New-York tribune., 1876-10-11

addressed to the House committee Oh way .
and Means. Although that association Is
composed almost exclusively OF practical
manufacturers, they say that they would
not venture TO assume the responsibility OF
advising as to the details OF a revision OF the
tariff on wool ard wO0lenS, without making
due inquiries and compiling the answers; ana
that this work alone would occupy more tlihe
than Congress was likely to remain IN session
What is true of the wool interest is almost
eGnally true of all the great industries when
tariff changes would affect. In each instance
thorough compilation of the facts and views is
necessary. Our members of Congress are for
fhe most part lawyers. Whatever may be their
canacity for framing good laws, they are not
ot alVlikelv To be successful in the attempt
unless the facts are before them. They have
had no personal experience i'll the business
upon which they are called to legislate. They
do not and cannot know as those who are in
tbc business. lust where and how proposed
change will operate. 1t Is not case Wheie
a pyiori reasoning will avail. y tariii con-
structed out of the inner consciousness of
Congressman is, as the country has already
had reason to know, fcarluly and wonderfully
made.
The French do better than we in tins mat
fer. Their forms of government change with
provcrba frequency and haste, but the syS-
tems which control their national interests
have n permancncy that OutlveS revolutions.
4 change in the tariffs of France is likely to
take place next year, because the treaties
with several European POwers-Nctherlands
England Belgium, and Austrla-wlll then eX-
pre-. The French Government began Its
preparations for this emergency III the Spring
of last wear. The Minister of Commerce and
Agriculture at that time addressed inquiries
soliciting the needed information from all the
organizations likely to furnish it-such as the
chambers of commerce, of agriculture, oi arts,
and of manufacturcS-thrOugho the country,
and obtained 7s official replies The ques-
tons asked were rs to the effect of a revision
of the tariffs upon taxes and revenue whether
specific or ad valOrcm duties were prefer
able whether the treaty system was supe-
rior to a uniform, established tarlif.
The French tariffs are of two kinds. The
treaty tariffs are in fOrcc-Or were III lS'4-
with Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, Switzer-
land, Sweden and Norway, the Netherlands,
Germany, Austria, Turkey, and Portugal.
While each treaty tariff is different from the
others, there il yet an element of uniformity,
since each contains clause that It's country
shall have the same advantage as the most
favored nation Countries with which there
is no commercial treaty, like the United states,
can ONLY send their goods to France under It's
general tariff which is much higher through
ont than the treaty tariffs, and in regard to
many goods is absolutely prohibitory. 1t may
-. l.. nf tlis la =
toned circumstance. Americans sometimes
grumble at the duties they have 10 pay on
French fnery and knckknackS. They may
reflect that if they were citizens OF France
and wished to import thither some choice nov
city produced in America, they might imd
themselves quite prevented. The French gen
eral tariff, as practically construed, absolutely
prohibits the importation of anything not
named therein.
The replies received by the Minister Of Agri-
culture and Commerce contain many suggest
i've features. A large majority of them base
their reasons for the views they express on an
extreme anxiety to have pcrmanencc IN the
tariff. "COmmerce," they say, "haS need oi "A
"constitutOn which survives changes oi per-
"Sons in the Government, and even the dis
"urbance of a war" They generally oppose
the "favorcd nation" clause simply because
it occasions changes from time to time in the
treaty tariffs; what they want Is stability.
They are almost unanimous IN asking that
specific duties be substituted for al yaorcm
and this. too, is desired on the ground of
greater stability 10 commerce and diminished
risk in its ventures. They urge, further that
none of the tariffs shall be revised more
than once in five years. similar pre-
Iiminary investigation needs to bc made in this
country before new tariff legislation can be
properly attempted the inquiries can hardly
be started too soon. They should be addressed
to such bodies as the American Iron and steel
Association. the National Association of Wool
Manufacturers, the New England Cotton Man
ufacturers' Association, the silk Association of
America, the Manufacturing Chemists AssO-
citation of the United States. and other organ
iZations representing separate industries, as
well as to chambers of commerce and boards
of trade in all the large cities. And until re-
plies have been received and digc>tcd, so that
it can be known what the people most inter
cstcd in the matter really want let us hope
that tariff tinkcring will be postponed.
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