The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-04-12
TARIEE TALK.
Minority Report of tae Ways and Means
Cnmmitt.-c-TIIe Mills Bill DiscuaEed.

members of the committee. The opening
paragraphs are as follows:
The extraordinary manner In which this bill
came to the committee, and the total lack OF
consideration given 70 80 grave a MEASURE oy
those charged with its investigation demand
notice and comment 1t was fashioned outside
Of the committee. and reached It, not by
the reference OF the House, which Is the usual
channel through which committees obtain
Jurisdiction of = subject. 1t was pre-
scented ready to the ehsirmsn OF the eor'-
mittee, WAS framed. completed and printed
without the knorIsdgs Of the minority and
without consideration or discussion in the full
committee II any consultations were held the
YninoritT were excluded Thus originating,
after three months OF the session hac gone. II
was submitted TO the committee. Since then
there has been no consideration Of it, Every
effort upon the part OF the minority to obtain from
the majority the facts and information upon
which they constructed the bill proved u1avan-
ing. .
Nowhere in the bill is the ultimate purpose OF
its authors more manifest than in its treat
ment ofwool. It places the product upon the
free list and exposes our nocks and neeces 70
mereiess competition from abroad In this
respect the bill is but the echo of the Presi-
dents message and gives emphasis TO the set
tied purpose OF the majority to break down
one OF the most valuable industries Of the
country. 1t is public proclamation that the
American policy Of protection, SO long sd-
hered to. and under which has been secured
unprecedented prosperity in every depart
ment OF human effort, is TO be abandoned. Why
have the majority put wool on the free list! Let
them make their own answer. We quote from
the reports: we say to the manufacturer we
have put wool on the free list to enable him TO
obtain foreign woods cheaper, maze his goods
cheaper and send them into foreign markets
and successfully compete with the foreign man
ufacturer."
FirSt-The purpose is to bring down the price
of wool. II this should be the result, We in
Quire at whose expense and loss! 1t must be
at the expense OF the American grower. and to
his less when at present prices and with the
present duty wool he il being forced out OF the
business by ruinouS foreign competition. The
injury, by the confession Of the M jority, will
fal! upon the American wool grower. He is TO
be the first victim. He find no profitable
foreign market il he is unable to hold his own,
and it is absurd to talk about enierging the
maIket for his product at home with the wool
OF tho world crowdIng our shores unchecked
by custom house duties. There were
100000 pounds OF wool imported into
this country he last fiscal year and our domes-
tic product, a result. even with duty OF ten
cents pound the higher grades. was dimin-
ished to 2,s,C 0OOo POUNDS. the bill Will greatly
Increase irnpor:atoEs OF the foreign product
end diminish il not wholly destroy our own pro
duction. Every nation ought, il possible, to
produce Its own clothing well rs its food.
This Nation can DO both il the majority viii let
IL alone. 1t should be borne in mind that
wool producers can not compete with countries
where no winter feeding and but little summer
attention is required and where labor is so
cheap unless their industry has just and ade-
Quate protection. Is labor in manufacturing
moro deserving Of the considerate concern OF
Congress than labor engaged in the field OF agri-
culturet Both are useful and equally honor
able and alike merit the thoughtful considera-
tion OF those charged with making laws.
The majority report asserts that we must pro-
6uce our wooden goods ct lower cost and be able
TO undersen the foreign product. And after
this. how is the lower cost to be securedi
First, by fleeing the wool-grower, and next by
reducing the labor cost in the manufacture.
How are we TO undersell the foreign prod
uct! By making the manufacturing cost
OF our goods less than theirsl In other words,
by cutting down the wages OF our skilled and
unskilled labor, not to the foreign standard
simply but below it. for the product must cost
US less il we undersell our competitors. The
American farmer will not quietly submit to this
injustice. The American worklngman will in
dignantly repel this effort to degrade his labor.
The majority bravely inquire in their report:
"1 Congress grants the request Of the wool
growers, what are the people to do for wooden
clothingr We beg TO suggest that the people
OF this country wore WOODEN clothing during the
existence OF the tariff OF 1S55-and the tariff pro-
posed By the wool conference is substantially
that tarin-and the people were never better
clothed and never better able 10 buy them
II would be instructive to the majority
70 compare the prices of wooden
clothing in this country during the period from
1S47 to 1850 under the low tariff then prevailing
with the prices now prevailing, and they would
be profted also by comparison OF the price OF
wages then prev. ling with those now main
the wretched condition Of labor in the former
period the starving prices then received and
the inability OF thousands OF worthy workInen
10 get work at any price. Clothes al any price
were the dearest. II the laboring men could
have been heard by the committee they would
have been told a story OF misery during the free
trade era which might have deferred The
majority even from inaugurating the policy now
proposed.
Wool in the free list is deadly assault upon
o great sEri, ultural interest and will fall with
terrible severity upon million people. 1t will
destroy invested capital. unSettle established
values, wrest from the flock masters their life
time earnings, bankrupt thousands OF our best
and most industrious farmers and drive them
into other branches OF agriculture already over
crowded II is vicious and indeienSible blow
at the entire agricultural interest OF the coun-
Try.
The report then says that il the provis
ions of the bill concerning wooden goods
and manufactures Of wool become law the
whole readymadc clothing business of the
country will be transferred to European
rivals.
The provisions proposed By the billrnder
the fax and hemp, borax, eartheuware,
glass. plate glass, lumber. salt end metal
schedules, the report declares, will, if en-
acted into law, be disastrous. if not en-
tirely ruinous, to many American indus
tries.
Under the head OF steel rails, the report
says:
II the majority desire TO insure the handing OF
our steel rail market 10 our English rivals the
proposed duty OF Gil will accomplish this pur
pose, unless The working men who are employed !
nproducinG the raw materials and finished prod |
ucts OF our steel raj! works willing to accept
stul lower wages than they arc now receiving
and the railroad companies which transport tho |
raw materials willing to greatly reduce their
freight rates
Have the majority any assurance that the
workingraen and the rail, DAD companies are
willing to accept these conditions. Neither
were heard before the committee. Tie supply
Of steel rails on he Pacific coast is now in the
hands OF foreigners. because Of the cheap trans
portstion by water from foreign ports the ex-
listing duty OF t11 not being suficient 10 enable
cur manufacturers TO compete for that trade. |
1t is stated that the Atchison, Topeka & Santa |
Fe Railroad Company has lately purchased |
1000 tons OF foreign rails TO be delivered az |
San Diego. Cal, and it is mentioned that an |
other lot OF $50 tons of foreign rails had re- |
Gently been sold by foreign makers for Pacific |
coast railroad.
In proposing to seriously cripple Il not to de- |
stroy the manufacture OF steel rails in this |
country, the majority probably do not realize |
the full Significance OF the results which they |
invite. 1t should be remembered that our man. |
uiacturars Of STEEL rails cnnSnr,na almost nna-