The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-26
DELAYED BUSINESS

1t is understood that the majority lead
ers in congress are gravitating toward an
agreement to fix the date Of the adjourn
ment at July l. If congress does not move
with more rapidity in the disposal Of some
pending questions, 1T will be impossible
to get through at that date, or, it will be
necessary to rush some measures irration-
ally to vote or drop them altogether
Prominent among the undisposed OF
measures are the Philippine government
bill, the Cuban reciprocity bill, the 18TH
commerce bill. The irrigation bill stands
slender chance for attention. It and
the ship subsidy bill are likely to go over
to the next session. The senate will prob
ably discuss the Philippine bill through
this week and when it. is sent to the
house it will inevitably. be overhauled
mercilessly and provoke lengthy discus
sion in conference.
The house Cuban reciprocity bill will
probably be turned down in the senate
and substitute offered and adopted The
beet sugar men have succeeded in delay
ing action on this bill and several senators
are again talking Of doing something for
Cuba in the way Of rebate, which has
no visible constitutional warrant and
means simply that instead of disturbing
the "fat takes" of certain Industries by
reducing tariff duties and minimizing the
overprotection they receive, congress will
have the administration take many mil
H.
and turn them over to the Cuban. sugar
growers or the Cuban government direct.
This device is too clumsy to deceive any
body with business instincts. II insist
ence is made upon this rebate proposition
it is most probable that there will be an
may conclude that it will be better to
pass a measure reducing the tariff on i'm
ports from Cuba 20 to rs per cent and
dropping the house proposition to repeal
the differentia1 duty on refined sugar. It
is very certain that the rebate compro-
mise proposition is under the condemna-
ton Of the nation. 1t is perilous mis-
take to make such a proposition.
Another pending question of Importance
is the Isthmian canal construction. Sen
ator Morgan is ready primed and cooked
with the house Nicaragua bill, which an
tagonizes directly the emphatic recon-
mendation of the Isthmian canal commits
sion composed of scientific experts, who
decided in favor of the Panama route This
decision is recognized by thoughtful peo-
pie as Of great weight, as the commits
sion made the investigation of routes in a
purely business and scientific way and
were not controlled by sentiment Or
prejudice. 1t is proposed in two meas
ures introduced tn the senate to leave
the choice Of the canal route to Presi-
dent Roosevelt This would be the bet
ter way. The terms offered by Nicaragua
and Costa Rica on one hand and by the
United States of Colombia on the. other
hand, are far from satisfactory to our
state department and it is probable that
much better terms can be procured for
the canal strip, whichever route is se-
lected If the matter is not reached soon,
adjournment will occur with nothing done
and it is not very likely that, at the short
term Of this congress, there will be a
furtherance of the project, as there will
not be time to consider it..
Another measure which ought to be
acted upon before congress adjourns is
the bill providing for new cabinet posi-
tion at the head OF department of com
merce. This measure was passed by the
senate on Jan. %, and has since been in
the hands of the house committee on in
terstate and foreign commerce. This
measure has been widely indorsed by the
business organizations of the country, as
greatly needed for the promotion and de-
velopment of the foreign and domestic
commerce Of the United States, together
with the mining, manufacturing shipping
and fishing industries, labor interests and
transportation facilities OF the country
No measure before congress has received
such general commentator and such In
sistence for urgency as this department OF
commerce bill has, and yet it is kept
back and is Tout Of sight on the house cal