New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-04-02

THE CAREFuI CONFEDERATION THAT HAS BEEN BESTOWED
UPoN THE BILL BY THE COMMITTEE.
Mr. Chairman aud gentlemen OF the Committee, your
Committee OF WAYS and Means have devoted the earnest
labor Of year to the consideration OF the revision OF inc
Tariff duty you committed TO them by special resoiu'
ton OF the House In the discharge OF that duty we nave
travelled In great part ut own proper cost renewed
largely by the hospitality Of railroad steamship. and
other transportation companies from the rocky coasts OF
Massachusetts, and the waters OF It's pay along lhc Og
coast of aiforna and Oregon. and the beautiful
waters OF Puget Sound the willamette ana Coiumpla
Rivers have listened to merchants, MANUFACTURERS
farmers and men Of enterprise representing all the n
terests OF every section OF the country ana we nave
been In all respects palnstaking and dcnbefate III
efforts to ascertain how the existing provisions OF ho
tariff can be modified as to yield the GOVerhhenI aue
quate revenue tighten the burdens OF the people, ana
stimulate all their industries with equal hahd Anu
cOnscientiousy believe that If the bill we nave reported
should be adopted without an amendment except those
the committee is prepared to suggest us % M
fucnce would be felt in every department OF the PiU
ductive and commercial industries OF the country. III
would do much to reyiyify me iahgsLihg sppina 10 -,
terest 1t would give new and giander proportions 20
maintain in healthy condition your manufacturing and
mechanical establishments aud II would say to the ca
country is confirmed you may safely embark In new en-
terprises and develop new elements OF the hlnltspo
store and varieties of wealth now lying dormant wth
the country"
HOW WILL STIMULATE THE SHIPPING INTEREST
DO gentlemen how it Will quicken commerce. Let
them to its free list. Our commerce Is now Win
manufacturing nations iDhabtns the gran-gro"lhg anu
metalferous regions OF Europe. They produce every
othr Than tLese t6ey want but little from u.s. unless
war or drontb or excessive rain prevails large
a section as to materially diminish the grain crop We
should cultivate exchange OF products WIN the hV
want their gums spices. barks. ivory dye-woods,
drugs and other productions which they would
| fabrics axes hoes shOvels, and au infinite
variety Of productions. These countries are our nat
ura markets but have excluded ourselves from them
bv our tariff laws All other manufacturing countries
admit their productions free while We impose dnte; os
their consumption. But THIS does IurtIer HIons "
the shipping interest in this WISE d fer s shody
chant gets his production IN exchange Ior the sIouy
CLOTH lOw-grade iron, and general BrumnaSeh Waies
them to us English steamers and adds freight to his
many other profits This trade of right belongs 10 u.s.
a Let me Illustrate by single example The cost Of
sapeter is question OF Importance to every railroad
builder 0uarrymau and miner, and we ought 10 import
the material from two countries remote IRON edcn
other and manufacture 1t more eheaply Than we now
impOrt IL through London from India. Inc Gutles on
this article are higher than they should be- and so APP
portoned discriminate against our labor Ihat on
the crude article per cent higher than that on the
partially refined and at the rate OF ~ per cent Ihy
are as follows on paa aSd op rceJ cents Inc
| new bill removes the discrimination against ourselves
and makes but two grades OF duty 1t reduces that on
the crude article IA cent and the refined to cents
But while thus reducing the duty on this important afu
Gle the bill of the Committee invites the establishment OF
its cheaper manufacture in our midst and the employ
mcnt Of many ships in bringing us the raw material III
| equal proportions from Peru ana Germany ~, A.,
II gentlemen will examine the free list they VIII ma
embraces murate of potassa and nitrate OF soda
The latter is natural product OF Peru ana the Iorer
OF Germany and from lOOO tuns OF bOth We can poco
cheaper than We can import u from
India. This would double the tunnage required ior tio
carving OF this article have thus presented 10 the
committee but of many illustrations with which
might detam them OF the influence the bill VIII exercise
| upon our commerce If it becomes a law.
| STEEL AID vALoREM
Ihave SAID that OF the defects OF the present law Is
its frequent application Of dd ratorems which open the
door to great frauds turn for an Illustration to what
seems TO be favore topic Of the gentleman from Iowa
| mfr Ason)-the article Of steel The gentleman said
the duty steel i'll ingos, bars sheets and wire above
TO 81 cents while reducing the duty little less i'm
portant classes OF steel Let me state the case fairly
than of inch in diameter valued at cents
per pound or less, is 2i cents per pound; value no
above II cents per pound, cents per pound valued
above cents poPd 81 Gents per pOGma ana
the evidence which proves the magnitude OF the frauds
persstently perpetrated by the Sheffield seemakers for
the last twenty years under this SYSTEM but he Secre
tary of the Treasury acting upon it, and largely IN
creasng the Re anG OF nToesd o Sooi "
Much evidence by me admission c OF one OF
binatlon has existed among these wealthy EngIsmen
agents in tins country for sale, and TO so uudervaue II
that that which should pay 81 cents ana 10 per cent aa
been undervaued and brought in at cents and by the
same fraudulent deyce and conspiracy the greater part
Of that which subject to duty OF cents has come
mus the Government has been defrauded of many
millions OF revenue Now, what has the Committee done
m the premisesl We have agreed TO put all stee-that
which was below and that which was above, that which
paid u cents pound and that which paid % cents
pound 3. cents and 10 per cent ad yaloreu-under
duty OF 81 cents per pound We had steel importers ana
agreed that there was no conceivable test by which ex-
aminer and inspectors Of customs could distinguish be-
tween steel worth from cents and that worth
than IL cents pouud SO that though we may thereby
for brief time do some injustice TO those who use low.
priced steel and those who produce high qualities OF
steel, have made single duty which VIII give us
honest revenue ard enable our steel manufactures 10
In my recent remarks on Mr. welss report, quoted
in sheieId England in which he admitted the fact of
undery auaon and declared that while the law remains
1 10 fba Cover "
prevent IT. Thus the honest men among the English
seemakers mplOre TO close the door against fraud
in which they must participate, surrender our market
their less honest neghbors Yet for our wedevsed
effort do justice to the Government ard honest I'm,
porters, denounced as taxing the people to Dud
The gentleman from Iowa will am sure, pardon me
for correcting statement of his on which he amphed
some what to-day touching steemanufacturing IN Pitts
burgh The statement he read yesterday was not that
her steelmakers were able 10 compete with England in
1885, IL that steel making III that city nrst became
an assured in tnat year Her enterprising men
OF capital had for many years been renewing the yet
frutess experiment. Man after man. and firm after
new firms bought tho stock and premises OF old ones
reduced values, M in 1859. all assured success was
attained"
The CLASSIFICATION OF IRON NOT NEW.
But the gentleman from Iowa asks why the classified
ton OF found in the bill was adopted by the Com
mittee. VIII tell him why. Sir SO far as classification
of iron has been modified and the changes but few
they adopt the expressed opinion OF the Senate and
former Committee Of Ways and Means.
The Senate of the United States on the 3lt OF January
Iarin Dill On tue l5tn
year the Committee OF Ways and Means reported 1t TO
this House with certain anendments and your Commit
tee finding classification ndorsed by the Senate ana
House followed it, except where they thought change
necessary udcous This Is the classification OF which
! the gentleman complains.
! too weary, and too much exhausted, and yonr
patience is too far for 10 proceed further with
the discussion at present There points would like
10 onsder but must draw TO d conclusion.
PROOF THAT PROTECTION cHEAPESs GOODS.
The gentleman from Indiana (sir Kern, speaking OF
my argument Bessemer rails, said that America
produced but $1,000 tuns per annum the establishment
Of her works could had influence upon the price
OF Enrs RAILS hccanse the onanY PRODUCED WAS rela