The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-01-24
WHO Is TO BE ANNoYEDg

J nlttee OF the House Will present q
bill proposing an average reduction of
existing duties, amounting to between
fifteen and twenty per cent. Western
Republican members will then be pre-
scented with such measure as their
constituencies demand, and it re-
mains to be seen whether they are
more ready to obey the dictation of
the protected baIons than to give ad-
heSloa to an earnest popular demand
expressed in the West regardless of
party affiliations. The late tariff COM
mission reported in favor of a reduc-
ton of twenty-five per cent; but the
bureau of statistics has shown that the
average ad valorem rate of duty paid
through the first quarter of the
current fiscal year is less than three
per cent as compared with the CORE
spending period last year. There is
significance in these statements, and
congressman are commenting much
upon the following declaration of the
commission:
EARLY in its deliberations the COM
mission became convinced a substan-
tial reduction of tariff duties is de-
manded, not by a mere indiscriminate
popular clamor, but by the best con-
sentative opinion of the country, in
Guiding that which has in former
times been most strenuous for the
preservation of our national indus
tries. Such a reduction of the exist
ing tariff, the commission recon-
mends not only as due recognition
of public sentiment and measure OF
Justice to consumers, but one conduc-
i've to the general industrial prosperi-
ty, and which, though it may
be temporarily inconvenient, will
be ultimately beneficial to the
special interest affected by such
reduction. No rates of defen-
sive duties, except for the estab-
lishment of new industries which
more than equalize the conditions of
labor and capital with those of foreign
competitors, can be justified. Excess
Siye duties or those above such stand
ard of equalization are positively in
furious to the interest which they are
supposed to benefit. They encourage
the Investment of capital in manufac-
turing enterprises by rash and I'M
skilled spectators, to be followed by
disaster to the adventures and their
employees, and a plethora of commodi-
ties, which deranges the operation of
skilled and prudent enterprise. They
serve to increase uncertainty on the
part of industrial enterprise, whether
it shall enlarge or contract its opera
tons and take from commerce as
well as production, the sense of
stability required for extended IN
dertakings. 1t would seem that the
rates of duty under the existing tariff,
fixed for the most part during the
war, under the evident necessity at
the time of stimulating to its utmost
extent all domestic production, might
be adopted through reduction to the
present condition of peace requiring
no such extraordinary stimulus. En-
PERTAINING these views, the commits
sion has sought to present a scheme
Of tariff duties in which a substantial
reduction should be the distinguish
ing feature. The average reduction
in rates, including that from the en-
laTgement of the free list, and the
abolition of the duties on charges
and commissions, at which the COM
mission has aimed, is not less on the
average than 20 per cent, and it is the
opinion of the commission that it will
reach % per cent"
Here, then, it may be seen, the COM
mission advocated general reduction
of % per cent. Yet, the bill prepared
by the commission was changed, and
tempered with by a Republican Con-
gress, until, what was intended to be
reduction of % per cent, is only 3
per cent for the first quarter, during
which there was flood of imports
which had been held back for the re-
duction. Taking into consideration
the lesser imports for the balance of
the year, it may be safely estimated
that the reduction will be shown to be
not much more, and probably less,
than per cent. None, therefore, may
reasonably oppose a reduction of less
than 10 or 20 per cent, and
the Western Republicans are pledged
to such a course. Really it is no more
than the reduction proposed by the
commission which a Republican con-
gress was shown by this commission
of its own choice was reasonable and
proper to he made. The revenue re-
formers are certainly not much
troubled over their position; it is their
opponents who must be exercised in
the end at refusal to comply with
that which has such strong endorse
ment from their own standpoint.