The daily gazette., 1878-02-15
THE NEW TARIFF BILL.
Meeting or Manufactures Tor
she purpose of Protesting
n against Its Passage. a1,. 4

0SabmSe Us n 0Sh1Kes .lN.f-
In the dining hall OF the Clayton
House last evening, a meeting Of the
manufacturers of this city was held for
purpose of considering the effect of the
new tariff bill now before thee Committee
ON Ways and Means of Congress-, and
devising measures to oppose its pas
sage. S-Hre tstr
The meeting was organized by the ap-
pointmeut Of Washington j mes as
chairman and Howard NJ. jenkins as
Secretary. a M ..t..i. ..t
The chairman announced as the pur-
pose of the meeting the consideration Of
the Wood tariff bill, now pending in
Congress, and to urge such measures as
would seem best for the producing inter-
ests Of the country. The bill, II passed,
would be, in his opinion a fatal blow, to
many large manufacturing interests, and
as far as the morocco manufacturers are
concerned, they might as well close their
factories. BY the present tariff, goat
skins are on the free list, while the duty
on French and German finished and half
finished morocco is 20 and 10 per cent.
respectively. But the proposed bill re-
duces the duty on finished morocco TO 10
per cent, on the half finished to per
cent, and imposes a duty of 20 per cent.
on raw stock. The result of such tariff
he said, would ba infinitely worse than
free trade.
Mr.. j, Taylor Cause suggested that the
meeting had better decide what they had
assembled for, whether they proposed to
send delegates to the Industrial Conven-
ton soon to be held in Washington, to
oppose the tariff bill, or to memorialize
Congress against its passage. If dele
CATION is sent to Washington, each par
ticular manufacturing branch will be
looking out for its own particular inter-
est as affected by the tariff bill.
The chairman stated that the morocco
interests were being watched after by q
committee of the Morocco Manufacture
National Exchange, ,and Mr.. Washington
Hastings said tho American Iron and
Steel Association was keeping an eye
upon the iron interests. But in his opin-
| ion all the manufacturing interests should
unite in attacking this bill.
Mr.. Lea Pusey said that during the
past thirty years or more there had never
been a revision of the tariff that was not
followed by business revulsion, and in
stanced the years 1833-57-73. He said
that the system of a tariff for revenue is
a source of constant uneasiness in bust
ness circles, on account of IT'S instability.
The French government imposes a tar
iff for protection, without regard to its
income. He favored an Industrial League,
with representation of all the interests,
for the purpose of general production.
| On motion of Mr.. Hastings, a commit
| tee of three was appointed to prepare
business for the meeting. Committee,
Geo. G. Lobdell, w. Hastings, Job H
jackson.
Mr. Lobdell at first asked to be excus-
ed from serving on the committee, as the
tariff bill did not directly affect his busi-
ness.
The committee, after short consulta+
ton, reported in favor of having five
delegates appointed to attend the Indus
| trial Convention at Washington, and
also a committee of three to prepare q
lalezss-ial expressive of the views of the
manufacturing community in regard to
| the tariff bill.
This report was adopted and the chair
made the following appointments:
Delegates-J. Taylor Cause, Henry s.
McCo Job FL. jackson, Washington
Hastings, III. s. Mendenhall with power
to appoint their own alternates.)
Committee on Memorial-Howard M
Jenkins, George s. Capelle, j. Parke
Postles.
George w. Stone was at first appoint
ed chairman of the committee, but il
being suggested that Mr.. Stone was an
avowed advocate of free trade, Mr.. Jen.
xins' name was substituted.
Mr.. Joseph Grubb, by invitation, ad
dressed the meeting in a general way, on
the subject of tariff and finance.
| Mr.. W. Hastings offered the following
resolutions, which were adopted:
Resolped, That this meeting views witt
alarm the provisions of the tariff law
now being considered by the Commit
tee on Ways and Means of the House
of Representatives at Washington, foI
the reason that if enacted into laws they
will materially damage all the Interest,"
| of this city and State, il not utterly de
stroy many of the largest and most i'm
portant of them.
ResoiUed, That we are opposed to any
alteration of the existing tariff laws.
, The meeting then adjourned, subjec
to the call of The chairman.