New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-23
TARIFF PROSPECTS IN THE HOUSE.

TARIFF PROSPECTS II THE HOUSE
MUTTERINGs OF THE OPPOSITION TO TIE BILL FROM
THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMTTTEE-EsTIMATRs
OF ITS EFFECTS VARYING WIDELY.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRTBUsEl
| WASHINGTON, Jan. 22.-Ghere is possible danger
thar people who hope for reform of tie tariff at
| this session may derive too much encouragement
from the 4" harmonious caucus OF Republican Rep
rcsentatives on Friday evening. The harmony of
that caucus resulted from the careful ignoring Of
! all questions IN dispute.
The members of the Ways and Means Committee
gave us opportunity to discuss the merits Of the
| bill in the caucus, but when 1t comes before tho
| HOnse you will hear musico said Representative
Davis, Of Illinois. to-day. He continued: think
what.the people demand is reduction; don't be-
| leve they want a single rate advanced. There are
steel blooms, for example. The present rate is 40
per cent al yalorem 1t is proposed to raise this to
two and ihree-quarteT cents per pound which would
ruin some of the most 1Onrishing manufacturing
| industries in my district have been Informed by
an extensive manufacturer that one cent per pound
is ample protection for that particular article. A
great deal of trouble is going to arise ont of tho
conflicting interests and desires of manufacturers
themse ves-all of whom demand protection. What
is raw material to one is finished or half-inished
| manufacture with another"
| There is very general disposition among
| Western Representatives, Republicans well
rs Democrats, TO criticise harshly the commit
| tees action regarding metals and to declare that
Pennsylvania has been taken care of at the ex-
pense of the other States" Aud yet not all the
Pennsylvania Representatives are satisfied in all
respects. For example, Colonel Bayne visited the
c0mmttee-r0om to-day and urged reconsideration
of the action regarding caustc Soda the present
duty on which is and one-half cents per pound;
the committee recommend reduction to three
fourths of cent per pound. There is a large
mandatory of this article in my district, employ
ing 400 or 500 hands. A little town has grown up
there which is entirely dependent on this indus
try Destroy this enterprise and you ruin the town.
Now, the manufacturers declare that If you reduce
tho duty on caustic soda as you propose You viii
destroy their business, bat they say that they can
stand reduction to Que cent per pound" This was
the glst OF Colonel Bayne's argument, which. it is
understood. was convincing 10 a majority of the
COMMITTEES.
Mr. Carlisle was busy this morning getting mate.
rial together for his speech against the BILL which
he declared to be utterly iucOmpreh ensble' in
many respe is. "There is the cotton schedule" said
he 81 contend that the effect of action
will be to increase the duties in that schedule
to the extent of ~ COO,O0O Mr.. Haskell declares
that there will be an average reduction of 20 per
cent; Mr. Chaca thinks the average reduction will
be 80 per cent, whilo Mr. Evans, the Treasury ex-
pert figures out an increase about half aSlarge as my
estimate. YOu see il all depends upon the guesser.
Mr. Chace CuesSeS that only about One-third of tho
cotton goods imported will be subject 10 the higher
rate. while Mt Evans guesses that at least one
half of thcln viii, and there is absolutely no way to
find out which has made the right guess"
On this point Mr. Kasson suggested that Mr..
Carlisle did not take into consideration the prob
ability that an increase of the rate finer grades
Of cotton goods i'll result in the establishment Of
new American manufactures which will to large
extent. supply the market Eow supplied almost
wholly by foreign manufacturers.
Mr.. Evans, the Treasury expert, has completed
some tables purpOrtmg to show the effect of the BILL
and they were sent to the Public Printer to-day,
with very strict lniunctonS OF secrecy, which, the
clerk of the committee explained. imposed be-
cause It had not yet been decided that they would
be printed by authority of the committee. A MEM
bcr who had examined them declared that the fg-
urcs were utterly untrustw orhy and worthless. He
explained that a comparison Of the column purport-
ing show the average percentage OF present duties
In each schedule with the column purporting TO
show the average percentage Of proposed duties,
indicated a total average reduction on all the
schedules OF only about / per cent while, accord
the schedules exceeds 500 COO 600, about 10 per
cent of tho total importations of last year. In
other words the reduction by one showing is about
two and one-half times as great by the other
exactly the same figures being used as the basis in
each case.
The same member Of the committee said that the
expcrt's tables showed net reduction in sugar OF
some thing more than 81 100000; on wool and
woo.len goods and on silk and silk goods a little
more than $3,00UCO0 each; on metals, about
81 5000 an increase of about $l2Oo,OOO on
pottery carthenware, etc. aud an increase OF ABOUT
$ go 0C0 on cotton goods
II is understood that in the general debate, Char-
man Kelley will be put forward to explain and de-
feud the bill, the other Republican members re-
serving themselves for the discussions in Committee
of the Whole. Mr.. Carlisle will be the champion Of
the opponents OF the measure in the general dis
cussion 1t is possible that Mr. Speer will also
sneak again, as a representative OF the growing
sculimen. in the South in favor of protection for
American industry. Many Democratic Representa-
tiyrs not of the committee VIII slso demand an
on oof unity 10 take part in the gen, raj debate. and
some of them declare that they Will hllbuster IN
definitely, II necessary, III order To secure IL.
Republican members of the Ways and Means
Committee expect that MesSrs. Carlisle, Morrison
aud Fucker Will strive by every reasonable means
TO defeat tie bill. NJ. Morrison has been heard 70
say that properly to discuss and consider she Z'VVo
items in the bill and the necessary amenuIbsnIs
thereto wOu.d require all the tine between now
aud next June THIS seems 10 indicate une ol
10 combat which successfully VIII 10.
nilre the constant attendance aDd united actloh OF
fhe Rcrnblicans aud ot all Den)cratie Representa-
he helisye IN protective tariff -Alhough tho
9xtremeiy slow rate of progress made with tne
Naval OIL today-a rate which If continued VIII
nr,ve,G any consideration of the Tariff bill this
,yeeL-was probably not due 10 any previous agree
nent among the free-trade Democrats, IL was quite
lpparent long before the late adoorDment that they
IA quietly determined To p0stpoGs RS long prac-
icabe the taking up of the latter bill.
Mr. Hardy offered to-day the Tariff and lnternal
2syelue bill prepared under the auspices OF mo
etropolitan industrial! League. the chief advan-
age of which, according 10 its friends, is It's elm
,liclty and the ease with which Its provision, MAY