The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-30
Majority i'm Favor Of Cutting OF All
the War Taxes, Amounting to
About $6S,OOO,OOO.
LITTLE HOPE NOW FOR CUBA
RECIPROCITY QUESTION WILL BE
TEMPORARILY LAID ASIDE.
Views of DIR. Wiley, Who Thinks Gu
bans Should Seek Relief at the
Brussels Conference.

NAO1lNGlONt Jan. LJ.-lES INepuD-
lican members of the ways and means COM
mittee held a private conference tonight
and decided to frame bill for the reduc-
ton of war revenue taxes before proceeding
further with the subject of Cuban reel
procity. Chairman Payne at once called
meeting Of the full committee for II o'clock
tomorrow morning. when work on the war
revenue reduction bill will begin. No draft
of bill has been prepared by the Re-
publican members, but il is pretty fully
understood the majority is prepared to ia
vor a measure effecting very large reduc-
tions, amounting practically TO a repeal
Of the entire war taxes, and aggregating
about SIS, 100000. The restriction of recent
hearings to beer and tea led to the belief
that reductions might be confined to these
two articles, but the sentiment of the ma
jority now appears to be favorable to
much larger reduction. At the conference
to-day it was the prevailing view that as
Cuba had been the cause for mourning the
war revenue tax the burden should be
removed from this country before consid-
ering the extent of relief to be granted to
Cuba. The question of what percentage
of reduction in tariff rates could be made
for Cuba was not considered at the meet
ing tonight. owing to the determination
to leave this until after the war revenue
reductions had been accomplished.
DR.. III. w. Wiley, chief of the Bureau of
Chemistry, Department of Agriculture
was before the committee in connection
with the Cuban reciprocity question. His
statement covered the scientific phases of
the production of sugar from beets, cane,
etc. and the growth of the respective in
dustries. BY means of charts he showed
the comparative insigniicance of the beet
sugar industry in 1885, when most Of the
sugar was made from cane Since then con-
dtions have reversed, until now the greater
part of the sugar production is from beets.
Much the larger part of this production
was in Europe, the production in America
being comparatively small. DR.. Wiley ex-
pressed the opinion, however that the beet
sugar would never extinguish othe cane
product as the latter had certain special
uses.
DIR. Wiley's emphatic declaration that
Cuba's appeal to the United States was
misplaced, and would not afford relief, at
tracted much attention. This came after
he had shown that the European bounty
and cartel systems were the controlling
planters had prospered, he said, under
Spanish regime, and why should they now
lay their misfortune to the breaking of the
Spanish yoke. Under such circumstances,
it might be best to lead them back to
Spain. DR.. Wiley then said:
1.-THE cause of the trouble they are fight
ing is not in the tariff duties of the United
states but is the overproduction of sugar
due to bounties granted by Europe. Their
cause should be pleaded in the parliaments
of Europe, not in that of America. Their
suits should go before the Reichstag, the
Bundesrath and the Corps Legislatif. and
not before the American Congress. The
place TO plead their cause is before the
Congress of Brussels, not before the ways
and means committee of the Congress of
the United States"
At another point DR.. Wiley said it was
another question whether the relief sought
for Cuba would have the effect Of killing
outright the cane and beet-sugar industries
of this country, merely paralyzing them,
rendering the patient a burden to his
friends. But it seemed perfectly certain,
he said, that there would be no further
factories and investments in this line In
this country. Probably there would be
some feeble effort to save things from the
wreck, but DR.. Wiley said there would no
longer be the work OF young giant of pro-
lection.
on being questioned by Representative
Newlands, of Nevada, DR.. Wiley expressed
himself in favor of Cuban annexation, but
said admission of Cuban sugars at reduced
rates would be disastrous to beet sugar.
Representative Richardson, of Tennessee,
questioned DR.. Wiley on the difference be-
tween his views and those expressed by
President Roosevelt and Secretary Root,
DR. Wiley said he was formerly connected
with the beet sugar experiment station in
Nebraska. He diSclaimed speaking for the
secretary of agriculture. He was aware of
the recommendations of the President,
Secretary Root and General Wood, but he
said his views were the result of his own
inquiries and conclusions.
Mr. Richardson asked if the witness eX-
pected to remain in the Agricultural De-
partment, 1t having been stated that he
was going into the beet sugar business. Dr.
Wiley said this was the first he had heard
of any such purpose.
Special Agent Saler, of the Agricultural
Department, I'm charge of beet sugar in
vestigations, gave the state of the business
showing fifty factories operating or about
TO begin and some hundred capitalized and
/ expecting TO operate.
| The committee went into secret session
| and Representative Richardson moved that
| Secretary Root be invited to appear. Chair
/ man Payne said he had had several con-
| ferences with Mr.. Root on the subject who
| had stated that he had no additional facts
| to present and did not desire 70 appear be-
| fore the committee. The committee decided
not TO invite Mr.. Root, the Democratic
| members supporting Mr.. Richardson's
| motion
| A member of the committee says the
| committee stands 10 TO against cOnces-
| sions to Cuba, and he aligns the members
as follows:
| Against-Payne Tawney, Grosvenor
| Russell, Babcock, Metcalf, Long, Steele,
Dalzel and Robertson.
For-Hopkins. Mccall, Richardson. Swan
| son, Mcclellan, Newlands and Cooper.