The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-03-27
Committee Expects to Re-
port at Early Date.
ONE DEMOCRAT IN LINE
Senator Aldrieh Confers With President
Over Tariff Controve1sy-Expects An
Amicable Agreement in Near Future
Which Will Give Cuba Its Needed Re-
lief.

| Another step in the passage of the Gu
ban reciprocity bill is assured, as 1t may
be positively announced that the Payne
measure has enough Republican votes in
the Committee on Ways and Means to en-
sure its being reported to the House with
out amendment, in accordance with the
action of the last Republican conference.
| The date for the meeting of the COM
| mittee has not been set, but Representa-
| tive Grosvenor is expected here today,
and unless no pair can be secured for
Representative Hopkins the committee
will probably meet Saturday or Monday.
Should Hopkins presence be necessary q
vote will not be taken until his return.
Getting In Line.
All the Republicans on the committee
except Tawney and Metcalf are now in
line. Representative Babcock's assent was
won over yesterday. The leaders have not
yet secured sufficient votes to pass the
measure in the House with Republican
votes alone. but they are confident they will
have them soon, and no action looking
toward the passage of the bill will be
taken until they have all the noses
counted.
One Democrat Favorable.
The committee contains seventeen MEM
bers, aud it is understood to stand eight
to nine in favor of whatever plan the
leaders Of the House shall decide upon.
With Mr.. Mcclellan voting with the Re
publicans the committee would stand nine
to eight in favor OF reporting the bill as
it was introduced after the Republican
conference had agreed to it.
Senator Aldrich, the Republican mana
ger of the Senate and who is a member
OF the Committee on Cuban Relations,
had a conference with the President last
night at the latter's request and the de-
tails of the controversy over the Cuban
tariff question were discussed at length.
Mr.. Aldrich is confident that the bill of
the Ways and Means Committee will pass
the House, but does not know what action
will be taken in the Senate. He is one
of the large number of Republican Sem
ato-s who think that the proposed 20 per
cent reduction is too small and that the
time fixed for its operation is too brief.
Better Terms Later.
He believes, however. that eventually
the Republicans of the Senate and House
will come to an amicable agreement and
will give such commercial relief to Cuba
as is demanded by the situation there.
Ex-senator Washburn OF Minnesota also
conferred with the President on this sub
ject. He has just returned from Cuba.
1t is probable that President Roosevelt.
in the message that he will send TO Con-
gress today announcing the approaching
of the United States forces
from Cuba and the Inauguration OF the
independent government on May 90, will
again call the attention of Congress to the
Importance and necessity of reciprocal
tariff relations between Cuba and the
United States.
When assured of victory the bill will be
brought in and those Republicans who
ire left can vote with the majority or
against it as they see fit. Pledges have
been given that under no circumstances
will the cut be more than 20 per cent,
but the belief still prevails in some
quarters that when the bill finally
reaches the President it will be 80 to
% per cent.