The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-10-12

House Committee ON Ways aud Meaus
submitied by General GarAeid, May II
1850.
The subject referred to this committee
by the House, in the letter OF the secre
tary Of the Treasury, is sufficiently stateG
in the report Of the majority. The bill re
ported by the majority Of the committee
provides:
!. That all cut hoops, hoops cut tc
lengths and punched, and band hoops
which were purchased abroad before
March y, 1880, NAV be imported any time
before January l, 1881, at duty OF So pei
cent. ad valorem.
9. That all such hoops and bands pur
chased since March II, 1880, aud imported
before this bill becomes law, shall pay
the duty prescribed by existing law; that
Is II, II and II cents per pound, according
10 thickness.
8, That ,hereaiterthe duty not only on
cut hoops, but upon all band hoops and
scroll iron Of every description, shall be
reduced to 50 per cent ad valorem.
The undersigned concur in that provis.
ion OF the bill which grants relief to those
importers who made absolute and bona
fde purchases OF cut-hOops before the
Treasury order OF March 18th, 1880, but
have not yet imported them; though II is
not improbable that many OF these pur-
chases were made In anticipation OF the
order. Butwe object to the third section
Of the bill as wholly unwarranted by any
Just principle or by any complaint against
the existing law. II the committee had
confined the provisions OF this section to
cut-hoops, they would have done at least
this aervice-they would have prevented
litigation and ended an expen.ive contro-
versy by deciding the question in favor Of
the importers and foreign manufacturers.
But in removing an ambiguity from sin
gle paragraph OF the law, they have thrown
a dozen pages OF the statutes into the ut
most confusion. They have separated one
group ofproducts, hoop and band iron, from
The general provisions OF the iron tariff,
and reduced the duty more than one.
wholly out OF proportion 10 the
rates on other manufacturers OF iron. The
only reason assigned by the majority for
heir change Of law IL that the present rate
of duty, II, u and 4 cents per pound, Is
nearly prohibitory; and the proposed re.
duction oil rate will largely increase the
The allegations that the present duty is
xotbitant, is based upon the recent ten.
porary advance in the price OF iron; and
he argument for the increase OF revenues
will apply with equal force to nearly all
he provisions OF The iron tariff, which are
not touched by any Of the bills which the
have framed. The undersigned
object N the change proposed in the third
section, because
/. II will lestroy at least six millions Of
capital now invested in machinery
specially and exclusively applied to this
particular branch OF manufacture in
Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania,
and Ohio and other States.
Ii. 1t will turn out Of employment not
less than 5000 artisans and laborers who
are now engaged in this special manufact-
ure, and about 10000 more who are en-
gsgtd in the production OF the material OF
winch hoop.iron is made.
III. 1t will transfer the profits OF these
manufactures 10 the importers and 10 our
rivals In foreign countries, and will not
materially reduce the cost OF the furnished
products to American consumers. This Is
shown by the fact that since the importa-
ton OF cuthoops, under the Treasury rul.
ing OF 1878. has been allowed at IS per
cent, the importers and foreign producers
have fixed the prices at 80 small a fraction
below the plice at which the American
can produce them, that only
a very small advantage has accrued TO the
and the home production has
become impossible.
Nv. 1t is wholly out Of harmony with
the duties imposed by existing laws upon
every other form OF iron manufacture, as
may be seen by examining the Revised
Statutes Boutwell's edition., PIP. 464, It SEQ.
It violates two principles which have
controlled nearly all our tariff legislation
sinceithe foundation Of the Government:
First, that oil imported articles which are
alike in kind and in their relation to the
wants and industries OF the United States
shall be treated alike In the customs law.
Second, that imported articles which come
into competition with the industries OF
this country shall bear rate OF duty pro.
poitioned to the amount Of skill and labor
employed in their production. we donot
cay that these principles appear In exact
mathematical proportions In all our legis.
lation; but 1t has been the manifest pur.
pose OF Congress SO TO apply them to the
Tariff law that the more labor and skill are
embodied in, any competing product the
higher rate OF duty It shall bear.
a 4 NyEsH