Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-03-12
Majority Report.

The majority report is as follows:
The Committee on Ways and Means, to which
was referred so much of the Presidents message
enue, respectfully report that in his message the
President has deemed it his duty to give to Con-
gress information as follows: To. make
enue from imports the Tariff Commission has
been created. In good faith it undertook the
its deliberations the commission became con-
yincsd that a substantial reduction of the tariff
crimnate popular clasor, but. by the
best conservative opinion of the eoun-
Commission regards not only a due recognition
of public sentiment, and measure OF justice to
dustriai prosperity, and which throughout @ may l
be temporarily inconvenient, will ultimately be
beneficial to the special interests affected
views the commission has sought to
present scheme of tariff duties in which sub
stantial reduction should be the distinguishing
feature. The average reduction in the rate, in
Guiding that from the enlargement of the free
commissions at which the commission has arrived
is not less, on an average, than twenty per cent. ;
i is the opinion moi OF the commission that the re,
chairman Of the Senate Committee on Finance,
in explanation Of the bill before the Sem
meDts. became law, estimated at s45,-
100000 the reduction of revenue which
posed thereby. These calculations have not been
verified SO that question still presses what leg
slation is necessary to relieve the people Of un-
necessary taxes. Your committee find that in
the first six months ending December 81, 1885, un-
der the act of March3,. 1888 lthe new lawl; duti,
able merchandise was imported into the United
which duties were paid amounting to to
thereof. In the corresponding six months Of the
year 1882 under the old law the value of dutiable
pnd was si or u 500 per na cent tne on atb sbs
| value. 1t thus appears that the average cost of
importing goods valued at sl0O was only ! "A per
lneg nnra thn han Il H. n l.,
| This exhibit of reduction in rates made by
the act of March 3, 1888, amounting to IA per
cent. of duty, is subject to unimportant mudi-
fcatiOn resulting from changes in values and
other conditions, some of which increase and
| The nominal reduction made by the proposed
present rate with the Morrill, tariff iimitations ia @
in the bill, and liquor and silk schedules admit
ted they are, the actual reduction on the basis
| Of last years imports will not exceed 1874 per
cent. on the whole importation of dutiable goods
| Together the average reduction made in the
| Tariff Commission bill by. the act of March
sd & 6s to Be %&ds BY the s bill
mission aimed" Wood: sawed lumber, coal and
salt are in'Such universal use among, and SO nee,
Treasury receipts it is deemed advisa.
BILE no longer to obtain revenue from tax on
shown by the receipts under the new law, othel
| than that resulting from nominal reduction, i;
sue of nea4 on the S %
| law, as compared with the first half of the
of revenue receipts under the bill reported is es
timated s3l co., ,O0O the basis OF last year.
imports; To extend that s3l 100000 bill Twill re-
lieve the people of unnecessary taxes tc
that extent. The taxes will be reduced
and ndTecy % arsey 1S
| proportions. From the statement made by the
Bureau of Statistics, a copy of which is appended
on some and increased on other articles of i'm
ported goods under the act of March last 9TH,
| new law). While this is true, there has been M
| increate in the rate of wages of many, but reduc
| tions of wages in most industries las well il
those whose competing products received more
as in those that obtained less protection unde
the act of March last
The condition of manufacturing industries il
not satisfactory. In common with other indus
tries they only recovered late in 1879 from re
verses or partial paralysis of FIVE years duration
In less than three years after this recovery sucl
new evidences of industrial adversity appeared
that in one of the largest best paying and bes
paid industries of iron and steel calam
fell upon workers dependent upon it, and no
upon capital invested in it. In the annual re
ton for the year 1882, made on May l, 1888, b.
James NJ. Swank, secretary of the association, h
says: At the begipning Of june nearly Y: all tn
and the Vest were closed by a genera
smSe skSe which b.n op continued t last Sep
ing the strike of four months the prices Of rolle
iron did not advances, notwithstanding the stop
demonstrated that the production. of thi
form of iron had again, as in the pani
years exceed the demand, but at the same time
must be friendly admitted our rolling mill ca
Rsas ea o ss been in sanss ass % the sSs p
oyer-Production of rolled iron which wa
afforded by the strike of 1882 in n
| sense a calamity to manufacturers.
is believed the condition of the iron and stee
industries and workers in them has not muc
changed since 1882 and that the condition @
other industries is not unlike and differs only il
a degree from iron and steel; that calamity fire
, quently recurring industrial embarrassing an
enforced idleness is inseparable from tn
enormities of our protective system, and tina
calamities such system always fall upon the poor
| Your committee, therefore, report bill to reduc
import duties and war-tariff taxes, with recon
mendation that it be passed a measure of partia
relief to the people from unnecessary taxes" as
, | measure of Justice to consumer.