The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-08-09
The Tarlff Commission,

The Mills bill makes a reduction in the aver
age rate of duties Of less than per cent. As
stated by Mr.. Mills in his closing speech the bill
as originally introduced reduced the average
duty from Al. 10 per cent. to 40 per cent, but
changes in the committee of the whole had
raised the average of the bill to A. 49 per cent.
the net reduction being less than per cent.
But this is proclaimed by the Republicans to be
ga free trade bill"
In 1882 President Arthur and his secretary of
the treasury having called attention to the nec-
essity of revision of the tariff and reduction
of the revenues, congress took up the matter and
provided for the formation of tariff commission
to investigate the whole subject and report q
bill. President Arthur appointed the commits
sioners, Messrs. Hayes, Oliver, Garland, Am
bier, Porter, Underwood, Boteler, Kenner and
McMahon. The whole nine were fully under
stood to be in sympathy with the protection idea
and several of them had large business interests
affected by the tariff. The commissioners were
appointed early in June, 1882, and spent six
months in travelling all over the country and
taking testimony from manufacturers and busi-
ness men as to the changes, if any, that ought to
be made in the tariff. In their report they found
their work made more difficult by the evident
determination among the interested industries
to resist all reform in their own particular line
while agreeing in the opinion that reform in the
other lines was to be desired.
But the commissioners had their ewes open to
the fact that reform and reduction were abso-
luteIy necessary, though anxious that it should
be done in the most conservative spirit. "Early
in Its deliberations" the commissioners in
their report "the commission became convinced
that substantial reduction of tariff duties is de-
manded, not by mere indiscriminate popular
clamor but by the best conservative opinion of
the country, including that which has In former
times been most strenuous for the preservation
of our national industrial defenses. Such a re-
ductIon of the existing tariff the commission
CARDS not only as a due recognition of public
sentiment and measure Of justice to consum-
ers but one conducive to the general industrial
prosperity, and which, though 1t may be tenn
porarily inconvenient will be ultimately bene-
tcial to the special interests affected by such
duction." In presenting the results of their
labors in the form Of bill the commissioners
said they sought to present scheme of tariff
duties in which substantial reduction should be
, the Distinguishing feature. The average reduc-
tion in rates, including that from the enlarge
of the free list and the abolition of the dn-
ties charges and commissions, at which the
commission has aimed, is not less on the average
than 20 per cent, and it is the opinion of the
commission that the reduction will reach % per
cent. The reduction, slight in some cases, in
others not attempted. is in many cases from 40
to 80 per cent" The benefit of the consumers
in the red uetion of prices the commission esti-
mated would be ''to the extent of hundreds of
millions of dollars.'
Here was a net reduction proposed of from 20
to 25 per cent. whilst the reduction under the
Mills bill is less than per cent. The reduc-
ton of 20 to 20 per cent. proposed by the Repub-
lican tariff commission was not so great many
Republicans In congress thought necessary, and
vet the Democratic reduction of less than per
cent. is denounced by the Republican howiers
as "free trade" and ''ruinous to American in
dustry."