The Portland daily press., 1882-12-06
THE TARIFF COMMISSION
An Abstract of the Report Pre-
sented.
THE CHANGES SUGGESTED,

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4.-The report of the
tariff commission was today submitted to the
House of Representatives by the President of
the Commission, Mr.. John L. Hayes. 1t is a
very long and comprehensive document, with
an appendix equally formidable The first
part OF it gives description of the work of in
vestigation, during which 6000 miles were
travelled, the travelling being all done in the
night time. Twenty-seven cities were visited
during this time, ranging from the 45th to the
32dsparallel OF latitude, and disappointment was
miss d.
Over 900 witnesses were examined, and 1000
pages OF testimony were taken with impair
tiality, SO far as the tariff was concerned. In
no cases were witnesses solicited, with the ex-
ception of officials in some cities, and the Com
mission expresses it's purpose to make It's re-
port complete photograph of public senti-
ment upon the subject of tariff commission.
The second part is devoted so the work Of de-
liberation, and covers period of five weeks
spent in going over, item by item, all the arti-
cles concerning which testimony was taken in
various cities. The report states in this (sec-
ond part) that the principles upon which the
commission was bounu to act were first consid-
cred. The commissioners agreed that they
must recognize the existing economic system
OF the country, which has been in practice for
years, and whose principle characteristic is
discrimination, either open and avowed or incl
dental. All witnesses are reported as recog-
nizing the necessity of preserving this char
acteristic, and the Commission limited its
work to revision of the tariff, not undertake
ing any wholly new system. The commission
notes the necessity of adhering to the designa-
tons and phraseology of system which is the
growth of century, and any sweeping change
in which would perhaps react upon labor, de-
preciate value and bring disaster. The COM
mission, in view of not only the expressed sem
timent, but also in view of the best sentiment
of conservatism in the country adhered to the
injunction OF the law, which directed 1t to see
that justice is done to all preceding interests.
The report next comes to the question of rates,
in determining which it relied upon its own
Judgment, having regard to the demand for
general reduction.
THE OBJECTION TO HIGH DUTIES.
The commission declares that high duties
have q tendency to create prejudice, to encour-
age unsafe investments of capital, to cause o
plethora of certain commodities; that the time
has come when a reduction IRON high war
rates can safely be made, and that the increase
In the productions by the older industries is
sufficient to admit of o reduction without inn
pairment of ability to compete. The reduc-
uons on an average, as whole, approximate
twenty per cent, and will perhaps reach twen-
ty-ive per cent. As the amount of reduction
cannot be stated with precision, it follows that
no statement can be safely made as to the ef-
feet of the proposed reduction upon the total
volume OF the revenue from import duties.
Although the free list is considerably enlarged
been enlarged by previous legislation as TO em-
brace nearly one-third in value of merchan-
disc imported in 1881; SO that little room is left
Tor reform in this direction. 1t is probable
that the reduction of the total volume of the
revenue would not be proportionate to the re-
ducIion OF the duties, for the reason that the
reduction may, temporarily at least, increase
importations, and greater revenue for time
may result from the lower duties.
The introduction of an infexible rate of
horizontal rA0untiOn W0uld m adp "a
work of the commission easy, but such meth
cd would bave been unskillful, timid and un-
Just. The essential feature of our tariff sys
tenn for generations has been discrimination,
and nothing but disaster has attended the tenn
porary departures from this rule. 1t has been
the effort of the commission to make the re-
duction apply to commodities of necessary gem
eral consumption, and to diminish or withhold
the reduction upon commodities of high cost,
requiring more labor, and which, being con-
sumed principally by the more wealthy class,
could bear higher duties, at the same time
supplying revenue, and encouraging the high
er arts without being oppressive in their oper-
alton.
1t has been sought invariably TO make dis
elimination between the rate OF duties imposed
upon manufactured product, and upon and
on the raw material or partially manufactured
product of which it is made, the object being
to impose higher duty upon the latter.
THE METHODS ADOPTED BY THE COMMISSION.
The report Edescribed in detail the methods
by which the commission arrived at its results,
and then proceeds to say: A reference has
heretofore been made only to the interests of
production as affected by the work of revision
intrusted to the commission. The character of
the proposed revision in the interest of Amer
ican commerce must next receive considera-
tion. 1t is an error to suppose that there is
ary real antagonism between the interests of
production and commerce for internal COM
merce. The most important of our CONNER
clal interest depends mostly upon domestic
protection. The report then goes into an ex-
haustive review of the recommendations made
by the commission, and illustrates the review
with numerous schedules showing the present
status of the various industries of the country,
and comparing it with the status OF former
years. In some cases the revision has no re-
gard for the revenue feature, as with books,
the tariff on which is largely reduced in the IN
terests OF education and progress, while works
of arts are increased to encourage American ar
lists. In discussing the administration of
the tariff laws, recommendations are made to
facilitate their enforcement, one of which is
that the duties on charges be repealed, with
others to do away with the annoyance to for
eign commerce which now prevails. An i'm
portant recommendation is that of customs
court for the purpose of deciding questions of
classification and other questions peculiar to
the import trade. The report discusses at
length the importance of American industry
and commerce, giving statistics at length, and
publlBS tuo annual luuuSIrlal PRODUCT OF blb
country at six billions of dollars, and showing
that the Uniied States, in the matter of pro-
ductise interests, is now the first in the world
Appended to the report is full tariff bill,
with schedules an d detailed references to ff-
teen schedules describing the commissions
reasons for making the proposed changes.
Other papers submitted with the report are
the statistical tables showing the condition of
labor. The report of the commission is unani-
nous. While differences on some points exis-
ted, and are set forth in the end, there is no
minority report
SOME OF THE CHANGES SUGGESTED.
1t may be stated that the reduction fixes the
duties on steel rails at $17.92 per ton, or eighty
cents per 100 pounds. All other portions of the
iron scheme are consistent with this. There is
an entirely new schedule of chemicals based
upon scientific methods, and a schedule upon
metals arranged upon new plan. The reduc-
tion in wool is said in the report to be of such
character as will commend itself to the public,
the greatest reduction being upon the article
of blankets, upon whit b the tariff was particu-
larly excessive. 1t is observable that no duty
is recommended on quiDine, and that the duty
on wood pulp is abolished, although that on
wood aud lumber is retained. Some concess-
ions were made, it is apparent, to satisfy public
opinion and meet the peculiar wants of various
interests. The report proper, exclusive of the
testimony, makes over 1000 pages, and until it
is printed the details of the changes in the ex-
isting tariff recommended by the commission
cannot be satisfactorily stated. 1t may be
stated in this connection that the vast amount
of work in the report could only be finished by
the day required by law is source of surprise
to those who had predicted that two years
would be required to go over the ground COW
cred by this investigation