New-York tribune., 1882-09-28
REVISION OF THE TARIFF.
WHAT THE COMMISSION Is DOING.

CHARACTER AND VALUE OF THE IMPORTATION
ALREADY OBTAINED-TwO KINDS OF FREE
TRADERs-A DRAFT OF a NEW LAW To BE RE-
PORTED TO CONGRESS.
lBY TELEGRAPH THE TRrBUSFl
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-Tbe National Tribune of
tomorrow will contain long review of the work of
the Tariff Commission. gathered from a CONVERSE
tion with a member Of the commission. some Of
the interesting portions of this review are the
following
"What industry has been particularly repre-
sented before you-ron and steel"
No one has particularly represented the iron and
steel industry before u.s. and the only persons who ap
peared in that interest We're a few manufacturers
who came merely to apologize for not coming
They VIII prepare exhaustive statements of that in
dustry ana present them to on the return from
the South
What interest seems to have been most prom
inently represented before tie commission
Probably the sugar interest, but VIC have had
more persons before rs to present their views on
the duy on quininc than any other subject. 1t was
quite amusing to how little some Of them knew
Of the subject No one could tell us how many per-
sons employed in the manufacture Of Guinlne
in this cOuntry-whether It 10 900 or 800. The
fact is that there 352 persons employed IN the
quinine industry il the United States'
Were the representatives. of the sugar interest
desirous Of having the present tariff that article
re luced -
I'VE have probably heard more on that subject
than any other o. importance. This question Is
viewed from three different points Of yiew-thc
growers importers and retners They all appear
to that they possibly stand the reduction
proposed at the end of the last session OF Congress-
which was to take off the % per cent. increase i'm
posed by tine act Of 1917
How much reduction will those engaged in the
sugar business stand p
They VIII stand the - per cent reduction"
Next to the sugar interest, what was the Drin-
cipal interest before you"
Il should think that the pottery mon have
come to the front more than any Others. They
want to increase the present tariff on the fine
wares; but rs we are able 20 compete with foreign
atious III tn commoner grades. there is no great
opposition to lowering the duty on that class of
goods"
What do YOU consider the most important
testimony heard by the commission~ ~
d" The testimony of the free-trader7 a whole
for it shows the full strength of their position
and the expert testimony. This latter very
! thorough. We had some thirty or more of the
most thorough experts in the NewfOrk Custom
| House before rs We began with Schedule A. and :.
! taking the duty each article through every
schedule down to the free list we made "A thorough
examination TO the effect and results OF the tariff
on each item, mquIring where there had been any
questions arising III the levying OF the tariff and
tie reasons therefor"
what was the general character Of the testimony
of the ee-tfaders p
4" There have been two classes Of free-traders be-
fore the commission. Sensible men like Everett F.
Wheeler aud David A. Wells recognized the fact
that we are a commission to revise the tariff laws
aud not debating school for the purpose of dis
cussng questions of free trade protection that
the fact OF the appointment of the commission IL a
recognition that tie people want an examination
into the subject and to where il needs revision
This class want reduction on raw material Oh the
ground that thus will increase the manufactures
of the country. Their suggestions have been yalu
able and important 70 the commission There has
been another class who demanded absolute free
trade, which absurd. the commission
not appointed to see if it could abolish the whole
system"
"Who represented the shipbuilding interest ~
"No one They are to meet IA hen 20 East
After leaving here we VIII ta!e a run to Baltimore,
Phadelpha and PittsbWg, to hear from the great
interests in those quarters, aud expect To con-
clude our hearings about the 18th of October, in
New-York.'
Do you expect to finish your work in time for
Congress to act upon your report and recommends
tons this session. if they really want TO act on the
tariff question :"
"On yes. We shall submit our final report, if not
before the beginning Of the session. certainly before
the holidays. At our sitting IN st. Louis Governor
Coleman came before the commission, and said he
was backed by I2OOO,OO0 farmers, and
they were all united in the interest Of
lree trade. soon after this statement was
made a gentleman IN the audience stepped
NJ 10 me and sad: Mr.--, DO you suppose could
say word on that pllntI / said,
Certainly l know something about
farming he continued, as l happen
10 be thc master OF the stare Grange of Missouri
ana also tue lecturer of the National Grange Of the
United States and think know something Of the
views of the farmers on TINS question: was inter
estcd and greatly surprised 10 near the remarks ol
Governor Coleman aOOut 80 many millions OF
farmers being united for free trade We have
goou many farmers who are tree-trade men and
there are a good many VINO are IN favor OF pro-
tecfive ariii-as bgh any PeunSy ylYanian desires
but / thiuk the great mass Of them believe that
the tariff il TOO high on some articles ana desire
Via in your jud -rent, so far as can be deter
mined now, Will BE- the general tenor OI the report
I'm the first place there will BE- "A clearing away
of the coDwcDs that affect rhe working of the tarlh
and interfere with It's smooth working. The
tendency Will be i'm the direction of a whol 'some
reduction IN the industries that nave grown up ana
are able 10 stand their own feet without assist
ance. The representatives of leading industries,
ike cotton, iron silk and Others. are now conierrng
together and viii present written statements TO Us
in NeW-YOrk; and that Is the reason why they nave
not appeared"
Viii the commission make any specific recon-
meuGatiOns as to he various articles IN the tain y
Alo.5 certainly The commission will embOdy
IN it's report draft of Il law winch, ID lts oplnloni
will remove all defects IN The existing tAruI' ana
remove ali reasonable complaint against It."
NORTH CAROLINA AND 1HE TARIFF
THE PEANUT CHALK AND SILK COCOOSs INTERESTS
REPRESENTED BEFORE THE COMMISSION
no