Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-04-20
Upper House is Undecided as Yet, Making
Outcome More Doubtful.
LONG DELAY IN ACTION IS EXPECTED
Best Opinion is That Committee Will Hold
Bill Long Time,
PAYNE FINDS CAUSE FOR CONSOLATION
Champion of Bill Asserts Morris
Amendment Removing DInerentisI
Also AboIisbes COuntervaiIinE
Duty of DinEIey Act.

WASHINGTON, April 1s.-Inten' -7ter-
est wes manifest among the N - If
the house today as a result o. IS on
OF the house last night in Q. - the
reciprocity bill.
Chairman Payne took = e phiio-
sophically. He pointed the effect
Of the amendment was 1ff not only
the diferential on at also the
S0uptervsilins co. Mt duty by the the Ding Ding.
of the amendment.ta
Under the Dingley 4 an additional or
countervailing duty is levied on sugars
coming from countries paying a bounty on
sugar equal in amount to the bounty re-
ceived. This is by section 5 OF the Dingley
act and is a provision separate from that
making a differential between the duty on
raw and refined sugar.
Mr.. Payne holds, however. that as the
amendment specifies that the rate OF 1.s25
cents shall be lin lieu of the duties thereon
now provided by law 1t takes off both
the differential Of about u cents per 100
pounds and the countervailing duty of the
Dingley law amounting to between 26 and
27 cents per 100 pounds.
Sees n Greater Loss.
Mr.. Payne stated later in the day that
the abolition Of the diferential and ooun-
tervailing duties effected an even greater
reduction and loss than he had al first
estimated. His earlier figures showed the
countervailing duty to be between 26 and
p cents per 100 pounds. But this referred
to raw sugar, and the countervailing duty
on the refined article was even more,
namely, 1888 per 100 pounds.
This, with the differential OF .125. makes
a total reduction on refined sugar Of sos
per 100 pounds. Mr.. Long OF the ways
and means committee also made estimates
which, in his Judgment. bore out the fore
going figures, that the amendment would
take OF in differential and countervailine
duties total OF IS on refined sugar com.
ing from Germany and other countries giv-
ing bounties.
Representative Morris Of Minnesota, who
framed the amendment. is examining the
Dlngley and other laws to determine
whether Mr.. Payne's point is good Morris
said that from his inquiry so far he did
not think the claim was good, but II It
was the matter could easily be remedied
by amendment.
SENATE is Undecided.
The senate is by no means decided as
to what II will do with the bill. The meas
ure reached the senate few minutes after
that body convened today and was received
with excellent interest which was made
evident by the private comment of sena-
tors.
The bill was referred to the committee
on relations with Cuba, which is composed
Of seven republicans and four opposition
senators. upon motion Of Mr.. Platt Of Con-
| necticut, chairman OF the committee. When
asked today II Re felt disposed to outline
| his view OF the probable course Of the
committee with reference to the measure,
Senator Piatt declined TO say more than
| that a meeting would be called at an early
date to decide upon a course OF action,
merely adding: I'VE are not going to lose
our composure, but will consider the ques-
| tion carefully"
The best opinion is that the bill will re-
main in committee for some time. and a
republican senator suggested the possibility
OF an investigation into the question OF
the bill benehciaries under the proposed
reduction II made.
| Probable Fate of Bill.
II the bill had passed the house without
! an amendment removing the diffeIential on
| refined sugar. II would have received the
support Of two of the four opposition mem
| bers OF the committee These are Messrs
Money and Simmons, and they are now
more than ever pleased with IT. On the
other hand at least two CT the republican
members, MessTs. Mcmillan and Spooner
oppose the bill. The indications are that
the democratic strength OF the committee
will now be thrown TO the support Of the
difierentiAl amendment Hence. it seems
probable that the character OF the report
TO be made to the senate, II any is made
win depend upon other republican members
OF the committee. Messrs Platt, Aldrich
| CuIlom, Deboe and Burnham.
Senator Teller says he will support any
aetion called 10 kill the bill in the senate
and he is inclined TO think that the house
adoption OF the amendment for the removal
OF the diierential will have that effect.
There are not few senators who predict
that the bill will be allowed TO die in COM