The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-04-16
TARIFF REVISION.
synopsis of the Majority and Minority Re-
ports of the Ways and Means Committee
on the New Bill.

ports of the Ways and Means Committee
on the New Bill.
WASHINGTON, April 12.-The majority re-
port on the new tariff bill, which win be re-
ported to the House to-day, says that the
average rate OF the import tax in 1885
was a little over forty-seyen per cent,
the highest rate paid in any year
since 1868, and above the average
rate OF the war period from 1862
to 1868. The treasury receipts for the
year were 1923, 900, 706, and there is q
iastifiabla expectation that the receipts
will never fall below that sum without a
reduction of taxation, 1t may be safely
estimated that the annual surplus will ex-
coed 100000, 600. The reductions to re-
suit from the proposed bill are within this
estimated surplus, and little exceed
$24,000,00 on the basis of last years
importations. The report says:
"Some of the materials upon which great
industries are built, such as wood, salt
hemp and wood are placed on the free list.
In the last twenty years we have Obtained
from tax On imported wood an an10nnt
estim ated at less than $4,000, 900 to encour-
age telling our trees and destroying our
forests In much shorter period we have
given more than 81, 600 acres of land in
| bounty to encourage the planting OF other
trees. The tax on imported salt is remltted
| to those who catch and trade IL fish. end
| to those who pack meats for the foreigu
| markets 1t is believed that this tax should
| be remitted to ALL For nearly
| century, with only one interval, hemp has
| been protected, and yet its production has
decreased because its culture under pro
lection was Improbable, while the con-
sumption of articles manufactured from
| THO and kindred fibers has enormously in
| creased, until now the annual tax or i'm
ported hemp, manila and similar hberS in
| several times greater then the annual value
of all the hemp in the United States
| The price of wool has been downwaTo
| for many years. 1t declined when the
/ tax was highest and protection greatest.
/ From the statements of the Ohio and other
| wool growers associations it appears that
the market price of wool is not three
| fourths of the actual cost of production
| that with the existing protective rate OF
ten cents on the pound the price is
| still ten cents below the price at
which 1t can be profitably grown in
| the great woo-growing States OF Ohio
| and Pennsylvania. 1t appears, therefore
| that the attempt TO make wootgrowing
profitable by the use of the taxing power
/ has not been successful, while the tax has
been the great national hindrance to the
wooden manufacturing industry as well as
a most grievOus burden upon all buyers OF
| wooden clothing"
was SO, 164, 296 and the specific duty col
| lected on wooden goods was $11 500, 900.
| This is to be removed, leaving in existence
| an ad Yalorem duty of thirty-iive per cent
on wooden goods rs n protection to the
/ manufacturers and for revenue purposes.
| The report continues:
''In some of the schedules wherein rates
are proposed to be reduced, especially
wooden and fax, hemp, iute OF linens, the
industries are left with substantially the
| same if not greater advantages than I'M
der existing laws. Other articles the rates
| on which are to be reduced, as cot
| ton yarns threads and coarser cotton
| cloths, and sugar, are now dutlabie at UNI
necessarily and unreasonably high rates
| These will find compensation in the bur
dens of taxation sought to be removed for
reductions far greater than any proposed
l by the bill Sugar with the
present low price is left at the high but
revenue rate equivalent to sixty per
| centum: at the present higher rate we col
| lect on sugar more than one-foUth OF ali
| revenue derived from customs. y
The minority report, which was prepared
| by Mr.. Mckinley, OF Ohio, says:
| 1'There is no attempt in this bill to equal
ize the duties upon imported goods on any
| just principle, or to make equitable reduc-
| tions throughout the tariff list. or thirty
| one or more articles dutiable at from teu
to $50 per cent. not one is dealt with in this
! bill, while other articles, upon which is i'm
| possd duty of from ten to twenty per
cent, are cut down or transferred to the
| free list"
The minority report charges that while
the metal, glass. pottery, sugar, rice and
| other important Industries were given
| ample opportunity to defend themselves
before the committee, the wool-grow-
ers were led to believe from the
| bill first before the committee that
no adverse action would be had
touching their interests. They were there
fore not before the committee in an official
way, and those who were heard spoke for
the restoration OF the duty OF 1867 with
out dreaming that the inadequate protec
ton they now enjoyed was to be swept
from them" Going on to speak O! the
wool industry the report says
sin 1850 sheep in the United States mum
bered a little over %, 900, 900; in 1888 the
| number had reached 50,690,00J. IN 1850 the
clip was 60,20),000; in 1888 it reached 800
000 900 The duty OF ls67, which gave to
wool-growing its greatest encouragement
| and induced the farmers to increase tbeir
/ flocks and spend their means for the finest
varieties of sheep and for their care and
| Improvement, and which finally made the
| American woods the best III the world
adapted to all the use of manufactures, has
added nothing to the cost of wool to the
| manufacturer or consumer: on the con-
trary, the cost has been greatly cheap
ened In 1867 the price was fifty-one cents,
in 1870 it was forty-six cents, in 1873 forty
three cents There has been steady Teduc>
ton until now it is SO low as to be tempo
rarily improbable. The decay Of sheep
husbandry in the United States would be q
National calamity. 1t would place our
manufacturers at the mercy Of the foreign
producers. This is an industry which can
not be built up in day; it has required
years of care and cost to each its presen7
development, and sound policy demands
It's continuance and encouragement.
1.-THE minority view the bill as the
first step toward a reversal OF a revenue
system founded by the fathers, and the
substitution Of the British system OF tariff
for revenue only
In conclusion the report strongly dis
sents from the doctrine that the first
duties to be safely discarded are those
upon raw materials. and declares that the
bill is the child Of party necessity.