Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-04-04
MINORITY REPORT.
Of the WAYS and Means Committee.
A Scathing Criticism OF the Provisions
KE7Is of the Mills Tariff Bill.

z7Is of the Mills Tariff Bill
The minority report on the tariff bill. sub
mitted today by Mr.. Mckinley. from the
House Committee on Ways and Means, calls
attention to the irregular manner in which
the measure reaches the Committee, the to-
tai lack of consideration of so important a
matter, the ignorance in which the minority
of the Committee were kept in regard to the
Dill, the denial of what enters into production
and, in number of instances. makes finished
or advanced product free. or dutiable at a
less rate than materials from which it is
made The poor mans blanket" which
the majority has made burning issue for so
many years, is made to bear the same rate OF
duty as the Itch mans. More than a third
of the free list is made up from the products
of the farm, forest and mine. from products
which are now dutiabe at minimum rates,
ranging from TO % per cent, and even this
slight protection so essential, is To be taken
from the farmers, lumbermen and quarry
men. True there are some exceptions.
Cleaned rice, now paying duty of ll2 per
cent advalorem, is carefully kept from the
| free list: uncleaned rice is given an increased
duty and protection. The American farm
er will appreciate the vicious character as
| applied TO him, when he is apprised of the
fact that while the products of his hard labor
are shut out from Canada by the protective
tariff imposed by the Canadian government,
| the Canadian farmer can send many of his
| products here without the payment of duty.
under the proposed bill.
| Canada now collects duties upon a number
of American products which. By our tariff
laws, admit Canadian products, of all kind,
| free. This she has been doing for many
years, although by her tariff of 1878, chapter
| 80, section 8, it is provided that any or all of
the following things that is to say animals
of all kinds, green fruit, hay, bran, seeds of
all kinds and vegetables. The majority by
a strict party vote refuses to allow any hear
ngs on the measure after it has been pre-
scented in the committee. BY such star
chamber proceedings all examinations of
producers, consumers and experts, whose
| testimony might enlighten the committee are
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 the party, say the minority. may account
| for, but will not justify this extraordinary
course of procedure. The bill is radical
reversal of the tariff policy of the country,
which for the most part, has prevailed since
| the foundation of the Government. If en-
acted it will disturb every branch of bust
ness, retard manufacturing and agricultural
prosperity and seriously impair industrial
independence. 1t undertakes 10 revise the
entire revenue system. Substantially all of
the tariff schedules both classification and
rates, are changed Specific duties in many
cases, are changed to advalorem, which all
experience has shown is productive of frauds
and under valuations. 1t does not correct
! fh..i arit nf he hut
| aggrayates them,
1t introduces uncertainties in Interpretation
which will embarrass its administration. pro,
mote contention and litigation and give to
custom officers a latitude of construction
which will produce endless controversy and
confusion. 1t is marked with sectionasm
which every patriotic citizen must deplore.
Its construction takes no account of the ele
ment of labor which. including potatoes,
plants, trees, shrubs, coal coke, hops, wheat
peas, beans, barley, rye, oats. Indian corn.
| buck heat and all other grain flour of wheat
flour of rye, Indian meal, oatmeal and -four
Of meal of any other kind. butter, cheese,
fish. salt or smoked, lard, tallow, meats, either
salt or smoked, and lumber may be imported
in Canada free. or at less rate than provided
by this act by the proclamation of the Gov
ernor General in Council, which may issue
whenever it appears to his satisfaction that
similar articles from Canada may be imported
into the United States or at a rate not ex-
ceeding that payable on the same under such
proclamation when imported into Canada
Some articles above named are already Oh
our free list yet they are dutable under
Canadian laws. No proclamation of pro-
city has yet been made by the Governor
General, yet it is proposed under this bill to
increase the free list with farm products on
which high tariff is now levied by
the Canadian law This will be
a direct benefit to the Cana
dian farmer and most serious blow to the
Americans. The whole bill has that tendency.
: 1t seems to be subject to the criticism that it
was framed to be of bene tit TO other countries
rather than our own
The minority reasons that the ma ority. by
placing articles on the free list, in case of
wool, flax, hemp and tin plate, would ruin
those industries, and also that the reductions
proposed on steel rails would ruin the bust
ness or impoverish the workmen in it, They
say that scaling down duties, as proposed in
the Mills bill, will not reduce the income and
surplus, as the mere dimmnution of duties
would tend to stimulate foreign importatons
and thus increase the revenue. They show
that the tariff reduction in 1888, on window
glass, braids, laces, trimmings. tin plate
and wool resulted in larger importatons
and increased revenues and also say if the
" absolute peril" to the business of the
country described by the Presidents message
was imminent, how easily he could have
arrested it by the purchase of outstanding
bonds under the act of 1881. To have thus
used the surplus they say, would have been
direct and business like. If the House had
appreciated the situation it could promptly
and easily have, in part at least. relieved it
by abollshins the entire tobacco tax, amount
ing to $50, 900 900 annually and releasing
from taxation alcohol used in the arts and
manufacturers. $4,000, 900 more.
The minority close the report with criti-
cism of the President and the Democratic
majority in the House for non-action in the
matter of utilizing the surplus and affecting
a revenue reduction and say if disaster re-
suits the responsibility will rest with them.