Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-04-18
The Ways and Means Committee
Make q Report on the
Tariff Bill.
E. A. Williams Has Been Appointed
Surveyor General for North
Dakota.
A Wife's Infidelity the Cause of q
Fratricide at Richardton,
North Dakota.
Report on the Tariff Bill,

WASH1NGION, Apill 1O.-ISpOIGS VI
the majority and minority of the ways
and means committee on the tariff bill,
we're presented to the house this after
noon. The majority report begins with
a statement of the financial situation
and estimates that the surplus at the end
of the present fiscal year will be $92,000,-
600, and deducting the sum required to
make payments on the sinking fund, the
net surplus of receipts over expenditures
will be $43,678,883. The estimated sur
plus of the next fiscal year will be $43,-
569,522, which, with the amount of cash
now on hand and available (eaching
$90,000,00O will justify reduction of
the revenue in the sum contemplated by
the bill reported, viz: $50, 1856, and
probably more from customs, and say
$10,327,878 from internal revenue, or a
total of $71,264,414. The majority re-
port says: "The exact effect upon the
revenues of the government Of the pro-
posed bill is difficult of ascertainment.
That there will be substantial reduc-
tion, as we will show, admits of no doubt.
It is not believed the increase of duties
upon wools and woolen goods and upon
glassware will have the effect of increas-
ing the revenue. That would of course
follow if the amount of importations for
the last fiscal year we're hereafter to be
maintained, which, however, is altogether
improbable, and the result will be that
importations will be decreased; and
therefore the amount of revenue COL
lected from these sources will be dimin-
ished. In every case of increased duty,
except that imposed upon tin plate
(Which does not 60 into effect until July
l, 1891 and upon linen fabrics, the effect
will be to reduce, rather than enlarge rev.
enues, because importations will fall off. )"
The committee admits that free trade or
revenue duties will temporarily diminish
prices, but they aver that it would be at
the expense of the domestic products
whicl1 would be displaced, and then
prices would again advance and the
country be left at the mercy of foreign
syndicates and manufacturers. The
committee closes it's argument upon the
general subject of tariff by quotation
from the last annual message of the
president, and then proceeds to discuss
the details of the bill In the case of
wool the report cites figures as an evi-
dence of the alarming decline in the pro-
duction and says an advance of duties
has been recommended which it is be-
ieved will afford ample protection to the
wool growing farmers. While the senate
bill fixed the duty on third class wool at
cents the committee places it at 81
cents, acting on the belief that with the
restrictions, definitions and classical
tions, and the addition of the port
charges recommended by the bill, the
difference will be fully compensated.
The committee believes that the United
States should produce all the wool it
consumes and that, with adequate de-
fensive legislation, it will do so. The
annual consumption is 100000 pounds
and with the protection afforded by the
bill the farmers of the United States
will at an early day be able to supply
this demand by the addition of 100 per
cent. or 100,O0O,000 sheep, the present
number. The bill seeks to stop the
frauds which have been so shamelessly
practiced IN the past by importing woods
ready for the loom under new names and
to avoid legal duties. The report gives
the increase duty on wool, and the con-
struction given the worsted clause of
the existing law, as the reason for in
creasing the duties on wool goods to pro-
tect the manufacturers. OF lumber, the
report says that any reduction of the
light duties would have discouraged the
proper care of our timber lands and
would have benefited Canada without
diminishing the market prices.