The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1884-01-24
TARIFF REVISION.
What Representative Wood, of In
= dinna, Thinks Will he Done on tho


: dinna. Thinks Will he Done on tho
Subject.
s'what was your idea In Introducing bill to
change the duty on bleached and colored cot.
ton goodsT inquired oRkTIo man to-day OF
Representative Thomas J. Wood, of Indiana,
who has presented number of bills to revise
the tariff on popular articles.
''My Idea was to remedy the wrong impose
by the last act OF Congress, revising the tariff,
upon consumers and importers OF cotton goods.
You will SEQ by examining the act that sps-
Cinc duty OF 3l2 cents por square yard OF
bleached' cotton under 100 threads to the
square Inch, and duty OF IN cents 10 the
square yard under 100 threads OF an I'M
bleached or colored cotton goods, Is charged to
the importer. There are more than dozsu
classes OF these goods paying these specific
duties; but to illustrate the
EmOrmtty of this Tariff,
take one class OF cotton goods: one quality OF
cotton goods SO inches In width, which cost
per yard to manufacture In Glasgow M O. nts
the custom-house valuation at New York Is
do cents per yard; the tariff is d. cents
per yard. This makes duty equal to an ad
valorem duty OF lbs per cent. Out of twelve
kinds of cotton goods imported the tariff is
more than 112 per cent. on seven and only one
class In the dozen kinds Is as low as II per
cent Tho specific duties on these articles av-
erage Ill per cent. ad valorem. This on0r
nous tarin Is placed on class OF goods con-
stantly needed and chiefly used by the poorer
classes OF our people. The manufacturers In
Glasgow buy our cotton, manufacture 1t and
send 1t back to us for daily consumption, aud
we must pay this duty. Every person In the
land uses cotton goods, and who does this
tariff benefit? None but the New England
manufacturers. Tho duty is 80 high that the
Government revenue is les5ened from this
source. During the war the duty on those low
grades OF cotton goods was SO per cent. ad va
loren.
OF the tariff moro than trebled this duty.
When tho duty was thirty-flvo per cent. one
half Of this grade of cotton goods was import
ed. Now only one.flfth Is imported under this
high specific duty, yet the Import fixes the
price for the homo manufacturer, aud tho
consumer must pay 1t. Why should this class
| OF goods pay an average duty Of Ill per cent.
| when the labor value OF these goods in Scot.
land Is only 10 per cont, and in the United
| States only % per cent? My bill is to restore
the old ad valorem duty OF 50 per cent That
will protect the claim OF labor % per cent. aud
| leave q net gain to the manufacturer amount
Ing TO 10 per cent, which is really too much
pront to gain by tariff, to which may be
added also the ordinary business profits. Aud
this is only an item Of the glaring incongrul
ties OF the present tariff"
General Tariff Revision.
THE CRITIC man asked II there would be @
complete revision OF the tariff this winter.
"No," replied Mr.. Wood, Shut there Will
be general revision. The Lower
| House OF Congress was chiefly chosen by the
| people npon this Issue, and the House must
| present bill OF a general character, or the
| people will become disgusted with the change
| they made In the majority. There must be
gradual change, not rash one, for the rea
son that the outrageous war tariff Invited
| capital TO make large Investments on the faith
| OF the law, and any rash action would dc
| great
Damage to Invested Capital"
"The great injustice must be gradually
| and safely corrected. Capital has rights
| labor has rights, and the consumer has right,
also, and the tarir should be adjusted SO as t.
| "But how Will you make this Adjustment
THE CRITIC asked.
"That is dif1icult question, having In vlov
| Justice to all parties, but suppose the ques
lions OF the amount OF invested capital In Ger
| tain kinds OF business, the general or the spe
| cial consumption OF the goods produced, tn,
necessity OF general use OF certain kinds o
| goods, and the different classes OF consumer
| and their financial ability TO stand tom
porary injustice--all these questions must b,
| considered" he replied.