The Washington herald., 1913-12-24
MAY
BE OPENED UP
Resolution Relating to Duty
on Cuban Sugar Offered
In the House.
DEFECT In BILL CLAIMED
Louisiana Growers Say the Framers
Should Have Repealed Act Giving
Force to Treaty with Islands.

| Representative Estopinal, OF LOUISIANA,
introduced a resolution in the House yes
terday that promises to open up the en-
tire question of reciprocity with Cuba
day recess. The resolution is entitled:
ITO ascertain the rate OF duty imposed
upon Cuban sugar after March ], 1914.
Under the terms of the tariff law the
first reduction in the sugar schedule is
to take place March i. 1914. when the Gus
toms duties will be reduced g per cent.
or from LESS cents a pound for raw sug-
ars testing Sc degrees by the polariscope
to 1.261 cents a pound.
The friends OF the Cuban sugar inter-
ests have been resting contented in the
belief that sugar from that island would
secure a further reduction of 20 per cent
of this rate because of the Cuban reci-
procity treaty.
The Louisiana sugar planters have been
endeavoring to have the time when the
first reduction is to take place deferred
from March l until July 1, 1914. claiming
that the additional three months are nee
essary to market the crop that was being
grown when the Underwood bill was
passed.
Claim Defect In Bill.
The resolution introduced by the Louis
lana Representative yesterday approaches
the question from another angle. 1t is
understood that the Louisiana sugar peO-
pie claim to have discovered a fatal de-
feet in the enactment OF the Underwood
bill.
They maintain that. while the Under
wood bill repeals the proviso of the
Cuban reciprocity treaty stipulatlng that
the 20 per cent preferential rate enjoyed
by the island shall be based on the
rates named in the Dingley bin of 1857,
the trainers OF the Underwood bill COM
mitted the grave mistake of not repeal
ing the act OF Congress passed to give
force and effect to the reciprocity treaty.
In support of this contention they point
to the fact that the Underwood law
states expressly that nothing therein con-
tanned should be construed to impair
anything In the treaty or act passed for
the execution OF that treaty excepting
only the provisO of section eight OF the
treaty.
The sugar and tobacco interests claim
that in their haste the conferees en-
tirely forgot to repeal the act OF Con-
gress giving effect to the reciprocity
treaty and that. in the light of the de-
cision OF the Supreme Court in the case
of the United States VS.. the American
Sugar Refining Company. decided May
g, 1905, Congress failed in its purpose
to secure for Cuba a reduction of 20
per cent of the Underwood rates
Only Gives Years Notice.
II this be true. II is claimed, the Under
wood bill only serves to give the Cubans
the years notice provided for in the
reciprocity treaty. 1t will now be up to
Cuba, they say, to signify whether she is
willing to continue to extend importations
from the United States at a preferential
rate OF from . 10 40 per cent on about ssS.-
0c0 600 OF imports while the United States
places sugar on the free list.
On March /. 1914. when the new rates on
sugar go into effect, Cuban sugar will
actually have to pay n rate OF duty per
cent higher than the duty levied upon sug-
ars imported from all other countries, IL
is declared. This condition of affairs will
result in the abrogation of the Cuban
reciprocity treaty by Cuba, unless Con-
gress in the meanwhile passes remedial
legislation. il is stated. As the abrogation
of the Cuban treaty means the loss of the
20 per cent preferential duty now paid on
Cuban tobacco. II may be seen how vitality
interested the tobacco trade, as well as
the domestic producers Of sugar. are in
this question.
1t is therefore to be seen that before this
change in the Cuban treaty can take
effect IL will be necessary to have the
proposed change in the treaty accepted by
the Cuban government
But the Supreme Court in this case
goes even farther and lays down the
necessary steps to be taken before such
a change can be given the force of law.
Briefly outlined, these steps are as fol-
lows: The acceptance of the change by
the Cuban government. Then appropriate
legislation by the United States Congress
and the Congress of Cuba to carry out
this change, and then this to he followed
by proclamations issued simultaneously