Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-06-07

ure, nearly all the appraisers who thus met
~ consider the question Of the classified
ton of worsteds were Democrats holding
over their positions from the Cleveland re-
gime The exact grounds upon which
they decided have net been made public
but no doubt they were influenced 10y the
fact that since the tariffs of 1867 and 1888
went into effect there has been a great de
velopment of machinery, so that today any
wool is applicable TO the purpose Of max
ing worsted yarns, where formerly only
combing woods could he so used The tar
IFS provision which refers to worsteds is as
follows
"Flannels, blankets hats of wool, knit
goods and all goods made on knitting
frames balmorals. wooden and worsted
yarns, and all manufactures of every de
scription, composed wholly or in part Of
worsted, the hair Of the alpaca, goat, or
other animals (ercepi such as are composed
in part Of irOOb. not specially enumerated
or provided for in this act
To claim that worsted suitings and coat
ings should be classified as worsteds, it
must be demonstrated, therefore, that they
are not composed in part Of wool, and it
would be interesting to know upon what
ground such claim could be maintained.
The conference Of appraisers was no
doubt also influenced 10y the law of section
249g, which provides that where an article
is not distinctly specified in the list of du-
table articles, it shall be classed with that
article which it most resembles paying the
highest duty.
1t is not generally known, but it is a fact
that during the Cleveland administration
an opinion upon the classification of worst.
ed coatings and suitings, classifying them
as wooens was prepared 10y Assistant Sec
rotary Maynard and presented 10 Secretary
Fairchild for his approval but that official
withheld his endorsement. Hence no &C.
ton was taken TO relieve the worsted in.
dustry of the disastrous competition which
has resulted from the erroneous classified
ton of worsted coatings and suitings a.
worsteds
In 1880 the exports of worsted coating,
from Bradford, England amounted to s..
634 69j in 1886 they had jumped to a
l37. 534 in 1887, 50. 1924 81 and in 1888
$j172, jjl. These are the values placed
upon the goods by the foreign manufactur
ers, and we all know they are not apt t,
over value such shipments to this country
Many worsted goods are also imported from
other ports in England and from German,
and other countries, so that the total i'm
ports have increased enormously of lat,
years.
In connection with this worsteds decision
the Democratic papers have raised CLAIM
that it will result in all increase of revenu,
of 81, 800, 900. The Bulletin shows that II,
such thing will happen, but that on tn,
contrary it will tend to exclude foreign
! goods and a reduction of the revenue will
result. The Democratic claim in this re
| spect is very much like the claim of the ad
vocates of the Mills bill, that the reduction
of duty provided for in that bill would Sc
cure reduction of revenue; whereas. tn
reduction of the duties would have so in
creased the imports that the very opposit,
would have occurred There are only tw,
ways of reducing the revenue bv the tariff
one is to increase the free list bv placinl
thereupon articles now dutiable anothe
is by increasing duties so "a to reduce i'm
portations.