The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1902-04-02
MR.. jPAYNE'S REPORT.
Tne Committees Bill on Cuban
Reciprocity.

Condition OF the Cuban sugar In
dustry-PIanter and Business Men
on Verge of Bankruptcy-Says Con-
oession Will Not Hurt Uncle Sam.
Washington, April Chairman
Payne presented to the house the re-
port of the ways and means commit
tee on the Cuban reciprocity bill, which
the committee earlier in the day had
ordered reported.
After reciting President Roosevelt's
recommendations in behalf of Cuba,
Mr.. Payne says:
Our relations to Cuba are peculiar.
In our declaration of war with Spain,
and ever since, we have solemnly pro-
claimed to the world that our object
was to give to Cuba a stable and inde-
pendent government. We have lab
ored for more than three years to ac-
complish that result and in this en-
deavor we have spared no expense.
During the years OF preparation we
have given her an example of the
benefit of law and good order, of clean
liness and Of the preservation Of the
public health and of good government
generally. She has organized her gov
ernment under a constitution and is
now ready to launch forth among the
nations of the earth in the month Of
May"
Mr.. Payne explains the depressed
condition of the Cuban sugar industry
as due to the worlds over production
of sugar, and says: This condition
threatened grave disaster to this, the
principal industrial product Of Cuba.
1t is true that labor in Cuba is and
has for the past three months been
fully employed at fair wages. that
there has been no distress, but trust
worthy writer and American not in
terested in sugar and a careful obser-
yer, says under the date of March
Goth: while the masses of Cuba are
not actually suffering from lack of
food, the planters and business men
are on the verge of collapse and ban.-
ruptcy, and are anXiously hoping for
concessions in the United States tar
iff in order that they may receive new
life and hope. The merchants have
large sums of money trusted out and
are not paying each other. They are
simply holding each other up in the
hope of obtaining relief and if failures
once begin they will run like wild
fire"
This threatened financial distress
comes at the very time We are about
TO set the Cuban government up in
business on its own account. We have
performed the part of a guardian up
to the present moment, and are about
to send the ward forth into the world,
we can not afford to take the risk of
her failure if a little timely aid will
insure success"
The report adds that we are bound
to care for our own people, but after
reviewing the American sugar situa-
tion says:
1T can work no injury to our IN
dustry If we make this small reduc-
tion on Cuban sugars. The enactment
of this bill will not affect the protec-
tion of the sugar producers Of the |
United States. There is no reason
able pretense that the same reduction
on other Cuban products will injure
any other American industry"
The report asserts that the planter
and not the refineries will receive the |
benefits Of the reduction and adds:
Cuba does not come simply as a
mendicant, nor should she be treated |
as such. She offers a good trade IN
return. This she is willing to concede. |
Under the provisions of the bill, we |
should be able to double the amount of |
our export trade with Cuba, which !
amounts to S2S,OOO,OOO, moe than that
we obtained in the fiscal year"
In conclusion the report says
1T is a ha" "py circumstanca thatw
out any injury to our industries and |
without the loss of anything except |
seven or eight million dollars Of rev.
enue, which we do not need we are |
able to extend this relief to Cuba and |
at the same time get reciprocal trade |
relations with her.
aside from the exceptional case |
that Cuba presents the action of he
committee is in entire accord With |
the reciprocity doctrine of the Repub
lican platform and the declarations OF |
President Mckinley and President |
Roosevelt. It involves no proposed re |
vision of the tariff or anything not |
entirely in harmony with the malnten-
ance of the protective system"