The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-13
REMOVING COAL DUTY
POLITICAL BUNCOMBE
Continued From First PAGE.

States from countries granting the
same privilege to the United States.
Thfs means Canada will permit Nova
Scotia coal to come into the United
States free, while coal from the Alle-
ghenieS and westward will go into Cam
ada free of duty The ways and means
committee will meet tomorrow, and,
according to the present programme,
report bill on the above lines. 1t is
expected 1t will pass the house tomor-
row.
1t will be taken up in the senate very
soon, and the intention is to have it
pass without much delay. Its consid-
Grafton in the senate has not been ar
ranged for. but efforts are making to
expedite its passage without amend
ment and with little discussion. A
number of Republicans. who heretofore
have been opposed to the changing Of
the duty on coal said they would not
oppose the bill provided it did not open
up the whole tariff. question. There has
been some general talk today about an
agreement to pass such a bill without
opening up the tariff question, and the
Republican leaders expect the house
bill will be passed promptly by the
senate.
There was a conference on the floor
of the senate today which was partic1-
pated in by Senators Aldrich, Allison,
Spooner and Lodge and Chairman
Payne, of the house committee on ways
and means. Chairman Payne said that
the ways and means committee would
meet tomorrow and consider the coal
bills. Several bills have been referred
to the committee, some providing for
suspension Of the duty for q fixed pc
riod; some for a rebate and others for
the removal of the duty without limit.
Mr.. Payne said he thought the commit
tee would take some action either for a
suspension Of the coal duty or q. rebate.
A lively debate occurred in the SEN
ate today between Messrs. Aldrich,
Vest and Carmack, when the first
named endeavored to secure post
ponement of the Vest resolution re-
curing the committee on finance to
report a bill removing the duty on
coal. Mr.. Aldrich announced there
were strong hopes of action being TAX
en- elsewhere with the view to remov-
ing the duty on coal. The PROPOSE
ton was not acceptable to Mr.. Vest,
who expressed the opinion that to al
low the resolution ito go into the I'M
certain and nebulous future" would
mean it's defeat.
Among the bills before the ways and
means committee affecting the duty on
coal is one introduced early in the
session by Representative Hill, Of
Connecticut. This bill is receiving the
serious and favorable consideration Of
the committee. 1t provides as follows
THAT there shall be allowed and paid,
under such regulations as the secre-
tary Of the treasury shall prescribe,
on all coal of every kind and form i'm
ported into any port on the Atlantic
coast a drawback of the import duties
paid on the same to and including the
Both day of June 1903" This act to
take effect Immediately upon it's pas
sage.
Another bill, introduced by Repre-
sentative Mccall, Of Massachusetts,
suspends the collection of duties on
coal for ninety days. Mr.. Mccall and
Senator Lodge had a talk on the house
side late in the day. One member of
the ways and means committee said
it was immaterial whether a bill to
suspend the collection of duties. or
one providing for a rebate, was adopt
ed, since both have the same effect,
and that 1t would be only a mtater
of method, but he inclined to the view
that a rebate bill would be preferable
A number Of bills have been intro
duced in the house and referred to the
ways and means committee which
provide for the repeal of all duties
upon coal Of all kinds imported into
the United States. There is still an
other bill providing for reciprocal
trade relation between the United
States and Canada on coal.