The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-12-14
The Tariff Commission Report.
t PROPOSES A GENERAL REDUCTION OF 90 TO
o. PER CENT. ON ALL DUTIES


1T PROPOSES A GENERAL REDUCTION OF 90 TO
81 % PER CENT. ON ALL DUTIES.
The tariff Commission has finished its work,
completed its report, and been discharged.
The report is in the hands Of the Ways and
Means Committee of the House, and is very
generally regarded as an admirable piece of
work. The great dailies" of the country, by
persistent abuse and Misrepresentation of the
Commission had prepared the public mind to
expect Il report that would be neither creditabe
to the Commission nor advantageous to the
country. But the result has fully justified the
action of Congress in creating the Commits
sion, and the judgment Of the President in
selecting its members. The report, we under
a slight difference of opinion on some matters
of minor import.
The Commission proposes substantial re-
due ion of 90 to 25 per cent. in the duties. The
effort has been to make the chief reduction on
articles of necessary or general use, and to re-
tain higher duties on articles the use of which
is limited and optional, and which partake of
the character of luxuries. While proposing
8
powerful argument for the protective system
and a great body of statistics and evidence
showing its beneticent effects. The effort of
the Commission throughout has been to pre-
serve and guard the helpful influences of the
system, while modifying its operation.
Fourteen schedules are proposed for du,iable
articles. and the classification in itself will
make an Improvement OF great Importance in
the practical working of the tariff la eight
OF these schedule sthere are important changes :;
in the others the old duties are mainly retained.
In Schedule A, embracing chemicals, there is
an average reduction Of % to 30 per cent. but
the most important 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 pro-
| visions 10 order to avoid the numberless pro-
tests and suits which arise from defective clas-
siicaton. Schedule B embraces earthen and
glass ware. Abolition of duties ON cost of in
land transportation, freight charges and COM
missions, it is held, will practically lower the
rate on decorated china, porcelain and Parian
ware so much that an increase of Is 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 Injuries, but most
articles of this class retain the present duty.
Schedule G, metals, is OF all the most impor-
/ tant and the changes proposed are vital. The
| old law, it is boldly and truly stated, has been
| outgrOwn; new articles and processes have
made its provisions useless Or harmful in many
| cases, and the work of classification peculiarly
difficult The aim has been to stop the trouble
between the Government and importers by
putting iron and steel ON the same footing so
! far as possible, by simplifying divisions, and
by abolshing compound duties. The reduction
| my n nrn nd mia 10 10 no
duty on Bessemer rails, now $2S, it is pro-
posed to make eight-tenths of a cent per pound,
| or $1792. On bar-iron the proposed reduction
is from 10 to 20 per cent, on wire from 20 to
| 30 per cent, and on miscellaneous articles
! from Is to 25 per cent The blunder in duty
on tin plates, which originated in the mis-
| placement of comma in the Acts corrected.
Articles mot otherwise provided for" are put
at higher rates than the average Of specified
! articles, because a lower range leads to per-
| petual protests and litigation through efforts
of importers to bring articles under that pro-
| vision. ,ft,s. ... ,.-.-
| Schedule Il, sugar, has an important new
classification based on the use of the polar
| iscope, anG a general reduction of about 10
per cent. A substitution of specific for ad
ealorena duties on tobacco is the main change
| in Schedule +. Schedule l, cotton goods, is
| the result of most useful and intelligent labor
| INTENDED 10 AVOID CONFUSION ana uL9aJlOn
| arising from compound duties and ambiguity
of terms. Except on some finer goods, the
reduction is from 25 to 80 per cent. Under
Schedule X general reduction of20 per cent.
is proposed on wool, and 1S to 40 per cent. on
| wooden goods, the higher reduction being on
| goods of cheaper grade and more common
| use. The retention of compound duties in
| this class occasions the only important dis
sent (by four Commissioners from a report
otherwise substantially unanimous Under
Schedule /. specific are substituted for I'D pal-
| 0renl duties on silk goods, with a general re-
duction of about 30 per cent, and most inter-
esting facts as to the splendid progress of this
industry are given in the report. Under
| schedule M it is proposed to admit newspapers
| and periodicals free. Wood pulp is also placed
on the free list.
Inevitably there will be much criticism of
the details of a report which proposes such
important changes. But the report also con-
tains provisions for administrative reforms of
the utmost value, and for the establishment of
Customs Court, to sit in New York, where
tWo-thirds of the imports arrive, to embrace
one expert officer of at least ten years ex-
perience, and to decide within ninety days,
without pleadings, questions of appeal from
the decision of Collectors. 1t is believed that
great relief will thus be given from the annoy.
ance and loss to which merchants are now
subjected through confusing and often arbi-
trary rulings of officials OF the Department.