The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-13
DUTY ON gOAL.
 ID BE REMOVED Bill Will Take form of Rebate
 or a Drawback PROVIDES FOR RECIPROCITY Republicans Agree to Measure Under Promise That the Entire Tariff Question Will Not Be Opened.
 Quick Passage Expected.
PROVIDES FOR RECIPROCITY

Washington, January l2-It is expected that congress will pass bill removing the duty of 67 cents on coal imported into this country. This bill may take the form of a rebate or drawback for ninety days and also will provide for reciprocity, admitting free of duty coal imported into this country from countries granting the same privilege to the Unit States. This means Canada will permi va Scotia coal to come into the Uni sates free, while coal from the Allegh and west ward will go into Canadi e of duty. The ways and means com zee will meet tomorrow and, according the present programme, report bil on the above lines. It Is expected 1t will pass the house tomorrow.
 It will be taken up in the senate very soon and the intention is to have 1t pass without much delay. Its consideration in the senate has not been arranged for but efforts are making to expediate It's passage without amendment and with little discussion.
 A number of republicans who hereto fore have been opposed to changing the duty on coal said they would not oppose the bill provided it did not open the whole tariff question.
 Talk of Agreement.
 There has been some general talk about an agreement to pass such a bill with out ops hing up the tariff question, and the republican leaders expect the house bill will be passed promptly by the sen ate.
 There was a conference on the floor of the senate today, participated in by Sena- tors Aldrich, Allison, Spooner and Lodge and Chairman Payne of the house com mittee on ways and means.
 After this conference Senator Aldrich announced in the senate, when g resolu- ton by Senator Vest for the removal of the duty on coal came up, that he be- lieved there would be action elsewhere regarding the removal of the duty" He did not think the senate should initiate such legislation.
 Among the bills before the house ways and means committee affecting the duty on coal is one introduced early in the session by Representative Hill of Con necticut. This bill is receiving the seri- ous and favorable consideration of the committee. It provides as follows:
 Provisions of the Bill.
 That there shall be allowed and paid under such regulation as the secretary of the treasury shall prescribe, on all coal of every kind and form imported into any port on the Atlantic coast, a drawback of the import duties paid on the same to and including the 3Oth day of June, 1903.
 This act to take effect immediately upon it's passage"
 Another bill, introduced by Representa- tive Mccall of Massachusetts, suspends the collection of duties on coal for ninety days. MT. Mccall and Senator Lodge had a talk on sthe house side late in the day.
 One member of the ways and means committee said it was immaterial wheth- CT bill to suspend the collection of duties or one providing for a rebate was adopted, since both have the same effect. and that it would be only T matter of method; but he inclined to the view that a rebate bill would be preferable.
 A number of bills have been introduced in the house and referred to the ways and means committee which provide for the repeal of all duties on coal of all kir ds imported into the United States. There is still another bill providing for a reciprocal trade relation between the United States and Canada on coal It Is not stated whether this last bill is to be considered tomorrow with the rebate and suspension measures.