The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-13
ssiou to be held in Paris in 1889. to commemorate
$the taking OF the Bastile. The House then adj
Wouwua6
TARIFF REVISION.
Ehe Facts About the Rumored Administra-
fion Bill TO Reduce Revenue.


Ehe Facts About the Rumored Administra-
fion Bill to Reduce Revenue.
Washington Special in New York Evening Post.
There has been good deal said about a So
called administration tariff bill. and sort of
ex cathedra announcement has been made that
here will not be one. The facts in the case are
these: Secretary Fsirehild many months ago
decided to collect all the information within his
power bearing upon revenue questions in an
ticipation of any possible inquiry which Con-
gress might make. It has been the usual
course in the Treasury TO await inquiry
from the House OF Representatives or the ways
and means committee, and then to collect by the
customary slow processes the information desired
The consequence has been a great deal of unnec-
essary delay. Secretary Fairchild determined,
rs soon as it seemed probable that reduction
OF the revenue would be leading issue In TINS
Congress-. that no com mittee should be delayed
by waiting for information from his department.
Accordingly, soon after the last Congress adj.
iourped he detailed two of the most experienced
and trusted Treasury officials to compile all pos
sible information upon the subject and TO state
In a compact manner the effect upon the rev
enues which certain changes which might be
proposed would have. Those officials have sub
mitted their report TO the Secretary, and the
conclusions at which he has arrived were some
time since printed the Treasury printing
presses in the form of bill. Whether not
this may be properly called admins
tration bill is perhaps n matter of taste
techncality rather than matter of
fact The bill makes a pamphlet of nearly
forty printed pages of the usual bill size, and
the first page of il begins: BE it enacted by
the Senate and House or Representatives in
Congress assembled The bill then proceeds
seriatim through the schedules of the existing
tariff. and shows the effect of certain reductions,
upon the basis of the receipts from customs for
the last fiscal year.
This bill has not been sent officially to Con-
gress by the Secretary Of the Treasury or the
President and it is understood not TO be the in
tention OF either of these officials to send it.
But the document has been communicated IN
officially to the Democratic members of the
ways and means committee, at least, and sew
eral of the prospective members of that COM
mittee were in possession of the bill, or MEM
crandum, some days before the committee
was appointed The reductions pro-
posed by this document would cut down the
surplus $62, 000, COO. For some reason this bill
is bedged about with the sort of mystery with
which it seems to give government officials SUI
preme delight to surround many of their acts.
Possibly one reason for this concealment lies in
the fact that the majority of the committee may
decide to adopt this draft of bill its own
p effected measure. and the Treasury does not
dictate the form or terms of q measure of that
sort TO Congress. A person who 10 greatly in
feresred in the subject, VINO has been permitted
20 read the text of this bill, and who has con-
suited with tho Democratic members of the
committee with regard to it. says that OF his
own knowledge seven of the members OF that
committee have indicated that this Treasury bill
substantially meets their own views as to the
bill which ought to be reported.