The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-03-15
FROM WASHINGTON.
Majority Report gu the Morrison Bii


that II would come up next week, The
majority report Ia M iOllows'
The Committee on Ways and Means, TO
which was referred no much OF the Presi-
dents message and accompanying dOcu-
ments aa related 10 revenue, respectfully
reports that In said message and accom-
panying documents the President has
deemed II his duty To give 10 Congress
information an follows, 10 make a start
In the proposed reduction Of revenue
| from impOrta u tarift commission had
been created In good faith II under
| took tho work. In its report 10 Congress
| II said: "Enrly In ita deliberations the
commission became convinced that
substantial reduction OF tariff duties IL
demanded; not by mere indiacrimlnate
popular clnmOr but by the best cpnser-
ntlye opinion OF the country, Such n
reduction OF the existing tariif the COM
mission regards not only ~ due TO the
recognition OF public sentiment aud a
measure OF justice 10 consumers, but
one conducive 10 general Industrial pros
perlty, aud which, though II may be
temporarily incOnN onlent, viii be ulti'
mately beneficial 10 the special Interests
affected by such reduction. Entertain
lug these views, the commission has
sought to present u scheme Of tarin du'
ties IN which substantial reduction
should he the distinguishing feature.
| fhe average reduction In rates, inclnd'
ing that from tht enlargement OF the
free list and the abolition OF duties on
charges and commissions, NJ which the
commission has arrived, IN not less on
an average than 20 per cent, ana u IN
tho opinion Of thu commission that tho
reduction will reach 20 per cent"
The chairman OF tho senate Committee
on Finance, In explanation OF the Dill
before the Senate Inst Year, which, after
various amendments, became q law, esti-
mated NJ Si5,0O0000 the redurti0n In
revenue which would follow the change
N the tariff proposed thereby. These
calculations have not been verified, no
the question still presses, what legiala.
tlOn IN necessary 10 relieve the people or
unnecessary taxesY Your committee
flnd that In the first Nix months, ending
December 81, 1883, under the act OF March
| 8, 1883, (thO new law, dutiable merchan'
disc waa imported into the United States
valued at 1895, ,Sgs 100. on which duties
were paid amounting 10 $96,bli 1855. be-
Ing 10 0l-i00 per cent. ON the value
thereof IN the corresponding ak
months Of the year 1889, under the old
law, the value Of dntlable Imports
amounted 10 $500 s57 ,273, and the duty
paid was gill, 26G 507, or az 0b.lO0 per
cent. on IT, value, IL thus appears that
the average cost OF importing goods
valued at 500 was only "a l0i per
cent. less under the new than under the
old law. This exhibit Of u reduction In
the ratea made by the net Of March 3,
1883, amounting 10 / 7i'lOO per cent. OF
duty II subject TO an unmp0rlant modi-
llcntlOn, resulting from changes IN
value aud other conditions, some OF
which increase aud others reduce the
comparative nd yalOrem rates. The
nominal reduction made by the pf0p0ted
bill IN 20 per cent, or 0n0'ilfth OF The
present ratea. with the Morrill, taIiii
limitations In the bill, and the liquor
and silk schedules omitted, as they
are, the actual reduction on the basis
OF last years imports viii not OK
coed 10 "a 100 per cent. on the
whole importation Of dutiable Ro0da,
Together the average reduction made
IN the tariff commission bill (act
Of March .. 1889 and that TO be made by
tho proposed billd0 not equal the reduc-
ton ~ which the commission Aimed.
Wood, sawed lumber coal and salt are
Of such universal ue0 am0ng,and 10 nee
esaafy ~ all people, that In view OF the
present abundant treasury receipts, II IN
not deemed advisable longer 10 obtain
revenue from u tax on these articles.
The receipts In revenue IN shown by
the receipts under the new law, other
than that resulting from the nom.
inal reduction OF LA per cent. results
from falling OF 10 the value OF nearly
$2b 600 900 Imports In the llrst half year
under the new law, ~ compared with
the llrHt half OF tho previous year under
tha old law. The reduction OF revenue
receipts under the bill reported Ia eeti-
mated at $3l 100000 on the basis OF last
years imports. To the extent OF that
S3l 100000 the bill will relieve the peo'
pie OF unnecessary taxee. To that ex'
tent taxos will be reduced directly "ae
measure OF justice 10 consumers" and
Indirectly In largely Increased proper
tlona
From this statement, made by the bu-
reau OF statistics, u report OF which is
appended 10 this report, II appears that
duties or tariff taxes were decreased on
some and Increased on other articles OF
imported goods under the act OF March
last (the new law) While this is true,
there has been no increase In the rate OF
wages In any, but tho reduction OF wa
pea IN most Industries, as well ae In |
those whose competing products roceiy' |
I'd more. ag In th0ae that obtained less |
protection under the net OF March laat. |
The condition OF our manufacturing |
industries ig not satisfactory. In com
mon with other industries they only 70.
covered late In 1870 from reyerses or |
partial paralysis OF ave years duration.
In lesa than three years after this recoy- |
cry, such new evidences OF Industrial
adversely appeared, that In ono OF the
largest, best paying and best paid OF
our Industries, the iron and steel, the
calamity Of four months etoppages and
idloneas fell upon the workers depend
ent upon II, and not upon the capital
dependent upon II, In the annual 70.
port Of the AMERICAN Iron aud Steel Az.
boclaton for the Year 1889, made May 1,
1883, by Jaa W. Swany, secretary Of tho
association, no snye; AT tho beginning
Of June nearly all the mills referred 10
(the rolling mills OF Pittsburg and the
Woat were closed by u general strike,
which continued until The lust OF Sep.
tember, when work was resumed upon
the scale Of wages which previously pro.
vailed. Duiing thlgairike Of four months
the prices OF rolled iron did not advance,
Notwithstanding the stoppnge OF ~
many mills, fact which clearly dem.
onatrated that tho capacity 10 produce
this form Of iron had ngoin, M In panic
yeore, exceeded the demand. At the
same time II must be frankly admitted
that our rolling mill capacity has for
some time been In advance Of tho con.
eumptlye wants OF tho country, aud that
Che check to oyerlroductlon OF rolled