West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-02-09
WASHINGTON.
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL

"A New York World Washington corre-
spondent has questioned member of the
House Committee ON Ways and Means regard.
ing the present condition of the Tariff bill.
He repici:
The Democratic members of the Ways
and Means Committee have gotten that por-
ton OF the bill that deals with rates about
completed, subject only to n final revision
Mo1i IS made free aud put in the front OF
the nlll Tho duties on wooden aud worsted
manutacturas arc substantially reduced
anu the present difference in the classiaca-
tioh botween woolen and woi sted goods
Is abolished, lt is cstimat,d that the
the woolcn schedule will probably b, from
Sl2,OO0,oOJ To $4,000, oO0 The present
tariff makes tho duties ON cheaper woolcn
goods much higher proportionately than ON
the liner fabrics so that the poor are taxed
out of all proportion To the wealthy. The
schedule that will be reported reverses this
entirely and taxes finer fabrics higher In
proportion to value than the cheaper goods
What articles will be added TO tho free
lstin
salt, lumber and many chemicals arc put
upon tho free list. lt Is not yet known
whether fish will be made free or not as tho
commission is embarrassed 10y the pending
negotiations with Great Britain. The ne.
ccssity To obtain certain votes of members
from those States which arc large producers
ON COAL
"liow about the metalsr'
Tho metal schedule has not becn completed
and is now being revised by consultation
with tariff reformcrs who arc acquainted
with the production and manufacture OF
metals. There will be substantial reductions
on metals, though. Steel rails will probably bo
put as low as $40 Sll The changes made I'm
thlsschedulc have been made for the purpose of
chcnpening MS far as possible all agricultural
implements, tools and metals used In build
ing. Tho Democratic members from Nir-
ginia, West Virginia, Alabama and Pennsyl-
vania, who otherwise will vote for tho bill,
urgently request tho committee not to put iron
ore on tho free list, and this influence may
prevent II from being done.
The principles upon which the bill has
been prepared have been 10 permit the intro
duction as far as possible OF raw material
free and 10 reduce corresponding duties ON
the manufactured propucts, to cheaper tho
taxation on all food and the nccessaries OF
HE, and To leave substantially untouched
the duties on Injuries or the imported
articles which arc brought by persons of
wealth. Few or no changes have boom made
IN the schedules affecting imported cigars,
tobacco, liquors, silks and such articles.
How much OF reduction OF tariff will
the bill producer
''The bill will be more moderate than tho
more decided revenue reformers would pre-
fer but IL will DO in the right direction, and
IL is thought will commend itself to the coun-
try by its conservatism. The reduction on
sugar will be 20 per cent. or S1l 900, 600, and
the entire reduction of tariff somewhere he.
tween s5O,00O,0O0 and $55,0000 0C0, possibly
$G0,0c0,000,
"Thc alterations In the Internal Revenue
law Will be very marked. The tax on
manufactured tobacco, amounting TO about
S2J,OOO,000, will be abolished. The special
license and the tax on the manufnc-
lures Of stills will be repealed, and all
fruit brandies made free This will make an
aggregate reduction of internal revenue of
perhaps $50, 900, ,0J0 SO that IL the bill passes
the entire reduction OF revenue will be ba-
tween $50 600, 900 aud $50, 900.
AS TO the industries of the country which
have been established under the present sys-
tenn and have now protection no greater
than seems 10 be necessary 10 prevent them
from being destroyed or badly crippled, the
committee has made no changes i'm the pres
cnt duty. AS TO all the industries, the rule
adopted by the committee has been 10 remove
from them ms many obstructions caused by
the present tariff as was possible, and To givo
them az many advantages as possible. for the
purpose of furnishing To the producers OF
raw material In America homo
market sufficient 20 take up all their product,
so that there might bo an Increase instead of
decrease of material produced In this
country. IL is firmly believed that IL tho bill
passes there will bc n large decrease OF inn
portatons on account of the additional nd
vantages furnished by this bill, and that the
price OF WOOL timber and other material
produced In America will be increas9l aud
NOT dfmiuisbnd -