New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-19
CONSIDERING TARIFF REFORM
PREFERENCE FOR THE COMMISSIONS BnI.-PRop
ABILITY OF THE WAYS AND MEANS MEASURE
BEING DROPPED.

| PREFERENCE FOR THE COMMISSIONS BuI-ppon.
ABILITY OF THE WAYS AND MEANS MEASURE
BEING DROPPED.
| IBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUsEl
| WASHINGTON, Jan. n.1S.-Conversaiions to-day with
| Republican Representatives of diff rent shades Of
opinion in regard to the tariff show that rather
strong sentiment exists IN favor Of dropping the bill
| reported by the Ways and Means Committee should
All opportunity offer, and accepting as a whole the
one prepared by the Tariff Commission Thus
Pennsylvania Representative expressed his pref
erence to-day for tho latter bil chiefly because be
thought IL could be easily understood and de-
Tended than the one reported by the House Commit
tee His belief hat the latter leaves the rates Of duty
| somewhat higher than the former, does not affect
his preference, despite the tact that he would not
be verv sorry II all attempts at tariff reform should
| fail at this session.
An Iudlana Representative. whose name has been
included in most Of the lists of thick and thin op-
ponents Of the Tariff bill prepared by the Ways and
Means Committee, in reply to question by
TRIBUNE correspondent to-day said: II am
anxious to the bill amended as to some Of its
details, but Ishall finally vote for il. As a whole
however, L would greatly prefer the commissions
bill which could vote for exactly as IL stands"
A committee representative, who favors the House
bill because it takes better care OF certain indus
tries in his district than the commissions bill
does. admitted that in the main he preferred
the latter. Another New-England Represen tative
who is we'll informed on tariff questions wnile con-
ceding the intelligence and industry of the Tariff
Commission. crticses of their work as imper-
feet and some of their recommendations crude
and unsatisfactory. He prefers, on the whole. the
bill reported by the Ways and Means Committee.
Another very prominent Republican Representative
does the same and gives his reasons substantially
as follows:
Suppose that the Senate and House bills both
fall and that we then adopt the commissio bill u
will have to De sent to a conference committee. IL
that committee consists of six members they will
almosG inevitably be Kelley, Kasson and
Carlisle on the part of the House,
and Morrill,, Sherman AMI Bayard or Beck
the part of the Senate-a majority of them un-
trustworthy on tariff matters according TO my
view II the Committee is increased to ten men,
bers, Mckinley and Randall will be added by the
House. and Aldrich and Bayard, or Beck, by the
Senate and the situation will be no better. Then
when the Conference report is brought in IL will
receive no intelligent discussion, and not one man
in ten will know what the effect of his vote will
be.n
Suppose that the Tariff Commission bill should
be offered as substitute for the House bill at the be-
ginning of the debate, aud that the discussion
should be conducted ON parallel lines" suggested
the correspondent.
well, there would be no great objection to that.
What we want is Intelligent and thorough discus
sion." was the reply.
The objections of many Representatives to the
House DILL seem TO spring from their despair of
being able TO understand the effect of provisions
There is too much guessing about it," they COM
plain, and this complaint is evidently just. For
example. the present duty on cotton hose. shirts,
> al and fta l,rt;as col
lected last year amounted to about 81 56s 0O0 The
Tariff Commission brought these articles into Sec
tion of the schedule with other items and
commended uniform duty of 40 per cent. The Ways
and Means Committee, and the senate Committee
ALSO have revised cotton hosiery, ETC.. aud imposed
duty of 80 per cent upon ali such goods
made on knitting machines frames, and 40
per cent upon all such goods fashioned. mar
rowed or shaped wholly or in part by knitting ma
chimes OF frames, or knit by nand.
OF course the question at arises w hat pro-
portion will he taxed at 30 per cent and
what proportion at 40 per CENT? Ii is Q
question that nobody seems able TO answer Mr.. j.
S. Moore would probably say that three-fourths
would have to pay the higher rate. A New England
Representative, who is an old merchant and who
has handled tons of such goods" as he ex-
pressed It, found that the Treasury
expert who is engaged IN making calculations
for the benefit of the Ways and Means Committee
has quietly assumed-guessed-tha two-thirds
would be subject TO As per cent duty and one-thrd
to the 80 percent duty. "Iasked him how he knew"
said the Representative, andhe could only say that
he thought so.' When | told him thought
that the proper tons ought TO be exactly reversed,
he wanted to know why thought so. ard told
him. Then asked him if he had been sent down
here to guess for u.s.
Renresentatiya (hapa of Rhode Island. who
is an experienced cotton manufacturer, has spent
much time In trying TO cipher out what
the reduction in the cotton schedule will
be, but adpts that owing to differences
of classification. etc., it is quite impracucable to
reach perfectly definite and satisfactory result.
Under the present tariff cotton yarns classified
according to four grades. The Tariff Commission
reclassfed these yarns into seven grades aud this
new classification has been adopted by both tho
House and the Senate. The smallest reduction ON
any grade according 10 Mr. Chace's figures is ii IL
100 per and the highest 33 3 per cent On cot
ton cloth Of different grades unbleached, bleached,
colOred, dyed, printed etc. the reductions range all
the way from about 20 TO go per cent, the average
on the basis of importatons, which is very unsat-.
isac,ory basis. being in the naighborhood of 80 per
cent. Mr.. Chace, OF course, found when he came 10
compare the new IA %, which are either SPECIFIC or
ad yaorem, with the present rates, which are cont
pound, that 1t was impractlcable to reach salts
factory and definite result IN percentages That
part of the schedule embracing cotton cords laces
webbing e5c. also offered insapersble diillcnltes
owing TO reclassfcatIon. There has been an ins
crease on laces for example, but what proportion
that Item bears to the whole importations OF
articles with which it is classed in the present.
schedule il Is manifestly impossible TO determine
These examples are sufficient 10 show how wide.
the latitude for guessing The "Parsee merchant"
may ser his guess as high as he pIeases, and oven
Chairman Kelley cannot provo the guess to DO
wrong: OF Judge Kelley may put his guess down
70 the very lowest notch and even David A. Wells
cannot show it To be fallaey.
The lot of Senator or Representative in these
DAYS of attempted tariff revision ia not o happy
one in every respect. I he Ohio Senators aud
r realized tins to-day when they
ceived copies Of preamble and resolutions adopted
by the Ohio State Board OF Agnculure.
tenouncng the recommendations Of the Tariff
onmissiOu resDeetluR the dufv on wood.