Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-04-12
WASHINGTON NEWS,
Majority and Minority Report of the
Morrison Tariff Bill.

WASHINGTON, April IL.
Chairman Morrison and Hewitt of the COM
mittee on WAYS and means have completed
the report of the majority of that committee
to accompany the tariff bill which will be
reported TO the House tomorrow. The re-
port says: The rate of duty on imported
goods, subject to duty, is as low as five on
some and higher than POO per cent on others.
The average rate for the fiscal year, 1885,
little exceeded AZ per cent. This is the high
est rate paid in any year since 1868 and above
the average rate of war period from 1862 to
1868. The treasury receipts for the fiscal,
1885. were 1923, $50, 706. The increased re-
ceipts from customs and internal taxes, prin-
cipal sources of revenue for the months of
the fiscal year of 1886, already past over
the receipts of the same months last year,
justify the estimate that the receipts for the
present fiscal year will exceed S335 900 900
The expenditures for the fiscal wear 1885 in
Guiding pensions and legal requirements of
public debt, were 1905 $50 970.54 We NAV
sTfely estimate the annual surplus to exceed
$50, 900. Reductions to result from the
proposed bill slightly exceed S24, 100000, on
the basis of last years importations Ref
errence was made to Secretary Manning's
views as expressed in his first annual report
touching the ill effect. of the maintenance of
war duties pointing out the inequalities in the
present law and tavoring the admission, free
of duty, of raw materials of which the report
says; These views are in accord with the
views pressed on Congress by his prececes
sors, Secretaries Folger and McCulloch
The duties intended to be removed by the
bill are chiefly those which tax articles used
by our own manufacturers that they may
successfully compete both at home and
fan Il,
not use such materials Some of the mater
iels on which the great industries are built,
such as wood, salt, hemp and wool, are
placed on the free list. In the past 30 years
we have obtained from tax on imported wood
an amount estimated at less than S20, 900, 900
| to encourage telling our trees and destroying
| our forests. In a much shorter period we
! have given more than 35 900. 900 acres of
| land in bounty to encourage planting other
| trees. The tax on imported salt is remtted
to those who catch and trade in fish and those
who pack meats for foreign market. 1t is
| believed that this tax should be remitted to
all. The annual tax on imported hemp
MANILA and similar fibres are several times
greater than the annual value of all hemp
raised in the United States. The price of
wool has been downward for many years. 1t
| declined when the tax was the highest and
protection greatest. From statements of Ohio
and other wool growers associations it appears
| that the market price of wool is not three
fourths Of the acual cost of production; that
With protective rate of ten cents on pound
the price is still ten cents below the price at
which it can be profitably grown.
The specific duty imposed on wooden goods
saws General Garfield Creating of tariff com
mission scheme), as near as possible equalled
the duty put on wool which entered into the
manufactures. Eleven million five hundred
thousand dollars of this, with S3,l6+, 29j
equivalent duty is to be removed and duty
| of 80 per centum advalorem on wooden goods
as protection to manufacturers against foreign
competition remains, and will yield the need
ed revenue. In some of the schedules where
in rates are pressed to be reduced, especially
wooden and fax, hemp, Jute or linens. indus
| tries are left with substantially the same il
not as great advantages than under the exist
| ing laws. Other articles, the rates on which
are so to be reduced, as cotton yarns. thread
and coarser cotton cloths and sugar are now
/ dutiable at unnecessarily and unreasoDably
high rates These will find compensation in
burdens of taxation sought to be removed for
( reductions far greater than any proposed by
| the bill
! We get from duties on cotton goods Sl0,.
| 900, 900, rates on GOODS from which we col
/ lect So. 100. .00U. O thsse $4,000, 900 are
| slightly reduced. ti,.' rates on which we
collect the other SS, 900 are unchanged
Sugar, with present low prices, is left at q
| high but still revenue rate, equivalent to sc
per cent. At the present high rate We collect
on sugar more than one-fourth of all the
| revenue demanded from customs.
A provision has been inserted for the al
| lowance of drawbacks to the full extent OF
duty paid on any imported materials which
have entered into the production Of articles
exported. The object of this is to remove
the impediment to the growth of our foreign
commerce, already to considerable extent,
] We are able to compete in foreign markets