New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-20
Nrw WORK DAILY TRIBUNE. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20 1885,

to embrace everything of Importance now I'M
ported under the general clause The lowest
rate obtainable anywhere under the Senates
schedule short of 12l2 cents in value-and
scarcely any steel of that value comes in-ls
% per cent for steel worth 9 cents per pound.
If every pound Of the whole quantity i'm
ported last year should come at that precise
price and rate, the duty would still De
$1,263,00O, against $1,723,354 under the
present rate. But it is not conceivable that,
among so many articles mainly or the
coarser sort, the price would not vary
widely, and the rate from % to 100 per cent
the latter for articles worth only liz cents
pound At an average of 80 per cent, the
rate would be just what was paid last year,
and considering the variety of articles mainly
of the lower grade, the rate could hardly have
been much below that average. On the other
hand under Mr.. Shermans bill, If the whole
were worth cents pOund-the least faVor-
able possibility for the Senate bill-the rate
would have been 23i cents, or 3Ol2 per cent.
With values scattered and mainly low, as they
actually must be, the rate under Mr.. Sher-
mans amendment could not possibly reach 10
per cent, and would probably be about 40,
Welding 81, 297, sos, or about $4,000 more
than the probable return from the Senate rates.
The practical upshot of this fierce cOntro-
versy is this: If it were conceivable that all
blooms would have come in at the lowest rate,
and that all newly classified articles would
have been worth just cents and so have
come in at the lowest rate, the Senate bill
would have yielded $934,000 less than The
present rate, and $4,000 less than Mr..
Sherman's rate on the same violent SUPPOSE
tons. But assuming a probable division OF the
articles imported on the basis Of last years inn
portatons. the Senate bill would have yielde d
about 100000 more than the present rates,
and about 800, 900 less than Mr. Shermans
amendment.
Is it quite worth while for the defenders OF
the steel industry to get themselves into an ex-
cited and destructive mood over differences
comparauvely so unimportant The duties
now paid by all forms of steel affected by the
clauses in dispute are $5,O28, 1852; the worst
phase Of the matter automatically cOnceiv-
able is that they might drop to $1,1OO,OOO
under the Senate BILL or little over 30 per
cent on the value Of imports, and there Is no
rational probability that they would fall below
80 per cent the present average being about
80 Der cent. On the other hand, the duties
under Mr.. Shermans amendment might con-
ceivably rise to 43 per cent but are not ut all
likely to average over 10 per cent. Are shrewd
and practical men prepared to defeat tariff re-
vision this year, and incur all the peril OF nine
months OF uncertainty, with Democratic Con-
.,rcss mt the other end, and public sentiment
not little alenated by an apparent effort to
increase duties where the people think re-
duction desirable, and all for the sake OF or
& per cent in the average rate OF duty on a
small part of the imports
4, earnest friends Of the protective system
ana of the steel industry, We claim the right
to say to those who are now representing that
interest that the people viii hardly accept this
view OF thor character 1t does not consider
them so lacking in sAgacity. On the contrary,
If will infer that The real object is to defeat
tine bill in order that the present duty on Bes-
s.mcr rails my be mpntlined a little longer.
II is the in lgmcnt of the people that tbs duty
is too high for the public good, or for the III
timltc cool of the iron and steel industry.
That option has been justified by the report
or nm able commission of experts, nearly all
DISTINGUISHED as protcctIonists. Ii will be IN
r.rrcd thlt the Bc,scmcr rail makers, seeing
that they could not successfully resist public
ooinion directly. chose to beat the tariff under
cover of a controversy about a matter really
Of small importance. Tint conviction, If It
gains footing, VIII not make it easy to Sc
cure he retention of amy reasonable and proper
duties on steel and its products next winter