Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-03-14
Wa aShington.
THE MORRISON BuL.

Washington.
THE MORRISON BILL.
A majority and minority report of
the ways and means committee on the
Morrison tariff bill were submitted to
the house to-day. The division in the
committee was upon strict party
| lines.
Morrison was asked when he pro
posed to call the bill up for action.
He said he did not know. The other
members expressed the opinion that it
would come up next week. The ma
jority report is as follows: The com
| mittee on ways and means to which
was referred so much of the Hresi-
dents message and accompanying
| documents as relates to revenue, re-
spectfully report that in said
message and accompanying documents
the president has deemed it his duty
| to give to congress information as fol-
lows: ITO make a start in the pro-
posed reduction of revenue from i'm
ports, the tariff commission had been
created. In good faith it undertook
the work. In its report to congress it
said: Early in its deliberations the
coEmlssion became convinced that
substantial reduction of taIitf duties
was demanded, not by mere indis-
criminate popular clamor, but by the
best conservative opinion of the coun-
try. Such a reduction of the existing
tariff the commission regard not only
as due recognition of public sen,
timent and measure of justice
to consumers, but as one conducive to
the general Industrial prosperity, and
which, though it may be temporarily
inconvenicnt, will be ultimately bene-
fetal to the special interests affected
by such reduction. In entertaining
these views the commission has sought
to present a scheme for tariff duties,
in which substantial reduction
should be the distinguishing feature
The average reduction in rates, in
cluding that from the enlargement of
the free list and abolition duties on
charges and commissions at which the
commission has arrived, is not
less on the average than 90 per cent.
and in the opinion of the commits
sion that reduction will reach % per
cent
The chairman Of the senate com
mlttee on finance in the exploration
bill before the senate last year, which
after various amendments became
law, estimate at $45, COO 600 the reduc-
ton of the revenue which would
follow the changes in the tariff pro
posed thereby. These calculations
have not been verified. SO the ques
ton still presses, what legislation is
necessary to relieve the people of un-
necessary taxes. Your committee
find that on the first six months,
ending December 81, 1888, under the
act of March 3, 1883, dutible merchaa-
disc was imported into the United
States valued at $235, S95, 100 on which
duties We're paid amounting to $96,-
514, 136 being 40 91100 per cent. on
the value thereof. In the correspond
ing six months for the year 1882, un-
der the old law the value on dutiable
imports amounted to $500, $50, 273, and
the duty paid was Bill, ,266, 507, or
AZ 65-100 per cent. on the value. 1t
thus appears that the average cost of
importing goods valued at 800 was
only LA per cent. less under the new
than under the old Law. This exhibits
the reduction in the rates made by
the act of March g. 1888, amount
ing to La per cent. of the duty
But this is subject to an important
modification, resulting from changes
in value and other conditions, some
of which increase and others reduce
the comparative ad valorem rates.
The nominal reduction made by the
proposed bill is 20 per cent, or one
fifth of the present rates, with the
Morrill, tariff limitations in the bill,
and the liquor ard silk schedules
omitted, as they are, the actual reduc-
tion on the basis of last years imports,
will not exceed 1874 per cent on the
whole importation of dutiable goods.
Together the average reduction 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 at 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 prerent abundant
treasury receipts, it is not deemed
advisable to longer derive revenue
from tax on these articles. The de-
crease in revenue as shown by the re-
ceipts under the new law, other than
that resulting from the nominal re-
duction of LA per cent. results from
the falling off to the value of nearly
$25, 900, 600 imports in the first half of
the year under the new law, as com
pared with the first half of the pre-
vious year unber the old law. the
reduction of the revenue receipts |
under the bill reported is
estimated at $31, 900, 900, on the basis |
of last years imports, to the extent |
that the bill will relieve the people of
unnecessary taxes, to that extent, |
taxes will be reduced directly as |
measure of justice to the consumers,
and indirectly IN largely increased |
proportions. From statement made |
by the bureau of statistics "a copy of |
which is appended to this report it |
appears that the daties or tariff taxes |
were decreased on some, and increased |
on other articles of imported goods un-
der the act of March last (the new
law. While this is true there has |
been no increase OF rates of wages in /
any bat reduction of wages in most of |
industries as well in those whose COM
peting products received more as in
those that obtained less protection
under the act of March last The con-
dition of the manufacturing industries
is not satisfactory. In common with
other industries they only recovered
late In 1879 from reyerses on partial
paralysis of five years duration. In
less than three years after this recov-
cry of such new evidences of
industrial adversely il appeared
that in ono of the largest
best paying and best paid industries,
iron and steel, eliminated in four
months s.oppages and idlcness fell |
upon the workers dependent upon it,
and not upon the capital invested in
It In his annual report Of the
American iron and steel association
for the year 1882, May 1st, 1888, by
James IL Swank, secretary of the
association, he says: SAT the begin
ming of june nearly all the mills re-