The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-02-07
SENATOR BECK ON THE TARIFF.
He Ventilates the Present Bill Before
the Senate On a Par With the
Tariff Commissions Report.
INFLUENCE UsHD BY THE PROJECTIONS
IsTs.
Dec, Is, '82.
Congressional Record, Jan. 90

Iars.
Congressional Record, Jan. %.
Mr. Beck--Mr President, am will
ing to meet AZ early and sit as late a.
the chairman of the COMMITTEES may de.
sire in order to facilitate the discussion
of this bill; but, whenever suggestions
are made AS to limitations of debate, |
shall object to any intimation which
tends to prevent Senator'S from being
fully and fairly heard on every item Of
it. We are only on the threshold OF it
as yet. We have gone through two
schedules; we are hanging on another, =
little one, now, ~ to wool. The great
schedules are yet untouched. What
have we doneY We have gone over
item by item the schedules which re-
late to chemicals; we spent a week on
it, and the final result was q reduction
of about "a million dollars, 1926, 900 of
that is upon two items relative to anil
Inc dyes and caustic soda We spent
two or three more days in going over tho
glass schedule, and the result OF that has
been an increase upon the present taxa
ton of abont S74S, 1917.
AAANNA hNh daISi nearly Two Weeks
spent on the Threshold Of this BILL the
Senator from Vermont has not saved
money enough yet to pay the Halliday
claim. We are now about to consider
an important schedule, the schedules on
metals; and II win be made apparent as
we discuss that schedule that there is
not only no real reduction of taxes below
the present rates, but an absolute in
crease of burdens. If we can not reduce
that schedule there will be little or
no hope for reducing the schedules on
woolens or cottons or anything else.
From the best calculation am able to
make, instead of the promised reduction
on the cotton schedule, there il an ahso-
lutte increase of nearly, il not quite a.
million dollars in the carefully arranged
proposition laid before us in regard To
these articles
My investigation in regard to the
metal schedule would make the increase
even more than the Bureau Of Statistics
made it in the report of investigations
furnished me the other day, the closing
sentence of which reads:
In 50 far as relates to iron and steel
and manufactures thereof, the duties on
which under the present and under the
proposed tariff can be stated, the
amount Of duty collected under the
present rate was So, 1888, 1856 26, and un,
der the proposed rates IL would have
been $2G, S50,35S 50, both being comput-
ed upon the basis of imports during the
year ended June 80, 1882. This shows
an increase under the proposed rates of
1913 per cent,
Very respectfully, yours,
JOSEPH NIMMo, JR,, Chief of Bureau.
"Hon JAMES BECK, Senator United
States"
1t is, | believe conceded, Mt least Il
will hardly be denied that the purpose
of the Tariff Commissioners was to i'm
crease on the average the rates of taxa
ton in the iron schedule, though that
purpose would not be discovered by
reading their report; indeed very pro |
nounced reduction would be expected |
1 hope that each item and change, both |
Of rated classification, will now be ex-
amined by Senators who desire reduction
OF taxes, and that all the facts will Be |
placed upon the record. trust that
they will not be deferred by suggestions
that time is consumed by discussion.
This bill, or rather some bill / fear |
good deal worse than the bill which |
passes the Senate, win in all probability
pass both Houses before The 4th NJ |
March; if SO, the facts now placed upon
the permanent records of the country
will constitute this justification Of those
OF us who vote against il, not only for
our votes, but for any future effort W.
may make to obtain the relief which the
country demands, but which feel a.,
sured this Congress does not propose to
give.
! think 1t will soon be apparent, If II
y not 20 now, that the real objection OF