The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-04-26
THE TARIFF BILL.
The Measure Submitted to the
House of Representatives
with Long Majority and Minority Re-
ports-Hides and Sugar Placed ON the
Free List-Hcavy Addition to the
Duties on All Grades of Wool.

WASHINGTON, April i7.-Mr. Mckinley, from
the Committee on Ways and Means introduced
the new tariff bill with the majority report OF
| It, in the House yesterday. The majority repor
discusses the effect that the bill will have Ipor
| the revenues of the Government THAT there
will be o substantial reduction, as we shal
show" IL says 'admts of no doubt. II is moi
! believed that the increase OF duties upon wools
/ woolen goods aud glassware will have the eIec'
| of increasing the revenues. Ihat Woulu, o.
course, follow If the importations OF the las
| fiscal year were hereafter to be maintained
which, however, is altogether improbable. The
result will be that importations will be de
! creased, and the amount of revenue collecteo
| from these sources will be diminished. In any
| case of increased duty, except that imposed
| upon tin plate (Which does not go INTO eHecl
| until July 1, 1917 and upon linen fabrics
the eYect will be to reduce rather
| than enlarge the revenues, because 1mpor'
tations will fall of. II was the aim OF the com
mittce to fix the duties upon that class of man
ufactured goods and farm products which can
! be supplied at home so as to discourage the use
of like foreign goods and products, and secure
TO our own people and our own producers the
home market believing that competition
among ourselves will secure reasonable prices
to consumers in the future, as IL has invariably
done in the past We seek by the increased
duties recommended not only to MAINTAIN but
TO enlarge our own manufacturing plants ana
check those supplies from abroad which can be
proftably produced Mt home. The general poll.
cy of the bill is to foster and promote American
production and diversfication of American in
dustry."
The report quotes the recommendations con.
cerning the tarifr in the Presidents annual
message and terms them sensible and pntri'
otic.n After n discussion of the administrative
features of the bill, the report goes over each
schedule. noting the proposed changes and dis
cussing the reasons for making them, and esti-
mating the amount of duty In each case that
will be affected.
In regard to wool the report states that by the
proposed bill the duties on first m ana second % class
against 10 and 12 under existing law. On third
class wool, costing 12 cents or less, the duty is
raised from 2iS cents pound TO 3ls cents, and
upon woods of the third class, costing above IL
cents, the duty recommended is an advance
from 3 to cents per pound; There seems to be
no doubt, the report says, that with the protec
tion afforded by the increased duties recon.
mended in the bill the farmers OF the United
States will be able at an early day to supply
substantially all of the home demand, ana the
great benefit such production will be to the ag
ricultural interests of the country can not be
estimated
would require about 1OO,OOO,0OO sheep or an ad.
dition of more than 100 per cent. of the present
number In revising the woolen goods schedule
so as TO afford adequate protection to our wool.
en- manufacturers and wool growers. the com
mittee state that they have continued the sys.
TEN of compound duties, which have proved so
essential in any tarin which protects WOOL pro.
viding first for a specific compensatory pound
or square yard duty, equivalent to the duty
which would be paid on the wool II imported for
the benefit OF the wool grower and an ad valo.
rem duty OF from thirty to fifty per cent, ac.
cording to the proportion OF labor required in
the manufacture OF the several classes of goods,
as a protection to the manufacturer against for
eign competition, and ter per cent additional
upon, ready made clothing for TIE protection Of
the clothing manufacturers.
From the best Information we can obtain,
1t is stated. at is probable that the increased
rates of duty given to manufacturers of wool.
ems will reduce-certainly not increase-the
revenue from this source, and transfer TO this
country the manufacture of from Sl5OOOOOO to
S2OOOOOOO OF Soolen goods now made abroad
N pOtliynlelt yalOrpm
on manufactures Of woolen-a combination of
both the specific duty, which Is simply compen
Satory for the duty on the wool uSed-and the
duty which protects the manufacturers makes
the average resultant rate of the wooden goods
schedule proposed 91.7S per cent.
After defending its action in increasing the
duty on certain kinds of iron and on tin plate,
the committee goes on to discuss the sugar and
molasses schedule. The committee recon.
mends that sugar up TO and including No. lG
Dutch standard of color and molasses, be
placed on the free list, with duty Of four-tenths
of one cent per pound on refined sugar above
No. 10, and that bounty of two cents per pound
be paid from the treasury for period of fifteen
years for all sugar polarizing at least 50 per
cent. made in this country from cane. beets or
sorghum produced in the United States
Discussing the sugar question the committee
says: so large proportion of our sugar is
does not materially affect the price. and the
duty is therefore tax which is added TO the
price no. only of the imported but OF the do
mestic product, which is not true of duties i'm
posed on articles produced or made here sub |
stantially TO the extent of our wants.
In 1880 the duties collected on imported
sugar and molasses amounted to SIS, ,6l0 |
Add to this the increase OF price OF domestic |
sugar arising from the duty. and IL is clear that
the duty on sugar ana molasses made the cost |
OF the sugar and molasses consumed by the |
people OF this country at least s6j,O000O, or |
about one dollar for each man, woman and |
child in the United StateS-more than II would |
have been IL such duties had been levied and |
the domestic product had remained the same.
Even on the assumption that with proper |
G,.1l nj.
produce all nearly all the sugar required for |
the consumption of our people-an assumption |
which your committee believe TO be sustained |
by many facts, Notwithstanding the slow pro |
gress thus far made In sugar culture in this |
country. this encouragement can be given much |
more economically and effectually by bounty |
of two cents per pound-inYolving the expendi- |
ture of but little more than 100000 per an |
nun, with the present production OF sugar In |
involving the collection of S5,9i5,6i0 in duties |
in the last fiscal year. not TO mention the |
amount indirectly involved. When IL is CON |
sidered that this increase in cost due TO |
necessity as food your committee are per |
suaded that justice as well as good policy re- |
CURES that such an unnecessary burden In the |
way of Il direct tax should be removed from |
sugar and that the announcement required 20 |
induce the production OF sugar in the United |
States should be given by a bounty rather than |
by an import duty. In providing that not only |
raw sugar, but also sugar up to and including |
No. l6 shall be admitted free of duty. an oppor |
tunity is given for the free introduction OF yell
low sugars suited for family use-an arrange
ment which will secure to our people sugar III
the lowest price existing in the markets of the
world, while imported white sugars will be sub
ject to duty OF only fdur-tenths OF one cent
pound"
Several Thousand words OF the report are de-
voted to giving reasons for increasing duties on
agricultural products Concerning silk, the
committee states that In order TO secure this
industry as speedily as possible, they offer Il I
bounty of one dollar per pound, about equal to
twenty per cent. OF the market value OF good
silk
The committee recommend changes in the in
ternal revenue laws as fol ows: Aboiishing the
tax on dealers in leaf and manufactured tobac.
co. manufacturers OF tobacco and cigars. and
peddlers OF tobacco; reducing the tax on smok
Ing and manufactured tobacco anu snun from
eight TO four cents per pound
The committee recommend that all provisions
OF the statutes imposing restrictions OF any
kind whatsoever upon farmers and growers OF
pealed This will enable the farmers and plant
ers To sell their tobacco wherever and 10 whom
soevcr they please. with the same freedom that
they now dispose of other agricultural products.
In conclusion the committee state: The eff
feet OF the advance OF duties on agricultural
products will be TO hold our own markets in
larger measure than at present for our farmers
without any increase OF revenue. The same re-
suit will follow In other cases OF increase and
where the revenue is in special cases increased
this increase Will be far less than is indicated
by consumption based on the theory that i'm
Dortations OF such articles will continue as
large as under lower duties. In the case OF
manufacturers OF wool, where the importation
have been enormous because OF inadequate
duties, there can be no doubt that the rates OF
duty proposed Will diminish, rather than in-
crease the revenue.
The committee conclude. therefore. that the
proposed bill IL enacted into law, Will certainly
reduce the revenue from imports at least S60,-
S36 .536 and probably more; and from the inter
ia