The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-03-20
MORRISON FA11FP 1II1..

Abstract Of the Reports Of the Majority
ana cf the Minority Of the Committee.
Majority and minority reports of the ways
and means committee on the Morrison tariff bill
were submitted to the house recently. The
division in the committee was upon strict par
ty lines. Morrison was asked vixen no pro-
posed to call up the bill for action. He said he
did not know: Other members expressed the
opinion it would come up next week.
MAJORITY REPORT.
was referred so much of tho presidents me ~o
and accompanying documents as relates to rcv
en9e, respectfully reports that in said messsc
anu ase2;m !. pa documents the president hi
deemed u his. duty to give congress informatio;
as follows; TO mako . start In the proposed re-
duction OF revenue from imports the tariff com
mission had been created. In good faith it I'M
satd: Early In its deliberations the commission
4ecame convinced that substantial reduction
IN tasin duties was demanded, not by mere in
d'scrlmlnate popular clamor, but BY the hest
conservative opinion Of the country. such re-
duction in the existing tariff the commission re-
SHSlic Sentiment as and due recognition Of
consumers, but one conducive to general
industrial prosperity, and which, though il may
be temporarily inconvenient, will be ultimately
Oenenc1al to special interests affected by sucE
reduction. Entertaining these views the com
mission has sought to present scheme of tariff
duties IN which substantial reduction should be
the distinguishing feature. The average re.iuc.
ton IN rates. including that from the enlarge
ment of the free list and abolition Of duties on
charges and commissions at which the commits
20 per cent, and it is the opinion Of the Commits
sion that the reduction will reach IS peT cent "
The chairman Of the senate committees on
nn nsneo' IN explanation Of the bill before the
me rs,n became law estimated at
. .he acuuctlon o1fevenue which would follow the
calculations have not been verified so the omess
tion ntnl presses, what legislation is necessary
10 relieve the people Of unnecessary taxes. Y0nr
committee hnd that in the first six months end
ing Dec. 81. 1888, under the act Of Msrch 2
1883. dutiable merchandise was imported into
the the United States valued at $235 sos. 100, on
Which VI duties were paid amounting to 500,
100, being AO.9l per cent on the value thereof
N tne corresponding six months of the year
ies:, under tue OLD law. the value of dutiable
i'c ,i amounted To- $260,s56, 273, and the
on the value. 1t thus appears that the
AVERAGE COST OF IMPORTING GOODS
v vs~e eh a. d10 WAS per cent less under the
dnctlon IN rates made by the act OF March 3
1883 amounting to l: "A per cent Of the duty
ms Is subject to an important modification re-
lions, some Of which increase and others reduce
the comparative ad valorem rates. The nom
!nal reduction made by the proposed bin is 20
the Morrill, tariff limitations in the bill and the
liquor and silk schedules omitted as they are.
the actual reduction on tho basis Of last years
whole importation Of dutiable goods. Toeethe her
me average reduction made in the tariff
Go M b act Of March 3 1883. and that
Inc @y wbc% 9h b do
Wood. sawed timber, coal and salt are
81 such universal use among, and so
al" RsSRs tns IN 3 TscsDs
IL Is not deemed advisable longer to obtain rev,
Gnue from tax OIL these articles TIN.
uocIease OF revenue as shown by receipt,
from the nominal reduction OF l. "a per cent. re.
suits from falling OF to the value OF nearly
$-o,voV,Ooo IN imports in the first half of the
previous year under the old law. The reduction
OF revenue receipts under the bill reported is es.
tmGted at $3l 100000 on the basis of las,
year imports TO that extent the bill will re-
extent taxes will be reduced directly as meas
nle OF Justice to consumers and indirectly in
largely increased proportions From a state
mcnt made by the bureau of statistics. copy of
Tshlch IL appended to this report, it appears
That the duties or tariff taxes were decreased on
some and Increased on other articles Of imported
S4 s' under the act OF March last-the new law.
While this is true there has been no increase in
the rates OF wages in any, but q reduction OF
wages in most industries, as we'll in those whose
competing products have received more as In
CnOsc tnat OBTAINED less protection under the act
OF March last.
MANUFACTURES.
Inc condition OF manufacturing industries is
MOI satisfactory. In common with other indus
tres they only recovered late in 1879 from the
IcVerses and partial paralysis of five years durs
lion. IN less than three years after this recov-
cry such new evidences Of industrial adversely
appeared that in ono of the largest, best paying
and best paid industries iron and steel, it Gull
minated mn In four months stoppage. and t1leness
tne capital invested in it. In the annual report
Of the American Iron and Steel association for
the me year 1882, made May !, 1882 by James NJ
At the beginning Of June nearly ali the mills
1Sferred TO, rolling mills in Pittsbure and the
Were closed BY general strike which
resumed upon tho scale OF wages which had
previously prevailed. During the strike Of
, tS%r months the prices Of rolled iron
a eton,, not =, advance, notwithstanding the
clearly demonstrated that the capacity to
produce this form of iron again, as in panic years.
exceeded the demand; At the same time; it must
De frankly admitted that our rolling mill capa:-
aty has for some time been in advance of the
consumpt;ve wants Of the country, and that the
check to the oyer production otrolled iron which
was afforded by the strike of 1882 was in no
Ser se calamity to manufacturers" 1t is be-
!leved that the condition OF the iron and steel
industries and the workers in them has not much
Ciuetries is not unlike. and differs only in degree
from iron and steel. The calamity Of frequent
recurring industrial embarrassment and en-
forced idleness is inseparable from tho enormi-
Ties OF our protection system. The calamities Of
such system always fall upon tho lahoring poor,
Your t GSSmmittec therefore, report the bill to r.
RECOMMENDATION that It be passed. as q measure
OF partial relief to the people from unnecessary
taxes, 40 measure Of justice to consumers, and
conducive to the general industrial prosperity.
MINORITY REPORT.
The minority report, signed by Mcssrs. Kel-
ley, Mckinley, Hiscock, Kasson and Russell,
presented the following, among other obiec-
tons tot passage of the bill:
First-It will disturb business. The discussion
OF 1t IN committee has already done this. It will
unsettle values, retard incipient enterprises,
cripple those now established, impair confidence
among business men so essential to our dcvelOp-
ing benefits.
sccond-1t will Of necessity force down the
price OF labor in the United States It will
stimulate imports, increase competition from
abroad, which can only be successfully met by
reducing the cost Of home products. We cannot
LOO strongly emphasize our opposition to any
legislation which ever tends to reduce our labor
to the foreign standard, either in price or condi-
ton. The maintenance OF q fair and adequate
scale OF wages for American workinymen il in
dcspensablc to their comfort, their we'll being,
and the education of their families, is essential
TO good order in our society, the stability Of our
institutions, and welfare and progress Of our
Third-This proposed reduction will inevitably
increase foreign importations, and as a conse-
quence will, as all experience teaches, increase
the country Ia opposed.
Fourth-1t is wholly unnecessary unjusti1able,
and In every aspect and to every American inter
est only hurtful. The enormous increase Of cap
1tai and wealth during the last fifteen years
under the protective tariff, now forces capital to
seek employment in the development of all min
cral, agricultural and other resources to the ad.
vantage and gain Of all our people, and change
Or modification of the system will create such
doubt Of successful enterprises as to check their
useful tendency, and thwart the national deyel.
opment and progress, which Is without precedent
F1fth-It has none OF the merits of a carefully
matured tariff bill. 1t Is not the result OF a
studious consideration of the interests of our
people. their investments and employments, or
OF the condition OF the public treasury It pro
poses to reduce alike the duty upon every article
OF foreign import unfortunately and without
any examination of its effect upon particular in
dustrics. and wholly ignoring its necessary effect
In advancing prices abroad b 7 the destruction OF
competition at home While nominaly it /.
under the Limitations of the bill, and it viii be
found difficult if not imprs cticable, Of execu-
ton. 1t Is a leap in the dark
Slxth-That the feature Of the bill which an
plies ad valorem duties to most schedules A.
1ected by 1t is especially Objectionable, because
1t viii greatly increase the existing evil OF under
V3lu8ClOn and COnSennenk frau1a upo, tho