Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-04-17
REFORM.
An AmeIforation of the burdens OF
the Tariff Sought By the
Democrats in Con.
greSS.

Chairman Morrison and Mr.. Hewitt
of the committee Oh ways and means,
have completed the report OF he ma
iority of that committee to accompany
the tariff bill.
The report reads as folloWs:
.sThe rate of duty o. tax on import
ed goods subject to duty is as low as D
ner cent. on some and higher than 10
ner cent. on others. The average rate
tor the fiscal veal 1885, a little exceed
ed AZ per cent, or $47 of tax on 500
worth of imported goods. This is the
highest rate paid in any year since 1905,
aud above the average rate OF the wal
period from 1862 to 1868"
ENTIRELY TOO LARGE
After quotations from messages OF
Presidents Arthur and Cleveland set
ting forth the necessity for tariff rcvis-
ion the report continues: "The treas
nrv receipts for the fiscal year 1883
were 1925, 500, 7OS 3S. The Increased
receipts from customs and internal
taxes, the principal sources of revenue
for the months OF the fiscal year OF 1856
already passed over the receipts OF the
same months of last year Justify the
estimate that the receipts for the pres
emf fiscal wear will exceed $3.50 ,OOO,-
600. Nor may our annual receipts be
expected again to fall below that sun
without reduced taxation, inasmuch as
these receipts result chiefly from
on articles of necessity and comfort To
be consumed in continually increasing
quantities with Jul ever growing popn-
iation.
THIRTY MILLIONS TOO MUCH.
"The expenditures for the fiscal year
1885, including pensions and the legal
requirements of the public debt, were
$305, 1870, $40 81. Neither the actual
needs of an economical administra-
ton of the government nor the pat
riotic expectations of the people Justify
any increase of the enormous annual
surplus to exceed $50, 600 900. The
reductions to result from the proposed
bill are within this estimated surplus,
and little exceed 1874 900 900 on the
basis of last years importations."
Reference is made to Secretary Man.
ning's views, as expressed in his first
annual report, touching the ill effects
of the maintenance of the war duties,
pointing out inequalities in the present
law and favoring the admission, free
of duty, of raw materials, of which
the report says: 'sThese views of Sec
rotary Manning as to the existing con-
dition of the customs service and tariff
taxation are not partisan, but are in
accord with the views pressed on con-
gress by his predecessors, Secretaries
Folger and McCulloch. 1t is the pur-
pose of the report to correct some OF
the classificatiOns in the customs laws,
of the complications of which the sec
rotary complains, and so change these
laws for the better that they will be
capable of being administered with i'm
Partially to all our merchants.
WHAT DUTIES WILL BE REMOVED.
"The duties to be removed by the
bill are chiefly those which tax articles
used by our W manufacturers which
now subject them to a hopeless COM
petition at home and abroad with the
manufacturing nations, none of which
taxes such materials, that II manu-
tacturers may successfully compete,
both at home and abroad, with manu-
featuring nations which do not tax such
materials, thus securing markets for the
products of hands now idle for want of
work to do. Some of the materials
upon which great industries are built,
such as wood, salt, hemp and wool, are
placed on the free list. In the past
twenty years we have obtained from
the tax on imported wood an amount
estimated at less than $40, 900 900 to
encourage the telling of our trees and
the destroying Of our forests. In IA
much shorter period we have given
more than 80 100000 acres of land in
bounty to encourage the planting OF
other trees. The tax on imported salt
is RENTED to those who catch and
trade in fish and to those who pack
meats for foreign markets. 1t is be.
lieved this tax should be RENTED 10 all
After a century of failure to max,
hemp either a profitable crop or a sue
cessful industry through protective i'll
dustry, further effort should be aban
doned. For nearly q century witt
only one interval hemp has beer pro
tected, and yet its production has dc
creased because its culture under pro
lection was improbable, while tn
consumption of articles manufacture,
from this and kindred fibcrs has enol
mOusly increased. till now the unnua
al on imported hemp, manila an
similar fibers is several times create
than the annual value OF hemp raise
in the United States.
USELESS DUTIES ON WOOL.
"When, at the beginning, u revenu
was found necessary to our nation,
exitence, wool, with everything i'm
ported, was taxed. From thcn unit
now some qualities of wool have pal
some rate of duty. For many yeal
past the rate OF imported wool hs
been more than double that impose
on other products of the pasture, fel
and farm. These other lower tax-prO
tected products have outrun or keI
far in advance of the wondrous growi
of our population. Wool, protcctc
double as much, has fallen behinc
Wool finds its market at home and i
price is increased by a tax, part of Il