Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-03-19

Morrison's tariff bill has been in
troduced to Congress. 1t provides
for free lumber, free salt and free coal
and for twenty per cent. reduction on
other taxed imports. The bill has
not yet been acted upon. The follow
ing extract is from the report of the
majority of the committee
"Your committee find that in the
first six months ending December 81
1883, under the act of March 3, 1888,
(the new law, dutiable merchandise
was imported into the United States
valued at 1926 1898, 100, on which du.
ties were paid amounting to S96,514,-
1876, being 40 91-100 per cent. on the
value thereof. In the corresponding
six months of the year 1882, under
the old law, the value Of dutiable
imports amounted to $260,856, 273,
and the duty paid was gill ,266,50
or AZ 65-100 per cent. on the value.
1t thus appears that the average cost
of importing goods valued at 500
was only LA per cent. less under the
new than under the old law.
The nominal reduction made by the
proposed bill is twenty per cent, or
one-fifth Of the present rates. With
the Morrill, tariff the limitations in
the bill and the liquor and silk sched-
ules, omitted, as they are, the actual
reduction on the basis of last year.
imports will not exceed 1874 per cent.
on the whole importation of dutiable
goods. Together, the average reduc-
ton made in the Tariff Commission
bill (act of March 3, 1889 and that
to be made by the proposed bill, do
not equal the reduction Eat which the
commission aimed"
Wood, sawed lumber, coal and salt
are in such universal use among and
so necessary to all people, that in
view of the present abundant Treas
ury receipts it is not deemed advisable
by Congress to obtain revenue from
the tax on these articles. The de-
crease in revenue as shown by the re-
ceipts under the old law results from
a falling off to the value Of nearly
S25, 100000 in imports in the first
half of the year under the new law
as compared with the first half of the
previous year under the old law.
The reduction in revenue receipts
under the bill reported is estimated at
$31 900, 900 on the basis of last years
imports. To the extent of that ,$31, :
100000 the bill will relieve the people
of unnecessary taxes. TO that extent
taxes will be reduced directly as a
measure of justice to customers, and
indirectly in largely increased proper
tons.
From statement made by the Bu-
reau of Statistics, copy of which is
appended to the report, it appears that
duties or tariff taxes were decreased
on some and increased on other articles
imported goods, under the act Of
March last (the new law. While
this is true, there has been no increase
of rates of wages in any, but n reduc-
ton of wages in most industries, as
we'll as those whose competing pro-
ducts received more. as in those that
obtained less protection under the act
of March last. The condition of the
manufacturing industries is not salts
factory. In common with other in
dustries they only recovered late in
1879 from reverses or partial paralysis
of five years duration. In less than
three years after this recovery such
new evidences Of industrial adversely
appeared that in one of the largest,
best paying and best paid industries,
iron and steel, calamity of four
months stoppages and idleness fell
upon the workers dependent upon it
not upon the capital invested in it.
In the annual report of the American
Iron Il Steel Association for the year
1882, made May 1, 1883, by Jas. M
Swank, Secretary of the association,
he says:
AT the beginning Of June nearly all the
mills referred TO (the rolling mills Of Pitts.
burg and the Vest were closed by general
strike, which continued until last Septem.
Der, when work was resumed upon the scale
Of wages which previously prevailed. Dur
ing the strike Of four months prices Of roll.
ed iron did not advance, Notwithstanding
the stoppage Of so many mills--a fact which
clearly demonstrated that the capacity "a
produce this form Of iron had again, rs IN