New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-15
THE MORRISON TARIFF.
ITS EFFECT UPON WOOL AND WOoLLENs
now FARMERS AND CONSUMERS ARE BOTH TO bh
BKFOOLED

NOW FARMERS AND CONSUMES ARE BOTH TO De
BEFOoLED
WAsIuNGTON,M arch l4.-Mr. MOrrsOns DiillS
orc Of deception from the worry title TO the very Close
Tho title reads bill to redlce tarIn 'aNe'' anu '"V
phrAse embraces two untrIths IN three woris Is nor
tencl Ia re- luce taxes at all and the duties at "Nch
II &c chiefly aimed are not taxes but barriers to dolchl
American Industry against competition INC S."'o
spri, OF deception through the entire oi ana Is
nowhere more neoni1usly ciOaAed tuau III 'i' So'
relating to textile fabrics
rno f,ectr,dcrs have made great cutlery about the
dufy ON wool aud wO1cns. That part oil the present
tariff they have salt, contains more abomhato1' "'
mora puuIer Of the people than any othcf' bh' "o0
trale Speaker creates free trile cJhht'"e' ""''o
free trade chairman submits bill, and what does IL pro-
pose rs to wooli Removal OF the duties whloh lie us
asserted were only hur to wool grower'f ON tue con
tr,rr not single grade OF wool Is lut on tue
free list An important reduction OF snch dnes 80 a. 10
secure cheaper materials II the duties Ha'o
made wool too cncap for the growers how cOud tucr re-
moyal make wool sh cheaper for the manufacturers
But curious fact ttat the bill does not propose 10
re- luce tue duty on any class OF WOOL but actually ra'os
tho duty on the only class 1t Affects, the hd or carpet
vol ON such wool costing less than II cents the amy
is now % cents ana the bill makes 1t IS cents oh
other carpet VOL worth more than II ceGts the n re-
ducas the duty from to 2.S cents but bocaNsa Tue
che,per wool Il the SOFT mainly imported the practica
effect on the imports o! last year would he that
800 would be paid on all wool OF the thIrd CLASS
under the new bill, while 81 4l227J WAS the amount
actually paid last year wool OF That class III the ONO
wool growers fancy that here Is at last proposition 10
keep the solemn prom OF The Democrats that the dnty
on wool shall lie raised, they must reflect that an III
crease of only $4,000 dates Of over $3OOOOoO PAID
last year begsarly kceTngof promises BRt the lruth
is that il intended to keep the promise AT all Inc
only Object is to bring in ~ lower rate carpet "ooS VI
the higher grade, which and 10 compete with Am'rI-
can wool. and that wold be the only effect ofth
and upf TNlt
and 1t woud add insult to injury to the farmers VINO
have trusted Democratic promises
on manufactured wOO.icn goods S2i29l 939 was
paid IN duties last year amt under the Morrison p the
| reduction on the same importatiOdS WJuIf DC only
81 $50 JO3 or aboIt per cent. And yet TO accomplish
this Insignificant change tine dlies on 81 CLASSES ol
goods numbering hundreds OF distinct articles arc
altered to greater or loss extent II that were the only
test ~ its w0ring the bill mght he pitched into the fire
by free-Ialcrs not worth the time it woald take to
pass it, But under Mr. Morrisons meal there Is hidden
cat; examination the details shows that at every
point the bill is intended TO permit or increase the IN
ports OF wooens where they already large. though
the changes made are apparently not great But nine
tehs q; the many changes mere dust thro| III the
eyes to conceal the NOR important clauses On clollS
worth less 80 cents per yard there :"Inciloh Oh
10 per pound in the duty, which would mean only
$4,000 last years imports, but 10 change is made
on cloths OF the higher grade which the duties phid
last wear were over So OOOOOO the cheaper shaws
there is pretended luctiOn from 30 to - cents per
ponud which woud amount 10 just $j6l on the imports
Of last year the other grades on which the duties
paid last year exceeded 1872 900 tpre no change Inc
same change lechel manufactures OF woolens
Of the lower grades OF wl,h the imports la.t year wore
q small that tho change IN Iuty would be only $4,000,
bnt tine bllI is careful touch th' larger mporA-
tions the higher grades, oh which S12GoOo was p~ld
III duties last year. This is political trick. Il Is IN
tended 20 support claim, reduced dnties on the
cheaper woolou which the poor mon wear but not on
the mare costly wooens by the rich whereas the
truth is that the cheaper qualities OF wOolen goods are
as cheap in this country as IN any other, ana the re-
ducon OF duty goods OF That sort VIII not benefit
American consumers the extent OF the thousandh Fart
OF a cent.
Exactlv,the same trick is played in tine reduction Of
duties on aannels, wool hats, knit goods, balmoras,
blankets WOO yarns and worstcd yarns. ON the lower
grades the duties reduced from 10 to cents per
hound from u TO 10, from to 49, aud from 81 TO 20,
the - PER ad vaorcm being LEFT unchanged in each
case while the duty such articles worth over 80
cents per pound is left unacred. Scarcely any chear
quality of these goods possibly be cheapened for
American consumers by the great number OF changes,
and the trainers of the bill know it, On al these goods
on which the duties thus changed. there were paid
last year duties amounting TO only ~ ll6s2 ana thcre
would be paid the impJrtaons under the pro-
poseI rate, ~ 3l3,lsl, that these elaborate altea
To serve political trick The changes on WEDDINGS
and twenty other articles in the same class rom 30 10
- pcr cent ad NaOre and 80 cents per pound - before,
would make difference OF less Than f2l,oOO on last
years imports. lhe Ganse ON Giug5ets l" 3 ar
cent wold 9e OF no benefit to anybody, put II "ooG
mems carpets" Nevertheless there are changes which
/ are meant To- hurt; the FUR has claws under IL
rhc Change in fine duty ON coats doimans jackets,
tamas ustcs and Other outside garments for ladies' aud
chldrcu's wear from 10 cents Ter pound and 40 per
cent to 30 cents and 80 per cent would admit and Is
intended t. adm greatly increased quantity OF foreign
clothing ready made How great the Increase would he
under change OF duties only those can judge who
are specially cOnversant with tue business but the
amount OF duties pnid last year on goods OF this class
was HS493I ana on the sdhe lio t". ,i tno nv
rates would be about II per cent less Alter making
changes o. and per cent line after line Tor Whoie
PAGES which would he OF no effect whatever, snGienY
Inc reiomer jumps 10 Il per cent where may enlarge
importations and strike down home manufacture. The
largest change in TINS schedule IS IN the duties on drcss
goods, which cut down from cents per yard and 30
from and 10 per and - Der cent for the next.
ana from aud 10 per cent to vGLts ana 80 per
difference in duies paid years impOrtatlons will
be about ~ 900 900 But the reduction would greatly
on such goods with selvedges introduced iOl Inc
down from and 10 per cent TO cents and 30 per
cent as II FOR the express purpose OF encouraging
| very important feature Of the bill remains. II
PROVIDES that after December 81 1856 no duty shall
be levied collected paid In Of 20 per Cen1um
ad valoIem on any article or manufacture made wholly
or In part OF wOol" II is 70 ne remembered that the
present wool duties are OF two parts speak
IensatJry duty OF IS per cent intended to place the
manufacturer IN as good position as II he had trce
wool and in addition specific duty OF greater or less
amount intended protection Oi labor III manufacture
The duty wool, which the farmers no ale wool
growers have learned to apre slate ls retained rs to
nearly class Of goods ny the lopCsed bl 50 tht
the computed Of 30 per cent In the cost OF
raw wool is not thereby altered The proposal Is there
fore the duties designed for the protection o;
manufacture that IN they shall exceed 30 per
cent II happens that, to nearly all the important
classes 0f products this change on duties would DE OF
effect not to all qualities hut as to the grades
i'm the production ~ which labor Is uire the
M nufacture In this country has not yet become
firmly established to defy competition II is precisely
al this point that the proyso is Intended to break down
/ the home manufacture. Examination OF the official
reports viii while the general average Of duties
wOolen goods is only about 81 cent In Of
the compensatory duty fOI the protection Of the wool
cInwcI "A part OF most OF the important qualities
the present OF duty Is higher than - pei cont MI