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

Committee on the Morrison Tariff bill were
submitted to the House yesterday. The di
vision was upon strict party lines. MOrri
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 bill before the
Senate last year, which. after various amend
ments, became IA law, estimated at Si5OJd,Wt
the reduction in revenue which would follow
the changes in the tariff These calculations
have not been verified. SO the question still
presses, what legislation Is neces'
sary to relieve the people of unnecessary
taNcsy Your committee find that in tine six
months ending December3, 1883, merchandise
was imported INTO the United States valued ut
$2;is, ogS 100, on which duties were pal amount
ing to $#5l4 1876 being 0.9l per cent. ON the
value thereof. In the corresponding six
months of lSs2, under the Old law, the value
of dutiable imports amounted TO $bO,HB2' 3,
and the duty paid was FIJI ,26obo', or 4 % per
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 il twenty per cent, or one-fifth the
| present rate With the Morrill, tariff limita
tons in the bill and the liquor and silk sched-
ues omitted, the actual reduction will not eX-
| coed l5.14 per cent. The average reduction
made in the Tariff Commission bill and that
TO be made by the proposed bill, together, do
not reach the reduction at which the commits
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
| SIS, 10000 of the imports in the first half year
under the new law, as compared vi h the first
half of the previous year under the old law.
| The reduction of revenue under the bill re-
ported is estimated ut S3l, 100 900, on the basis
| of last year 5 imports. To the extent OF that
$3l, OoO,OCO the bill will relieve the people
OF unnecessary taxes To that extent
| will be reduced Iirprtll IL
measure of justice to consumers and IN
| directly in largely increased proportions.
From the statement made by the bureau OF
| Statistics IL appears that the duties or tarilf
| 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 I'm 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 depresS SION and
the enforced deness of the wOrkingnen to
the enornities of the protective system, and
declares that, AS such calamities always fall
upon the labOrers, the committee had de-
cidcd to report u bill for the partial relief of
the people from unnecessary taxes.
The minority report, which was prepared by
Mr.. Mckinley, after recting the action OF the
last Congress in revising the tarlh in places
where reductions were needed, urges that the
time which has elapsed since the new
tariff went into effect has been TOO short
to give it II sufficient test, and asks that it be
given a fair trial before the subject is brought
IN again Another objection urged is that the
reduction proposed by the bill under consd.
Grafton has not been asked for bya single in
tcrcSt in the whole country. Continuing, the
report saws:
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 wOol-growers of the
country demand the restoration of the wool
duty of 1876 The undersigned have sought
10 respond fay orably to this demand of more
than "A million of our fellow citizens
representing the agriculture of the
country but we have been oyerrued The
opponents to our views not con-
test with the refusal to acccde to the requests
of this large class of producers, deliberately
propose to reduce duties still lover Against
this we enter u most earnest protest. There
are some INEQUALITIES however found i'm the
present law which il would be only lust to
correct Among these wire rods cotton-ties
and tin plates bear greatly disproportionate
duties to kindred articles and should be made
consistent and harmonious
We are opposed to the bill, because, first:
II will disturb business unsettle values
rctard incipient enterprises cripple those now
established impair the confidence among
business men 40 osse initial to our DEVELOPMENT
and PROSPERITY and bring no counterVailing
henefts
2 1t will of necessity force down the price
of labor i'm the United States will stimulate
imports increase competition from abroad
which can only he successfully met Dy
ducinp the cost of home product We can
NOT TOO strongly mpbasize our opposition to
any legislation which even tends to reduce our
labor IN the foreiun standard either in prce
or condition
q That the nropOsed reduction will newt
abIy increase foreign imDOrtatiODs and as
consenuence will Increase orr revenues to
which Increase every interest of the country
ia onnoaed
10 Il is,vboIIvunnacess,rva and uuiust .fiable.
Tbc enormous increase in the wealth of the
cntntrv dnr,nv the last tlfteen wears under a
.rn,nn;;i,'a tar S no.. forras canit.l IN seek
apnninymcpt in Tho naveIonmcnt Of nil min.
ernl ayr;cui,ur,l and other rrsources and a
chnnnre ar ,undinrntion Of rho system VIII
or'ato sunb dn,,ht of successful enternrises
os tn cb"nl, thiS msefuI trndcncv
II has none ~ tho mnr,ts nf q carefully
u,o,,,roi Tn.jT Mn ana il nor Tho rnsnlt of :,
s,udinus nonsiaarntinn of rho i'm erests of our
nnn,Io ~ nrnnnSnS tn rnducn alike In, duty
49, a,,o,, nnrttrIn OF foroi,rn innort without
@ aSar2n,' n ,S 70 its tfact ,rnnn nnrticu
n iar! inI"strns and whoilv iynnrin% itp neces
w.. ',,npt ~, ',I,,,u'inry rri1,rS ,hroaI nv tho
10. s;;rnntion 81 romnatitinn ar home Whiic
mU,,imnti II ia n,Iifnrm roduc,ion in f,ct il il
i ~ ~ -, 30 ,,niar 10 ii,ni,,,,i,,,s az tho
f iin,1 81, 4, LII h, fn,r5 a;tHn',It IL moi i'm
u,,,, ,innbio "f r, a yncnti"n " -
~ Th, ~ 40 M ian ,yhiob anrlios nd
.,I,,an, i,,tins 70 ,,nst ~ ,ba scbndi,Ies az
$500 i~ !, 10 osnocjsIi,i ohioctionnhIe hn
49, 4; ~ a; ,a,Ip ,,,,',noy, -, r. 70, axisti,,r o,,iI
'n"Ho "ii Si."'t! nv '',, W -. re,..i,