Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-01
THE RECIPROCITY BILL
REPORT OF u FHk WAYS AND
MEANS COMMITTEE.
Account Of the Relations Of the United
States with chba-pledge
to the World.

The report OF the, ways and means COM
mfttee on the Cuban reciprocity bill. pre-
pared by Chairman Payne, has been SUBJ
mitted to the House. The report says:
'Our relations to Cuba are peculiar. In
our declaration of war with Spain and ever
since. we have solemnly proclaimed to the
world that our object was to give to Cuba
a stable and Independent government. We
have labored for more than three years to
accomplish that result, and in this endeavor
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 cleanliness and Of the preserya-
ticn of the public health. and of good gov
eminent generally. She has organized her
government under constitution and Is now
ready to launch forth among the nations
of the earth in the month Of May"
Condition Of Sugar Industry. 81.
Explaining the depressed condition Of tho
Cuban sugar industry, due to the worlds
oyer-production of sugar, the report says:
This condition threatened grave disaster
to this, the principal, Industrial product of
Cuba. 1t is true that labor in Cuba is, and
for the past three months has been, fully
employed at fair wages. and that there has
been no famine or distress. But as a trust
worthy writer, an American not interested
In sugar and careful observer, says, under
date OF March 20: 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 bankruptcy,
and are anxiously hoping for concessions in
the United States tariff In order that they
may receive new life and hope The mer
chants 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 wildfre.' All
he l>4F~ aySH3<% na
points to the conclusion that the crisis
threatened involves the most serious con-
sequences. AZ rs. .-..s-- --...--, .='
This threatened financial distress comes
at the very time we are about to set the
Cuban government up in business on its,
own account. AS we have performed the
part Of a guardian up to the present mo-
ment and are about to send the ward forth
into the world, We cannot. afford to take
the risk of her failure, II little timely aid
Will insure success go" 80.
No Injury to Home Industry.
On the other hand, the report says, we
are bound to care for our own people. After
reviewing the American sugar situation, he
says: at can work no injury to our in
dustry If we make this small reduction on
Cuban sugars. The nactment of this bill
Will not AFFECT the protection Of the sugar
producers OF the United States. There is
10 reasonable pretensen that the same re-
duction upon other Cuban products will
in1ure any other American industry"
The report further states that the plant
ers and not the refineries will receive the
benefits of the reduction. and adds: "Cuba
does not come simply as mendicant. nor
should she be treated as such. She offers
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 $4,000 O09e more than that we
obtained in the last fiscal year." -,
In conclusion the report says: "It Is a
happy circumstance that without any injury
to our own industries and without the loss
of anything except .seyen or eight million
dollars of revenue, 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, sEE Il, So. i: -. -
aside from 1.-THE exceptional case. that
Cuba presents, the action of the committee
is in entire accord with the reciprocity doc
trine Of the republican platform and the
declarations Of President Mckinley and
President Roosevelt. 1t involves no pro-
posed revision of the tariff. or anything not
entirely in harmony with the maintenance
of the protective system