Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-09


promises to open up the entire ques-
Congress reconvenes on January IL
after the holiday recess.
Ever since the passage of the Un-
derwood bill the Louisiana Congress
man has been endeavoring to secure
en- extension of time before the first re-
duction will occur in the sugar sched-
Tile. Under the terms of the Under
wood bill the first reduction in the
sugar schedule is to take place March
LIST next when the customs duties will
be reduced Is per cent or from 1855
cents per pound for raw sugars test
ing 80 degrees by the polariscope to
1881 cent per pound.
The friends of the Cuban sugar in
terests have been resting contentedly
in the belief that sugar from that ISL
and would secure further reduction
Of 30 per cent Of this rate because Of
the Cuban reciprocity treaty.
The Louisiana sugar planters have
been endeavoring to have the time
when the first reduction is to take
place deferred from March LIST until
July 1, next, claiming that the addi-
tional three months were necessary
to market the crop that was being
grown when the Underwood bin was
passed and the Democratic party in
augurated its radical change in the
treatment of sugar as a revenue pro-
Iiucer. ~ Congressman Estopinal last
September introduced a joint reso-
luton providing for the extension of
date and carried on. an active cam
paign among his Democratic col.
leagues to secure its adoption.
While he secured many promises
CT support because Of the fact that
he was one Of the Louisiana Demo
Gratis VINO supported the Underwood
bill, still the party leaders have been
to amend the tariff bill in
any particular, claiming that 1t would
open up the fool gates for amend
ments from number of other inter-
ests. AZ 5#% y
The resolution introduced by the
Louisiana congressman today APP
proaches the question from another
angle. So SO 3 i. i i. s. -.
Behind the resolution it is under
stood that the Louisiana sugar people
have discovered a fatal defect in the
enactment Of the Underwood bill.
The, Estopinal resolution reads as
follows
To ascertain the rate Of duty Inn
posed upon Cuban sugar after March
1. 1914 II
Resolved: That the secretary Of
state be requested to inform Congress
the republic of Cuba has
been given notice Of inteRtion Of the
United States to terminate the pro-
yiso of Article Eight of the treaty Of
date OF December II, 1902. as. iir-
tended by Paragraph B. of the Act APP
proved October s., 1913 1.-THE Under
wood blll).
Be 1t further resolved, that the sec
rotary of the treasury be requested
10 inform Congress what steps have
been taken for the collection of the
duty on sugar which may be imported
from the republic of Cuba after MaTcn
LIST, 1914, ant whether under the
terms OF the act of December II, 1903,
being an act to carry into effect a
between the. Jniaed States
and the republic Of Cuba, there will
be discriminating duty Of five per
cent, enforced against the sugar i'm
ported from the republic of Cuba.
The Louisiana sugar men maintain
hat while the Underwood bill repeats
The proyiso of the Cuban reciprocity
treaty STIMULATING that the 20 per cent
rate, enjoyed by the ISL
md shall be based on the rates named
in the Dingiey, bin Of 1897, that the
trainers of the Underwood bill com.
mitte.l the grave mistake Of not re-
pealing the act of Congress passed to
give force and effect to the recipro-
city treaty. ....I. . - /
In support of this contention they
point to the fact that the Underwood
law states expressly that nothing
therein contained should be conf
strued 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.
They say that this oversight wasl
Tue, to the haste in which the Under
wood bill was prepared all point 10
the remarks of Congressman Hard
wick OF Georgia, the champion of the
Cuban interests on the 25th OF Sep
tember Just before the conferees OF
the house aLl senate made their re-
Gort on the final draft Of the Under |
wood bill.
Mr.. Hardwiek said:
Mr.. Speaker, there is a question
bending before the Congress, not con-
lected with this bill, but of the ut
most importance to every member OF |
his house and to the country.
The proposed tariff bill leaves the |
.ate on sugar until March next un-
changed. Then until May /, 1916, it
reduces the tariff % per cent.
There is no language in the bill
low pending which declares that from
March l, 1914, until May l, 1916, Gu
ban sugars shall come into the United
States at 90 per cent less than the
general % per cent reduction made
IN sugar from all countries in the