New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-31
THE THREE thrift Bills.


The Republicans of the House have begun
work on the Tariff bill very credltaoly' lney
differ from the Senators of the same party III
their disposition not to join with the Democrats
in tearing to pieces the work OF their COM
mittee. Mr.. Keleys experience entities his
statement to much weight when he declares
eravely and earnestly that the bill OF the COM
mitee of Way 6 and'Sleans is in his )nd 9nent
the most perfect tariff bill ever submitted 10
an American Congress- The elaborate tables
which have been printed for the use OF the
House, showing the imports OF each aftc,e III
1882. the duty collected and the rate, the uuly
now in force, and the duties proposed Dy the
Committee of WAYS and Means and the iarlH
Commission in parallel columns, Will help
members to vote intelligently without pro-
longed discussion, and they go far to remove
Observation-Disclosures which previous accounts OF
the bill had produced At the same time, many
reasons remain for preferring The adjustment
of rates. proposed by the Commission or by the
Senate bill in some particulars. The experts
who prepared the tables for the Housf nave
estimated the ret deere ase OF revenue uhuer
the House bill at $40, $50, 799, besides the eiect
of abolition of duties Or packages, inIano
freigbts, charges and commissions, and the IT.
duction resulting from this latter change was Oy
Senator Morrill, estimated ut so, 4OO,O0O. IL
these calculations are correct, the neral re-
duct,on under tho bill of the Committee of
ways and Means would be $26, 255, 799, or over
II per cent of the revenue fiom customs last
year.
Assuming that the Tariff Commission was
correct in ia opinion that the average rednc-
ton effected by its bill would reach 20 per
cent? it appears that tho House Committee has
leaned to much greater moderation in the cut
ting down of rates. But it is fair to add, ut the
same time, that the estimates Of the Commis-
sion we re not made in detail, but with consid-
cradle haste. and may be found less accurate
than those of the Ways and Means Committee
In fact. upou partial examination il scems
probable that the difference in actual effect
between the House bill and that of the Com
mission would not be- IA great as the Commls-
,iun's estimate would indicate This impress
sion is supported, too, by the detailed estimate
OF Senator Morrill,, whose bill undoubtedly
went further IN reduction than the Commits
sion's bill. He believed that the reductions pro-
posed by him would amount to S45,OlS,OoJ
and this il only 20.4 per cent OF the duties
collected last year. IL may he loosely assumed
therefore, that the general reduction under
the three bills would be somewhat IA follows ::
House bill SIG, OOO, 600, oI II per cent; Com
mis,ion's bill. S37,OO0.OOO, or Is per cent !;
Senate bill. $40, 600, 900. or 20l2 per cent
But this gives little idea OF the more serious
differences between the three measures.
The great difference is in adjustment Of the
reductions between the different classes. IL us
the House bill, according 30 its estiml ties,
would increase the duty on cotton goods; the
Senate bill makes reduction est mated by Mr.
Morrill, &C 80 per CEN. and tire Tariff Commas
sion also proposed a considerable reduction.
But the House bill takes on only 81 80, O'2
from the duties oh metals. while Mr.. Morrill,
estimated the reduction under the Senate bill
ut 50, 100000. The House Committee also
makes smaller reduction than the Senate bill
ON uoollens and silks, and estimates the effect oil
the changcs in duties on sugars at 81 ,249,62O,
while Mr.. Morrill, allows SIC. 10000 tor
the reduction in that class. As the Commission
did not estimate the feet of proposed changes
in detail except by saying that 1t would be 20
pcI cent on SILK goods, from ] : to 40 per cent
ON articles ~ the wool aud wOollens schedule,
from 25 To 80 per cent on chemicals, aud ia
per cent on sugar. II will he seen that the
difference between the three bills Is largely IN
their bearing upon the textile manufactures on
the one hand, and upon the iron and steel IN
terests on the other. The llouHe bill especially
favors the iron and steel interest, while the
Senate seems especially inclined 70 reduce
duties in that class.