The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-13
The majority Report.


III. which accompanied the tariff bill
reported to the House to-day
The Majority Report.
The rate of duty or tax on imported
goods subject 10 duty Is as low as D on
some and higher than 20 per cent. on
Others. The average rate for the fiscal
year 1885 a little exceeded AZ per cent,
or S47 of tax on the 500 worth OF inn
ported goods. This is the highest rate
paid in any year since 1865, and above
the average rate OF the war period
from 1862 10 1866.
After quotations from the messages
of Presidents Arthur and Cleveland,
setting forth the necessity Of tarih re-
yieinn, the report continues: The
Treasury receipts for the fiscal year
1885, we're 1928 600, 70S So The in
creased receipts from customs and in
terpal taxes, the principal sources OF
revenue for the months OF the
fs & wear 1886 already pas
over the receipts OF the same msnths
OF last year, Justify the estimates OF
the receipts Tor the present fiscal year,
will exceed $3.50 0,000, nor may our
annual Treasury receipts be expected
aRsir 10 fall below that sum with
out reduced taxation, inasmuch as
these receipts result chiefly from the
taxes on articles Of necessity aud
comfort 10 be- consumed in continually
increasing quantities with our ever
growing population. The expendl-
lures for the fiscal year 1850, includ-
ing pensions and the legal require
ments Of the public debt, we're $780,
$50, 90 "a. Neither the actual needs
OF an economical administration
OF the government nor the
patriotic expectations OF the people
Justify any increase Of this enormous
annual surplus TO exceed $50, 600, 900.
The reductions TO result from the pro.
posed bin are within this estimated
surplus and little exceeds $24, 000, goo
on the BARS Of Last years importa-
tionB."
Reference is made TO Secretary Man
ninr's views, as expressed in bis first
annual report, touching the Ill effects
OF the maintenance of war duties,
pointing out inequalities in the pres
emit law and favorlng the admission,
free OF duty, OF raw mate rails, OF which
the report says: "These views OF Sec
rotary Manning as TO the existing con-
dition Of the customs service and tariff
taxation are not partisan, butin accord
with the views pressed on Congress by
his predecessors, Secretaries Folger and
McOull0ch. II ia the purpose OF the
bill reported to correct some OF
the classincations, rid the customs
laws of the complications OF which
the Secretary complains, and 80 change
these laws for the better that they
will be capable OF being Administered
with impartiality TO all our merchants.
The duties intended to be removed
by the bill are chiefly those which tax
articles used by our own manufacture
ers, which now subject them TO a
hopeless competition at home and
abroad with the manufacturing ma
tione, none Of which taxes such ma
terials, thus securing markets for the
products for 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 pact
twenty years we have obtained from
taxes on imported wood au amount
less than $40, COO to encourage fell.
ing our trees and destroying our for.
ests. In much shorter period We
have given 100000 acres o
land In the country 10 encourage the
planting OF other trees. The tax on
imported salt Is RENTED TO those who
catch and trade in tish, and TO thos(
who pack meats for the foreign mar
~ 10 kn1tavnI thfe 10 ubht,lH la
RENTED TO all.
After q century OF failure to make
hemp either profitable crop or sue
cessiul industry through protective
taxation further efforts should be
abandoned. For nearly q century
with only an interval, hemp has beer
protected, and yet IFS production hal
decreased, because its culture, unde
protection, was improbable, while tn,
consumption of articles manufactured
from this and kindred fibers has enor
mousiy Increased, until now the an
nua tax on imported hemp, mAnilli
and similar tibers is several time
greater than the annual value of al
the hemp raised in the United States
When at the beginning a revenue
existence wool, with everything im
ported, was taxed. From then unit
now some qualities Of wool have pai
some rate Of duty, For many year
pas the rate on imported wool ba
been more than double that impose
on other products oi the pasture, feel
and farm. These other lower tax prC
teciad products have ouirun or keI
far in advance OF the wondIous growt
OF our population. Wool proteGte
double as much as has fallen turtle
behind. Wool fluids its market g
home, and its price is increased by
tax, part of the burden OF which mut
be borne by the growers OF other far
products, whose surplus in forelg
markets fixes his price at home, az
TO the increase Of his wool CROWN
nelghbor contributes nothing. tt
price Of wool has been downward Il
many years; 1t declined when the ia
was highest and protection creates
From the statements OF the Ohio az
other woolgroweTs' associations,
appears that the market price Of Wo
rs not thTee-iourths OF the actual co
Of production; that with the existiI
protective rates Of 10 cents on Il
pound, the price is sill 10 cents b
low the price at which II can be prof
ably grown in the great wool-growiI
States Of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
appears, therefore, that the attempt
maze wool.growing profitable by t
use OF the taxing power has not be,
successful, while the tax has been {
great national hindrance to t
wooden manufacturing industl
a. well as most griS
Ols burden upon all buyers
wooden clothing. 1t has been alrea
shown by statements Of wool grove
that the wool duty imposed by CT
GsIfeld's associates, successors, a
school OF economists did not PRONE
the growth OF sheep husbsndry, q
it is proposed to remove it. For I
last year this duty on imported ",
was S3,l64,295 90. The specific du
y ~