The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-03-15
TWO VIEWS ON TARIFF.
MoRRIsoNs BILL BEFORE THE HOUSE,
Reports Of the Majority and Minority OF
the Ways and Means Committee on
the Measure Bismarcks Letter
on the Lasker Resolution.
MoRRIsoN's PET MEASURE.

Committee on the Morrison Iariff bill were
submitted to the House yesterday. The d.
vision was upon strict party lines. Morr-
son says he does not know when he will
call the bill up for action. The majority
report says:
The Chairman OF the Senate Committee on
| Finance in explanation OF the bin before the
Senate last year which, after Narious amend
ments, became "A law, estimated at Si0Otu,uo0
| the reduction in revenue which would follow
| the changes in the tariff These calculations
have not been verified. So the question still
presses, wha, legislation is neces-
sury to relieve the people of unnecessary
! taxes Your committee lind that In the six
months ending Dccemberh 1883, merchandise
! was imported INTO the United States valued at
| $2gs, sgS. IO9 ON which duties we're pal amount
| ing to 1854 lB, being 4O.9l per cent. on the
value thereof. In the corresponding six
months OF lSs:., under the Old law, the value
of dutiablc imports amounted to $50, 1898.
and the duty paid was Sill ,265,507 or A. Is per
cent. on the value. 1t thus appears that the
average cost of importing was only LA per
cent. less under the new than under the old
| law. The nominal reduction made by the pro
posed bill is twenty per cent, or one-fifth the
present rate, With the Morrill, tariff limta'
lions in the bill, and the liquor and silk SEIZED.
| ules omitted. the actual reduction will not cX-
coed 1874 per cent. The average reduction
made in the Tariff Commission bill and that
| 10 be made by the proposed bill, together do
not reach the reduction at which the commits
| sion aimed
The decrease in revenue as shown by the
receipts under the new law other than that re-
sulting from the nominal reduction of la
per cent. results from the falling OH OF nearly
$25,OOJ0U of the imports IN the first half ycar
| under the new law, as compared with the first
half of the previous year under the old law.
The reduction of revenue under the bill re-
ported is estimated ut S3lUOO,OO on the basis
| of last year : imports. To the extent oi that
$3l, OOO, 900 the bill will relieve the people
| OF unnecessary taxes. To that extent
taxes will be reduced directly rs
directly in largely increased proportions
From the statement made by the Bureau of
| Statistics 1t appears that the duties or tarifi
| taxes were decreased on some and increased
| on other articles under the new law, but
while this is true, there has been no increase
in wages in any, but reduction of wages in
most Industries, AS well as In those whose
competing products received more, rs in
those that obtained less protection under the
act of March last
| Referring to the condition of the iron and
steel trade, rs one of the leading manufhct-
ures, the report attributes the dcpres' son and
| the enforced idlencss of the workingmcn to
the enormities of the protective system, and
declares that, as such caamities always fall
upon the labOrers, the committee had de-
cided to report bill for the partial relief of
| the people from unnecessary taxes.
| The minority report which was prepared by
Mr.. Mckinley, after reciting the action OF the
| last Congress in revising the tarih i'll places
time which has elapsed since the new
tariff went into effect has been too short
| TO give il "A sufficient test and asks that il be
given Il fair trial before the subject is brought
| up again. Another objection urged is that the
reduction proposed by the bill under consid-
Grafton has not been asked for by II single in
tcrcst in the whole country Continuing, the
| report says,
| While all unite in opposition TO any reduc-
| ton some interests assert the necessity OF an
increase of duties for the actual maintenance
| of an industry. The WOOlgrOwerS OF the
| country demand the restoration OF the wool
duty of 1876. The undersigned have sought
to respond fayorably to this demand of more
than "A million of our fellow citizens
representing the agriculture OF the
country, but we have been overruled. The
opponents to our views, not con-
| tcSt with the refusal to accede to the requests
| of this large class of producers, deliberately
propose to reduce duties still lover Against
| this we enter II most earnest protest; There
are some inequalities, however, found in the
present law which ii would be only Just to
| correct Among these, wire rods, cotton-tics
and tin plates bear greatly disproportonate
duties to kindred articles, and should DO made
consistent and harmonious.
We are opposed to the bill, because, first:
1t will disturb business, unsettle values,
retard incipient enterprises, cripple those now
! business men SO essential to our development
and prosperity, and bring no countervailng
benefits.
2 1t will of necessity force down the price
of labor in the United States, will stimulate
imports, increase competition from abroad,
which can only be successfully met by re-
ducing the cost of home product. We can
not TOO strongly emphasize our opposition 10
any legislation which even tends to reduce our
labor to the foreign standard, either in price
| or condition.
g. That the proposed reduction will newt
| ably increase foreign impOrtatOns, and as
| consequence will increase our revenues, to
| which increase every interest OF the country
| is opposed.
l. It is wholly unnecessary and unjust!hable.
! The enormous Increase IN the wealth. OF tue
| country during the last fifteen years under a
| protective tariff, now forces capital TO seek
| employment In the development OF al! MIN
eral, agricultural and other resources, ana a
| change or modification of the system VIII
| create such doubt of successful enterprises
us to check this useful tendency.
). II has none of the merits OF carefully
maturcd Tariff bill. and is not the result OF
| studous consideration OF the interests oil our
people. 1t proposes to reduce alike the duty
upon every article of foreign import, without
| any eXamnut on aS to its eject upon partIcu-
| lar industries, ana wholly ignoring its neceS-
sary effect in advancing prices abroad py me
destruction of competition AT home. VINE
! uominally it 10 uniform reduction, in fact II Is
! grossly unequal under the limitations OF the
bill, and il will be found difficult If not inl-
| practicable of execution.
| u. That feature of the bill which apples ad
| ynlorcm duties to most of the schedules at
fcctcd 10y II is especially objectionable, be.
cause il will greatly increase the existing eNii
| of differentiation, ana consequent 1rauus
upon the revenue, as well rs SO COmpllcate
the rule of assessment duties as greatly to
embarrass the administration of the law.
the effect of protective duties upon wages, IS
the statement of the workmen themselves.
who unite in declaring that protective duties
are essential to fair and remuneratiNc wages,
and that every reduction inevitably results IN
lowering the standard of American wages we
dissent radically from the statement OF the
majority that reduction OF duties lightens
by SO much the burdens -of taxation. The
whole history of our National experience
shows a constantly decreasing price AS the
effect of increased home competition.
What the country wants most is relief
from Congressional agitation. All the INDUS
tries of the country are extremely sensitive,
and lust at this time, when business is more
or less depressed in every branch, threat or
fear of change introduces an element OF UNI
certainty throughout the country the eril Ell
fects of which no one can forcsee. twenty
per cent. reduction, or any reduction now
ever slight following so close upon the reduc.
tons made last winter, can not be defended
as TO Il single schedule, and as to many
| ID can BE- shown to he wholly disastrous
We believe 1t. after sufficient trial OF the Ell
feet of the last revision II shall appear that
the industrial interests of the country can be
maintained with il, and that the condition OF
the treasury will justify further revision,
such action will hc more wisely undertaken
by the friends of the protective system. ana
with less disturbance 10 public prosperity.
than IL done now by the ayowed advocates of
the destruction of the American system OF
prOtpptipu.