The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-12-16

in the duties. But it proposes nc
childish horizontal" evasion of re.
sponslbility where duties seem need
ed trey are retained, and in a few
cases for reasons given, slightly in
creased. The Commission recognizes
thatexcessiYe duties tend to bring
the American system into discredit,
to enHanger its stability, and to rem
der aldustriaI' enterprises uncertain,
net unnecessarily risky and costly.
Ti1epresent tariff, created IN time of
waIsSpas needed to build and develop
iudnstfies; the Commission recog
nizes The fact that different range of
duties is needed in time Of peace,
Whe1 Industries have been grandly
builtand developed. 1t notes also
the improvements in machinery and
processes, and the great changes in
pTicssWithin the past twenty years,
as re sons for disqualification, The effort
hasS6een to make the chiefreductfons
on articles of necessary or general use,
and to retain higher duties on articles
the use of which is limited and op-
tional, and which partake of the
character OfluXuries. While propos-
ing important reductions, the Com
mission offers powerful argument
for the protective system, and a great
body of statistics and evidence show
ing its beneticent effects. The effort
OF the Commission throughout has
been to preserve and guard the help
ful influences Of the system, while
modifying its operation.
Fourteen schedules are proposed
for duitabe articles, and the classifi-
cation in itself will make an improve
ment of great importance in the
practical working of the tariff. In
eight of these schedules there are i'm
pOrtant changes in the others the old
duties are mainly retained. In Sched-
ule a, embracing chemicals, there is
an average reduction of % to 80 per
cent, but the most i'm pOrtant changes
are the removal of duty on crude
materials, the reduction of 10 per cent
on products advanced one stage in
manufacture, and the simplifcation
of provisions in order to avoid the
numberleSS protests and suits which
arise from defective classification.
Schedule B embraces earthern and
glass ware. Abolition of duties on
cost of inland transportation, freight
charges and commissions, it is held,
will practically lower the rate on
decorated china, porcelain and ParIan
.s,.>s 50 much that an increase of 10
per cent in duty is recommended as
necessary. Duties on painted and
cOlored glass are also raised, as the
manufacture here is young and the
products are substantially luxuries,
but most articles of this class retain
the present duty.
Schedule c, metals, is of all the
most important, and the changes pro-
posed are vital. The old law, it is
boldly and truly stated has been out
grown; new articles and processes
have made its provisions useless or
harmful in many cases. ard the work
of classification peculiarly difficult.
The aim has been to stop the trouble
between the Government and impOr-
ters by putting iron and steel on the
same footing so far as possible, by
simplifying divisions, and by abOl-
ishing compound duties. The reduc-
tion proposed on ore and pig.irOn is
net large; the duty on BesSemer rails.
now sos, it is proposed to make eight.
tenths of cent per pound, or S17.92.
The Commission reasons, as The 11'i-
6,a1e has reasoned, that it would have
been better for the manufacturers if
the duty had been reduced earlier,
for that would have prevented the
rapid doubling of the capacity of
works, and the violent fluctuations
in price between $40 and $50 per ton.
On bar-irOn the proposed reduction is
from 10 to 20 per cent. on wire from
20 to 30 per cent. and on miscella-
neOuS articles from 10 to 25 per cent.
The hlunder in duty on tin plates,
which originated in the displacement
of a comma in the Act, is corrected.
Articles mot otherwise provided for"
are put at higher rates than the aver
age of specified articles, because IA
lower range leads to perpetual pro
tests and litigation through efforts OF
importers to bring articles under that
PROVISION, An especially creditable
thing in this part of the report is its
recognition of the steady and sure
approximation in price between iron
and steel.
Schedule E, sugar, has an impor.