consideration of the bill
the Republican members of the Wavs
and Means Committee will hold a con-
ference and agree upon a program for
framing and passing the Cuban tariff
reduction bill
This program was agreed to at
White House conference this morn
ing between the President, who called
it, and Speaker Henderson, Represen-
tatiVeS GrOsVenOr and Cannon. and
Senators Platt of Connecticut Spooner.
Aldrich and Allison. President RoOse-
welt told the Senators and Representa-
tives during the talk, which lasted for
an hour and a half, just how import
ant he thinks it is that the United
states shall keep it's written and un-
written pledges to Cuba, and said in
language so plain that it would not be
misunderstood that he had not weak
ened in the slightest degree since send
ing his message to Congress in Decem-
Der. Some one had reported him. he
said, as being willing to compromise
but there was NOTHING for him to COM
promise in view of the fact that all
he wants is legislation that will re-
lieve Cuba's crying distress and make
good to her the implied promises of the
United States.
Before this had been accomplished
the legislative situation in the House
was considered and the President was
nEupGiglIV i'm i.1 Ion 81
to the program for the passage on
Tuesday of the bill abolishing the war
revenue taxes. The Speaker and Rep
rCsentative GrOsvenOr explained to him
the rule that would be adopted on
Monday setting aside that day and the
next for debate on the bill and provid-
ing for a vote at 4 o'clock Tuesday.
The President was told that the re-
port Of Representative TaWney, the
Republican whip of the House, shows
that there would be a majority of at
least twenty-five for the adoption Of
the rule, although it is feared that a
few Republicans under the lead Of
Representative Babcock may refuse to
vote for the rule, being disgrunted at
the recent action of the Ways and
Means Committee i'm refusing to accept
the BabCock tariff reduction bill as an
amendment, or to accept any sugges-
tions as to general tariff changes.
Another important matter decided is
that the Senate will accept the bill
abolishing the war taxes as it passes
the House. with only such unimpOrtant
amendments as may be found desirable
when the bill is under consideration by
the Finance Committee. The House
plan to wipe out all the war taxes will
be agreed to, and the attempt at tariff
changes or tariff debate will thus be
checkmated. 1t was the unanimous
opinion that there is every reason why
there should be no tariff legislation at
this session, and there will be none.
AS to the precise form of the bill re-
ducing the tariff on imports of Cuban
products into the United States, there
is still much uncertainty. Some Re-
publican members of the Ways and
Means Committee are adverse to sup
porting any bill of this kind. At least
two of the gentlemen who were at the
White House conference represent so
called beet-sugar states, and they say
that to lower the duty on Cuban sugar
would be to ruin the beet-sugar indus
try of their constituents.
In view however, of the earnestness
Of the Presidents recommendations
that the appeals of Cuba be needed, and
accepting the advice of their party col
leagues in the Senate and House, these
men agree to stand by the program
of enacting a bill for Cubas relief. The
work will be taken up as soon as the
war tax bill is disposed of Tuesday.