The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-04-03
OUR TARIFF POLICY REVERSED.
Verdict of the hainorlty on the Bill
OF Premier mills.
Full of Inconsistencies and Dangers
to American Industry.
The Star Chamber Methods by
Which 1t Was Evolved.

ways and means, calls attention to the irreg-
ular manner in which the measure reached
the committee, the total lack of considera-
tion of so important matter, the Ignorance
m which the minority Of the committee were
kept in regard to the bill, and the denial Of
the majority, by strict party votes, to allow
any hearings on the measure after it had
been presented in committee. BY such star
chamber proceedings, all examinations OF
producers and consumers, and experts whose
testimony might have enlightened the com
mittee, was shut off. The fact that the bill
is political, representing the President and
his associates, and with the Presidents free
trade message. is to constitute the issue and
be the platform of his party, say the minori-
ty, may account for, but will not justify this
extraordinary course Of procedure. The
bill is a radical reversal Of the tariff policy
of the country, which, for the most part, has
prevailed since the foundation of the gov
ernment. II enacted, 1t will disturb every
branch OF business. retard manufacturing
and agricultural prosperity, and seriously
impair our industrial independence. 1t un-
dertakes to revise the entire revenue system.
Substantially all of the tariff schedules are
affected, and both classification and rates
changed. Specific duties In many cases are
changed to ad valorem, which all experience
has shown is productive Of frauds in under
valuations. 1t does not correct the irregu-
larities Of the present tariff, and only aggra-
Yates them. It introduces uncertainties In
Interpretation which will embarrass its ad
mnistratiOn, promote contention ana lltiga-
tiOn, and give to customs officers latitude
of construction which will produce endless
controversy and confusion. 1t Is marked
with secti0nalism, which every patriotic citi-
zen must deplore, and its construc-
ti0n takes no account OF the ele-
ment of labor which enters into production.
In a number of instances it makes the
finished or advanced product free, ON duti-
able at less rate than the materials from
which tits made. The poor mans blanket"
which the majority made burning Issue for
so many years, IS made to. bear the same
rate Of duty as the rich mans. More than
third Of the free list is made up from the
products of the farm, forest and mine, and
from products which are now dutiable at
minimum rates, ranging from 7 to 80 per
cent, and even this slight protection which
farmers, lumbermen and quarrymen. True,
there are some exceptions. Cleaned rice,
now paying a duty OF 112 per cent ad
valorem, is carefully kept from the free list,
and uncleaned rice given an increased duty
and protection.
the vicious character Of the bill as
applied to him when he is apprised OF
the the fact that while the products of his
land and labor are shut out from Canada BY a
protective tariff imposed by the Canadian
government, the Canadian farmer can send
many Of his products here, under the pro-
posed bill, without the payment OF duty.
Canada now collects duties upon a number
of American products, while, by our tariff
laws, we admit Canadian products OF ell
binds free. This she has been doing many
years. although by her tariff OF 1878, chapter
80, section Q. it is provided that "any or all
of the following things; that is to say. ami
mails Of all kinds, green fruit. hay, bran,
seeds Of all kinds, vegetables, including po--
tatoes; oth0r roots of plants, trees and
shrubs; coal, coke; salt, hops; wheat, peas,
beans, barley, rye. oats, Indian corn, buck
wheat and all other grain; flour. OF wheat,
flour Of rye, Indian meal, 0at meal, and flour
or meal of any other kind; butter, cheese;
fish, salt or smoked; lard, tallow; meats,
either salted or smoked, and lumber may be
imported into Canada free, or at a less rate
than provided by this act, by proclamation
of the Governor General in council, which
may issue, whenever it appears to
his satisfaction that similar articles
the United States free or at rate not ex-
ceeding that payable on,the same under such
proclamation as when imported into Canada"
Some of the articles above mentioned are on
our free list, yet they are dutiable under the
Canadian laws, and no proclamation has yet
been made by the Governor General. 1t is
proposed, under this bill, to increase the free
list with farm products upon which nigh
tariff Is now levied by the Canadian law.
This will be direct benefit to the Canadian
farmer and most serious blow to the Amer
lean. The whole bill has that tendency and
seems to be subject to the criticism that it
was framed to benefit other countries than
our own.
The minority review the reasons given by
the majority for placing articles on the free
list and say in the case of wool, fax. hemp
and tin plates that 1t would rum those indus
tries, and also that the reduction proposed
on steel rails would ruin the business or i'm
poverish the workmen in 1t. They say that
the scaling down Of duties as proposed by the
Mills bill will not reduce the income and
surplus, as the mere diminution OF
duties tends to stimulate foreign inn
portations and thus increase the revenue.
They show that the tariff reductions OF
1888 on window glass, braids, laces, trim
mings, tinplate and wool resulted in larger
expectations and increased revenues, and al
SO say IL the absolute peril to the busi--
ness Of the country, described by the Presis
dents message, was imminent, how easily
he could have averted it by the purchase Of
outstanding bonds, under the act of 1881.
would have been direct and business like.
If the House had appreciated the situation,
itcould promptly and easily have, in part. at
least, relieved it by abolishing the entire to-
bacco tax, amounting to $50, ,000, 900 annually,
and releasing from taxation alcohol used In
the arts and manufacturers, amounting to
81, ,000, 600 more.
The minority closed the report with a crit
icism of the President and the Democratic
majority in the House for non-action in
the matter Of utilizing the surplus and eff
feeting revenue reduction .and say that
If disaster results. the responsibility will
rest with them.