Richmond planet., 1902-06-21
AGREEDONSPOONERBILL.
Senate Committee on Cuba Decide
on 20 Per Cent. Reduction.
RECIPROCITY FOR FIVE YEARS

Action of Republican Members Was
Unanimous and Bill Will Be Pre-
sented to Their caucus-Benefts
Assured to Cuban Planters.
Washington, June 1S.-The Republi-
can members of the senate committee
on Cuban relations met yesterday
morning and agreed upon the Spooner
bill providing fer a 20 per cent reci-
procity arrangement with Cuba, to con-
tinue for five years, with safeguards
whereby the benefits of the measure
are assured to the Cuban planters. The
action of the Republican members of
the committee was unanimous, Messrs.
Platt Aldrich, Cullom. Mcmillan,
Spooner, Deboe and Burnham all sup
porting the motion to adopt the bill as
the party measure. No other PROPOSE
tion was submitted or considered.
The bill will be presented to the Re-
publican caucus, which. it has been
decided, will be held tonight
The text OF the measure is as fol-
lows:
when the Republic OF Cuba shall
have enacted a law or laws establish
ing preferential rates of customs duties
upon any or all articles the growth,
production or manufacture of the Unit
ed States imported into Cuba, which
preferential rates shall, in the opinion
OF the president of the United States,
constitute a satisfactory equivalent for
the reduction hereinafter provided in
the rate of customs duties upon arti-
cles the growth, production Or manu-
facture of Cuba imported into the
United States, and he shall so declare
by proclamation, thereupon and there
after so long as such preferential du-
ties shall he continued by the govern
ment of Cuba, not longer, however,
than five years, the duties levied, col
lected and paid upon such articles so
exported from Cuba TO the United
States shall be so percentum OF the du-
ties specified and provided in the act
entitled An act to provide revenue for
the government and to encourage the
industries of the United States an
proved July "a. 1897, and any amend
ment thereof
Provided. however. that Il shall be
the duty OF the president to thorough
ly Investigate, through the diplomatic
and consular representatives of the
United States in Cuba, and by such
other means as he may deem necessary
to employ for the purpose, whether the
tariff concession hereinbefore provided
upon articles. the growth, production
or manufacture OF Cuba substantially
lnures, so far as the articles of sugar
and tobacco are concerned, TO the ben
efit OF the producers of said articles
in Cuba; and II the president shall be
satisfied from such investigation that
the substantial benefit of said conces-
sion upon either of said articles is in
uring 10 the purchasers thereof. indi-
vidual or corporate, IN the United
STAKES, II shall be his duty to so de-
clare by proclamation to that effect.
and thereupon and thereafter so long
as said cnditions shall continue. there
shall be levied and collected upon such
articles, or that one of them as to
which said conditions exist, the rate
OF duty levied and collected by law
upon such article or articles coming
into the United States from other for
eign countries"
Senators Elkins, Burrows. Dietrich
and Foraker called at the White House
yesterday and discussed Cuban reci-
procity with the president The atti-
tude of the president now rs regarded
more as that OF a listener than an ad-
visor, he having expressed himself in
his special message as to the duty of
congress toward Cuba. Senator Eakins
remarked at the White House yestsr-
day that congress would a9ojoarn
without action Of any kind on Cuban
reciprocity. Senator Foraker, on the
other hand, predicted that some sort
of an agreement would be reached be-
fore long.