New-York tribune., 1886-02-23
THE MORRISON BILL.
TIE METALS SCHEDULE.
DISREGARD OF ALL ECONOMIC PDLcY-BHEAKISG
DnMN IOME INDvSTRIEs.

long aso that Mr. Randall would find tnat he could not
agree any tariff bill which Mr.. Morrison would pro-
pose without POLITICALLY cuting his own throat He has
chance test the correctness OF the prediction The
hill which Mr.. Morrison has proposed is oertgnly as
little harmful TO Pennsylvania interests any that
be could havo been expected to contrve and will he
particularly offensive to his free trade friends because
It deals mere lenently with those interests than with
those of Wisconsin Louisiana, Kentucky, Michigan
New York. In short II Mr.. Randall cannot agree TO
this hill he cannot agree TO any Democratic tnrif
whatever Yet he will find that THE TRIBUNE right
aud he will cut his throat politically If he assent TO
such measure.
Perhaps other tariff bill was submitted 10 Con-
gross about which little could he known But
part OF that bill Involves greater uncertainty thar the
changes therein relating to iron and steel. on the
surface reduction Of duties appears be about 20
per cent averaging all the classes mentioned AMI yet
little examination proves that it must be greater, though
how much greater It Is impossible to say. But in sdIi
ton this part OF tho hill contains clause which provides
that after 3lst OF December this year, duty
steel any article manufactured of iron steel
shall he collected in of 80 per cont I'D raloreD
On large number OF the articles this provision will
mako difference in the duty, hut others IL will
make difference, and to some industries most
destructive
The change under this section Of the tariff has
already been mentioned namely the removal of all duty
iron The effect of this change upon miners and
mine owners in all the Eastern producing States
will be very great. Nor will II be confined to those
states Even now enormous quantities of foreign ore
are transported far west Pttsburg and even
further. and there used ia preference to tho
from Lake Superior and from other parts of our own
country II Is obvious enough that greater quantity
of foreign would he thus consumed In preference TO
Western or Eastern ore II duty removed. and
while IL ia certain that the vast quantity hhch this
country requires could not DO furnished by foreign
producers would any largo part Off be furnished
without advance I'm price. nevertheless the effect
OF the competition upon the interests OF American mine
and American miners would be felt in all parts
of the country.
The proposed change IN duty pi iron, from 3 to
% of cent per pound from SO 72 10 - go per On
is about lG per cent II the quantities imported should
in consequence of tho reduction of duties
the amount OF sacrificed would be 1890 In
the present condition the arket this change OF duty
woud probably have little effect. But IA bust
revlve- sufficiently to warrant the opening of
larger proportion OF the furnaces In the county, the
competition permit Il by the reduction or duty would
operate With powerful effect to prevent retnrn Of
prosperity More than half tho furnaces Of the country
are now OF last. The advance in the price of pig
iron which wOuld enable most Of these furnaces to
resume operations would be prevented indefinitely by
change ol duty which would admit English iron in
unlimited quantities ut all our seaport4 a
much cycesdin. Sl5 per and freight. The duty
ap iron yielded last year Slj6.2o2 and the bill would
take OIL ono-siXth OF the duty. But the effect would
undoubtedly be TO Increase importation, SO that probably
there would be little II any lvss.
The bill proposes to reduce the duty iron and steel
rails u the same figure, Sl2 90 pee nstead OF the
present = OF cent per pound on iron rails and
SI7 per steel rails At this rate the cost OF foreign
steel rails even at York would bo very little above
present price OF American rails here But the foreign
rail- can landed New orleans or savannah FOR u-o
in Texas or in the Southern states almost oheapy
they ran be landed at New York. Tue transportation
from raj mills IN Prnn~ ylvhnia, Ohio or Illinois would
make the American rails Cos, moro than the foreign AZ
very many southern points o consumption. Rails could
also be landed point, on the Pacific coast and aune
the Canada border with the sams advantage n cost o'
transportation against rails produced at the chief
American works. Tie practical effect would be to
deprive the American steel works. which even now
impaiectly employed, o. considerable part OF their
mirkct AMI the tire % decioo that even In /
times Of the greatest prosperity they would not 10 ablh
to get Tor their products in any part OF the country
price much aIOye that which they are getting now'
unless foreign prices shoId by the American
demand.
Fur some reason the change In duties on bar iron has
been made particularly Hight, as on purpose 10 favor
some interest represented In the con mitee. The duty
on round bar, cent Is Ioluced to o Of cent
and The duty on nat bar. IL cent i, reduced TO
cent Der polnd changes OF 10 AMI PET rc4pec.
lively Measured by last years imports these change
vond he o! lucnce whatever ~ tho duty col
lccted both classes I'D not amount to $1,000 Is
probable that Nj Morrison deliberately intended to /
sacrifice hs reetIaic convictions Ia this particular and
to retain with little change possible the protection
on IRON oi this lass In ordc- please melody. For
n will be seen thai the reduction in duty other
articles the schhdue is - per cent or more,
.pcc.e, oi fvogl,m which hardly be cor-i screi
accidental The dItyoniron rails is 20 De reduced from
$50 10 80 per ton about - per cent but nouo t.;
consequence are imported On rouni IRON now paying |
1 M fla 4
the amount paid last year only $1,000.
Free traders Will want to know what principle Mr..
Morrison mstinc, the proposal to maze no creator
re- elucton shoe nails than from to cents or
- per cont which nevertheless, leaves thi dnty above
s7i2 per cent. Only Ti.iOI paid on this Item last
year aud : 03i ON boiler tubes. which the duty |
i, noN cents aui Nr Morrison would have 1t 22 cents.
on i, bars the reduction from l. % to cont pound
would be SIN less important the duty COLLECTED last
year bcins only 33s!j. On iron ana steel beams
precisely the reduction from Il To cent would /
make Il difference of SlO,--l In the revenue. it is
rather curious that tho duty on steel wheels for
locomotives now 2l2 cents, would be reduced by Mr..
MORRISON hill to cents leaving the remaining duty %
per cent while the duty iron stcol ingots for the
manufacture OF such tires or wheels would lie reduced
from to - cents ana would still leave duty OF about
- per cent The imports Of wheels and tires paid last
' ear S9G G30 ana ugots used materials T25,37o.
IN general may be said that the changes appear 10
have been made with deliberate purpose TO conceal men
effect as far as possible and with the least possible
regard for the principles which ought To govern either
rec-trado or - protective adjustment OF duties. IL
N Morrison had any good for retaining at all
The discriminating duties Of the rosent tarlh he ought 60
have retained them such form accomplish the
nnIy object Tor which those Determinations were
originally made. But he has chosen 10 do the worst
thing possible ia retaining the dis, limitations who
defeating their object 49,.
There Remain other and very important parts Of this
scncdulc regarding which n Is entirely impossible To
determine what change In tho duties the pending bill
would make. Thus It Is provided that on sheet IRON,
wire hles steel ncos, and saw plates. no duty
shall be collected over 60 per cent. A. TO classes
oi products this wOud ccrtiu involve considerable
reduction because the average duty now paid higher
than g Thus sheet iron thinner than -
,yirr iee tho average duty year ~ per
pn .vanizcd sheet iron thinner than ll2 linen u WAS
nenrly ~ per galvanized sheet iron thinner
than 95 IL was I3 pei cent. But these very
rare the far important fact Is that the Official
re Orts show only the duty paid IN each class
and Il impossible TO what portion OF tile articles
.ILLtL. u.L.In ln ID