New-York tribune., 1886-03-20
THE UORPJSON BILL

The tarifi bill was changed on Thursday in
some important respects by the Committee OF
Ways and Means. On motion of Representative
Maybury, of Michigan, a clause was inserted
providing that the removal of duties on lumber
should be of no effect as to products of cOun-
tries which levied export duties on lumber.
This means Canada, of course, and is intended
to bring about n repeal of the export duty now
levied on lumber by the Dominion Govern
ment dispatch from Ottawa states that
Canadian lumbeTmen have made an appeal to
the Government TO remove this export duty, as
it has pow er to DO by mere order whenever the
United States tax on Canadian lumber is
removed In the discussion at Ottawa it was
stated that the value of exports of lumber to
the United States last year was $9,355, 900,
being nearly half the entire exports of forest
products from Canada. The value reported by
the United States Government as imported
from Canada during the year ending June 80,
1885, was about 100000, out OF about
So, 100000 imported from all countries. 1t Is
affirmed by the lumber men that exports to this
country would double if the duty were re-
moved. If separately considered, thu duty on
timber and sawed lumber has less to sustain it
than almost any other part of the present Tariff.
But MrsSlOrrison and his party will not permit
a separate consideration of these duties. They
threaten the protective system as a whole, and
thus compel the country to consider whether
any change can be safely permitted which is to
be directed by Democratic Congress and
carried out by Democratic Administration.
In another respect the committee changed the
bill with view of securing more support for
it. AS offered by Mr.. Morrison, it placed corn,
potatoes, oats and hay in the free list, thus per-
hitting the free importation of these articles
into districts along the northern frontier. TO
nine-tenths of tine consumers in this country
these duties are of absolutely no effect but to
the farmers along the border, who have to share
in the support of the United States Govern
ment, it would not be agreeable to have prod
ucts of Canadian labor, which does not share
those burdens brought in to undersell their
products in bad seasons, when an advance in
prices only partly compensates them for poor
crops. The committee, however, did not act in
this spirit. 1t wanted votes for the measure as
whole, and concluded that it could secure
some by dropping articles from the free list
which according to all fIee-trade theories
ought to be placed on that list.
Important admissions are made by active
free traders in discussing this measure. They
now acknowledge that it would not simplify the
tariff but would in some respects increase the
difficulty of administration. They also coEfes
that Mr.. MOrrisons many Insignificant changes
of rate, too small to be of any real service to
consumers, would cause great trouble to all
officials and importing merchants with no cor
responding benefit. Thus the bill is virtually
condemned by Secretary Mannings latest APP
peal to Congress, in which he urges that greater
simplicity and precision in duties is the one
thing needed, rather than change in policy,
and that the labor now imposed upon apprais-
ers is too great. The new bill if passed would