Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1888-04-05
THE MILLS TARIFF BILL.

4 Glimpse at It's Features ss Prepared 70,
Presentation to the House OF R~presen
tstives. and the Arguments on which It,
Passage will he Urged.
WASHINGTON. March so.-Although the
Mills Tariff bill will not be reported from
the committee on ways and means 70 the
House before next Monday. and the state
ment OF the majority is under an iniunc.
ton OF secrecy, in the hands OF the COM
mittee. its contents are we'll and definitely
known here. The majority report Is OF
great length, and Is largely composed OF
an argument in favor of free wool. and
tabular statements, compiled BY the
Treasury Department in support OF the
statistical assertions which the majority
make. The report begins with the
statement that the surplus accumula-
ton in the treasury last year was
81, go, 900, and that the estimated
surplus Of this year is ssI, 10000. With
receipts growing larger and expenditures
smaller. II Is feared that the accumulation
OF money in the treasury will work great
INJURY to business and bankrupt the people
IL Congress does not take some action 10
reduce the revenues. One way OF making
this reduction IL to reduce taxation to the
level OF expenditures, and leave in the
pockets OF the people all moneys not need
ed Tor public purposes. Another way il
to raise the expenditures to the height q.
taxation. The latter course the majority
OF the committee deem unwise. Attention
Is called to past eras when reckless ap-
preparations y-rre made. The committee
bare determined to recommend a reduc-
ton OF the revenues from both customs
and internal taxation. and have carefclly
kept in view the interests OF the MANN
fGcturer, the laborer, the producer and the
consumer. The imperfection Of the bill
is recognized, but il is recommended a.
the best that could be agreed upon. Our
capacity to produce, il is stated, Is FAR in
excess Of the require ments of our home
consumption. and as a consequence many
of our mills ore closed and many OF those
still in operation are running on short
time. This yicious condition OF business
could not exist with low duties on im-
ports. Prohibstory tariffs surround the
country with lines Of investment and pre-
vent all life from without. while trusts,
combinations and pools plumber the peo-
pie within.
The interests Of the laboring man by the
proposed reduction in the tariff are
pointed out in detail. The consumption OF
raw materials which it is proposed to
argument for relief. More extensive
markets FOR The sclc OF our products and
active competition in business is pointed
out as the remedy for the bad condition of
the manufactures Of this country With
the markets OF the world open To us our
manufactures may run their mills on full
time, giving constant employment to their
laborers with = steadily increased rate OF
wages. Elaborate statistics are pro-
duced to make strong these points
An argument is submitted in support OF
the transfer of dutiablc articles to the
free list, the revenues upon which now
amount to over see2,0oo.no. The largest
reduction by the free list is in the wooden
schedule. The majority think there is nc
greater need for u duty on wool than there
i for duty ON another raw material
The recommendations of the wool growers
and the wool manufacturers associations
are regarded by the majority as proposing
duty high enough to keep out all manu-
factures OF wool. The change to ad valo-
rem from specific duties made in the bill
are strongly supported.
The minority report will not be made
public until it is presented to the House.