The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-02
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A REVENUE REFORM BILL
THE NET REDUCTION WILL BE
ABOUT $3OoOO,Ooo.

O,OOO-Internal Taxes Not Dealt
with by the Majority.
! WASHINGTON, March The bill to ''re-
duce taxation and simplify the laws in re-
lation to the collection of the revenue, pre-
pared by the majority of the Committee on
Ways and Means in six weeks hard work
and presented TO the full committee to-day,
deals only with the tariff.
The majority of the committee have not
determined as yet what reduction in inter-
nal taxes they Will recommend, nor whether
they will finally incorporate their proposed
changes Of the internal revenue laws in the
same bill with the tariff provisions.
WILL REPORT BOTH IN ONE BILL.
| Probably they will report both in one
| bill. Probably, too, the internal revenue
reductions will be brought about by the re-
peal OF all tobacco taxes, except those upon
| cigars, cigarettes and cheruots, and of the
taxes on fruit, brandes, etc. They will
aggregate about S80,000, 600 The best esti-
mate of the reduction on the revenue to be
effected, should the bill presented to-day be-
| come law, places 1t at $50, 100000.
AN INCREASE OF REVENUE
There will be an increase Of revenue,
however, of from 10000 900 10 ST, 600, 900,
the bill, especially those: First making
! coverings, castors, etc, dutiable to meet the
decisions of the United States Supreme
Court in the Neuteffer case; second, abolish
ing allowances for damages; third, reduc-
ing the amount Of clothes, etc, that oan be-
brought in by travellers free of duty TO $500.
The proviso in the sugar schedule abolish
ing drawbacks will also add S6,000,000 to
the revenue, so that the net reduction,
should the bill pass, would be only $780,
100000.
CONSIDERED CONSERVATIVE.
The revenue reformers consider it cons
servative bill They purposely made it SO.
They kept fish, coal, iron ore and other
things off tho free list with that purpose.
materials provided for In the
free list with the ample protection main
tanned all through the schedules of manu-
factured articles taken with the provisions
against under-valuations gave the manu-
facturers every reasonable advantage that
they, could claim. They say this is the
result of conferences and correspondence
with scores of representative manufactur-
ers in every department Of trade.
INEQUALITIES CORRECTED.
They took pains, too, to correct as far as
was possible all inequalities in the present.
! tariff, like the difference In rates between
| woolen and worsted goods. Nevertheless
while the interest of the individual manu-
features has been kept in Wow throughout,
| the majority have aimed many provisions
| in the bill directly at the so-called trusts. "
1t will be observed that in going through
| the tariff the revenue reformers left un-
| touched the liquor schedule and the silk
schedule, and also the duty on many other
| Injuries.
WANT SUGGESTIONS MADE.
They are aware that with all their care.
all their labor, they may have made mis-
| takes in some instances. They hope that
the publication of the bill may draw forth
criticisms and suggestions which will serve
| TO perfect the bill in committee. IL will
| not be taken up before the regular meeting
ON Tuesday Of next week. The Internal
reveue provisions may not be ready for a
| week more
The comments of other members of the
committee and OF the House upon the bill
are just what might have been expected.
WHAT THE REPUBLICAN LEADER SAYS.
Tom Reed, the leader of the Republicans
on the Ways and Means Committee, and in
the House, said characteristically that a
| cursory reading Of the bill shows that God
as usual, is with the Republicans
John Long, Of Massachusetts,, said that
the bill would not reduce the surplus 10
passed, and would not be passed, because ftl
| was an onslaught upon American Industries.
He added that he thought it opened the
door for tariff legislation and apparently
| closed the door ON internal revenue legisla-
| tion.
RANDALL's OBJECTIONS.
Mr. Randall said that the bill, while not
as radical as had been expected, was still
too radical to pass the House He does not
think that free wool can get through the
present House.
The Ohio men say that they cannot
stomach free wool and the Louisiana men
do not like the cut in sugar, although it is
| heaviest on the higher grades.
The bill il likely TO be altered in the Com
mittee on Ways and Means but not in the
wool or sugar schedules. The wool and
wooden duties will stand or fall together.
and that is the reason Why the free wool
provision was placed In the wool and WOODEN
section and not In the free list.
Mr. Randall was again formally inter-
viewed tonight. In response to formal
question as TO what he thought Of the tariR
bill presented by the Ways and Means Com
mittee, he wrote out this statement:
"The bill Is not satisfactory. 1t makes no
REDUCTION in internal taxes, and cuts many
| American industries"
| The latest estimates made by the Commit
| tee on Ways and Means of the probable re-
ductions in revenue that would be
effected by the passage of the
0OO china and glass, 81 800 900; cottons,
| S3T7 600; provisions, $500,OO0 (approxt-
mate) wooden goods, $l2, 300, 900; sundries,
| 81 900. 900; sugar, $l0000,000; hemp, fan
and jute, 81 10000; metals, 1900 900 tap-
proXimate free list, s22 225, 900 This would
make the total reduction about S53, 900 900,
and It was not possible TO say at this time,
whether their deliberations would result in
the presentation of another bill dealing
specifically with the internal revenue, or in
the inclusion OF some provisions bearing
upon that system in the present bill at some
future stage.
ATTITUDE OF THE REPUBLICANS.
The Republicans Of the Senate and House
held conference tonight 10 plan the next
Congressional campaign. Incidentally they
talked about the tariff They determined
20 delay action in the House If possible ON
the tariff bill until after the meeting of the
Democratic convention in st. Louis. They
will begin by obstructing the report OF the
bin from the Ways and Means Committee.
They will claim that inasmuch as they have
not heard the representation of theiuterests
affected by this bill, they are not prepared
TO vote upon IL intelligently, and
viii insist that public hearings
before the full committee OF Ways and
Means be had as in former years, but the
Democrats will not permit them to delay
the report long They can contest the