Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-03-15
TIE TARIFF.
SPEECH
HON. A. G.. CURTIN,
OF rENNsY LNANIA.
IS THE House OF REPRESENTATIVE,
Saturday, MarcL, 3, 1888.

Mr.. SPEAKER: 1t it were not for
the reductlun of the internallevenue
axalior. this bill would not receive
he seri rus consideration of this Hcu.e.
had the honor at the last session
It Congress to address myself to the
House when the bill was on passage
'nr the reduction Of internal revenue
sl7, 200, and to say at that time
hat | vas the advocate of the entire
abolition OF internal taxation and the
discharge Of the public officers who
are engaged in its collection, except
the taxation on whisky, distilled
spirits, and tobacco, and whatever re-
! vel ues were necessary IN that way
should be collected a. the ordinary
taxes are and 10y processes to which
the people Of this country are accus
toned, and thus be relieved of the
espionage aud inducemcnt to fraud
which surround all of the laws now in
existence in the collection Of such
revenue.
This bill makes a much larger re-.
duction, but does not in that respect
approach the expectations OF the peo.
pie, but il J. no doubt the inducemcnI
to the passage ~ the bill IN hot hu,tc
aud without the consideration due t.
"A measure Of such importance and
magnitude. II is the sugar.cnating To
The pill more than one member ha-
declared nEusenus aud hard To- swallow.
| will refer especially To that part nf
the bill which treats of iron in which
charcoal Is used n fuel aud a- found
IA the metal schedule. aud leave the
examination OF other items Ia the pcu
ole OF Pennsylvania Thar part of
the schedule in the House bill. which
vas abandoned, gave comparatively
lnst protection to that production Df
American industry, capital and labor.
Il was provided that a duty of So
ton should be laid upon iron Ia which
charcoal VAS used as fuel, and il ir,l
Il der the clause M that bill whirh
provided that in 10 event should the
Iuiy be less than 81 per cent al va
'urem. Il was further provided in
hat bill where two ur more rates Of
iLties shall be applicable to one rn
.,ortcl article il shall be cla--liiei Tor
10 ' under the CHEST of ,uch rates.
The CItIz,us who were i'm Washing.
IN representing the charcoal iron ia
rest had REPEATED interviews with
rading Senators duriu. the cpn-iIrra.
,ton of this bIll through that hudy
They found in the Senator from
Michigan and in the senior Senator
rom Pennsylvania enlightened aud
Jealous advocates of a Just protection
- their industry. The S,.uatc hill H.
t passed that body provided that on
Ill iron manufactured with charcoal
~ fuel more advanced Ia manufacture
han pig there shall be Imposed dut,
pt So "A ton more than on the same
manufactured with other fuel. aud
that II iron in slabs. blooms, loops. or
dher forms more advanced then pig.
ron shall not pay less duly than 3J
Ter cent. al valorem. and then pru.
vIded that on iron in which charcoal
Is used as iuei further advanced than
pig there shall br 80 additional to iron
manufactured With other fuel. That
was all that was asked, aud 10 such
moderate demand the Senate accedrd.
Ia the report Of the conference com
mittee, the provision that there should
be an additional duty of SO per ton on
iron manufactured with charcoal as
fuel is stricken out of the Senate hill
In the bill as reported by the confer.
ence the provision that all irons more
advanced than pig except castings
were To be rated "a iron without any
reference to the fuel used and to pay
a duty accordingly, aud that none of
the above shall pay less rate OF duty
than 30 per cent. ad valorem prccedes
the duty Of s22 per ton a. settled upon
iron manufactured with charcoal "a
fuel, "a will he found on page %, lines
562, 563 aud 564, and can not be an.
plicable to charcoal iron. In line $40
iron less than one inch wide the duty
Is eight-tenihs of per cent per pound.
but 10 line 553 iron not less than three.
fourths OF one inch square, cent per
pound and in line 55s iron s. than
seven-sixteeDths Of one inch in diane.
ter or less than one inch square, IL
cents per pound. On the fret the
duty would be 1892 per ton ou the
second s22 -, and on the thirl s26 76.
A portion of them as provided in line
5I2 shall pay a less rate of duty than
30 per cent. ad valOrem, that saving
clause not being applicable 10 iron
where charcoal is used as fuel. The
seuate bill as il passed that body gave
20 irnn manufactured with charcoal A.
fuel an additional protect N Of So per
Ton and the benefit of the 35 per cent.
al valorem clause, which tie confyrees