New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-18
THE HOUSE TARIFF Bill.

The Ways and Means Committee of the
House has reported its Tariff bill, six of the
members favOrIng it, and seven opposing or be-
ing absent. The Washington dispatches state,
however, that not one of the members who
voted for the bill will support it exactly as it
stands, because every member has some change
that he considers essential. When a committee
is obliged, in order to make any report ut all,
to send in a bill that has no greater support
than this, it is not strange that sagacious mem
beers of the House doubt whether majority in
that body can he brought to sustain it. Just
what this bill may now embrace 1t is impossible
to say. 1t has been modified SO irregularly and
so often, one important change having been
made the very morning the bill was reported,
that one must be quite in the dark who attempts
to understand it, even with all the published
reports before him. 1t appears that members
of the Committee differ vety widely in their
ideas of the measure. Some think it will re-
duce taxation from 500, 900, 600 to $25 900 600,
while others maintain that the bill would actu-
ally increase the revenue. 1t is also the opinion
of very well-informed members of the Commit
tee that, owing to changes of classification add
other provisions, even the estimate which ex-
perts of the Treasury are trying to make as to
the effect of the bill will probably be untrust-
worthy.
In that case, it would be interesting to know
on what ground six members of the Committee
voted for the bill. If they are quite sure what
It's effect will be, they should have made it clear
to other members Of the Committee nor could
there be much doubt regarding the result of the
Treasury examination. But If the six members
lot "a
they widely disagreed in opinion, it seems to be
fair question whether the country ought to
take part in a rattle on this matter. Neither
those who would prefer to have the present tar
i'll maintained, nor those who want 1t reduced q
little, nor those who want it greatly reduced,
can be satisfied with bill that may possibly
cut off some taxation, may possibly increase
taxation.
No doubt Mr. Kelley will be prepared to
make Some explanation of his understanding
of the measure. He is as likely to understand
it correctly as anybody else, and yet he is not
infallible. When the bill has been printed and
carefully examined others may he able to judge
whether Mr.. Kelley is far astTay; but it is at
least equally possible that, owing to the many
changes of classification, no one can judge much
about it except with the aid of statistics of inn
ports which the Committee has not obtained,
and perhaps could not obtain. So the question
which confronts us now is not unlikely to con-
front us TO the end is it wise to enact new
tariff which means nobody knows what7
The Senate bill, whatever It's other defects
may be- has not this fault to the same degree /;
it il in the main more readily understood. Sem
ator Morrill, has made an estimate of its effect,
aud many who have investigated are of the
opinion that he is not far out of the way. 1t
has the advantage, too, of being much closer
to the bill recommended by the Tariff Commits
son and the Investigations OF that body should
have enabled its members to estimate very
closely the effect of the bill proposed by them.