The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-05

interest. Most Of this coarse wool came
from the plains Of Asia, where civilization
was at low stage. He also protested
against raising the duty on camels' hair and
ostrich feathers, neither camels nor ostriches
being raised here.
RULES OUT CHEAP CLOTHES.
Ernest Werner said it was the opinion Of
the importers that the Mckinley bill would
establish absolutely proh1bitive rates of
duty on all woolen goods for mems wear,
worn by the masses. The bill bore with
especial severity on the woolen the poorer
people wear. The only reason there were
now importations of cassimeres and wor-
steds was because Of the very large demand
for these goods, which American manu-
facturers could not supply to the full extent,
except by furnishing inferior articles at q
higher cost. More than 80 per cent. of the
woolen cloth importations were very
fine goods which would always be In more
or less demand by people who would only
wear imported articles. 1t seemed to those
he represented that the extraordinary ad-
vance in the duties proposed in the McKin-
ley bill was entirely unwarranted as a
needed protection by American industries,
and that the advance in the cost would fall
with great hardship upon the great body of
the consumers of woolen goods in this
country.
PLUSH FOR UPHOLsTERERS.
James FL. Thorpe, speaking for the up
holstery importers, said that at present silk
plush used as a covering for furniture,
boxes, albums, and other purposes, pays so
per cent. ad valorem, which, under the
Mckinley bill, would be increased SO as to
range from 70 to 14S per cent, the
change falling with the greatest en-
phasis on the cheapest work and
lowest grades of goods. He exhibited vari-
GUS samples of plush and other coverings in
support OF this charge of discrimination
against the farmer and workingman. The
benefit of this increase Of duty would
chiefly inure to two or three of the New
England manufacturers on the same line of
goods and to comparatively few Others on
some other grades.
The committee then took a recess.
ADDITIONAL PROTESTS.
At the afternoon session Of the commit
tee Daniel McKeever protested against the
increased duty or coat Innings, plushes and
astrachan cloths; p. B. Worriell against the
increase on cotton velvets; Mr.. Carlisle of
New York, against the linen schedule /;
and Maurice Lowye, against the increase on
hosiery and underwear.
d. A. Vanhorne spoke against any in
| crease OF duty on glass: A. II. Sexton, rep
resenting the Wholesale Hardware Associa-
ton, against the proposed increase on cut
lery; Mr.. Gibbs against the lace duty, B.
Blumenthal against the rate of duty on
| buttons, Charles p. Mcclellan against the
duty on corsets, Mr.. Richards ON braids,
grocers' supplies, j. w. Riglander on spec
tacles, ]. L. McCade on wood pulp, Mr..
Fletcher on shawls, Fl. f. Fox on hops A
protest of business firms interested in felts
was submitted in print. 1t OBJECTS to the
Mckinley bill as doubling duties.
THE EXCHANGE OF COMPLIMENTS.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Mr..
Constable thanked the committee for its
attention and consideration, and expressed
| his earnest hope that it would do something
| to settle properly the tariff question, which
was now being agitated to the detriment OF
the business interests of the whole country.
| Senator Sherman responded for the COM
mittee, saying 1t had heard the speakers
| with great interest, and would give due
consideration to all that had been said.
The reception room at the close of the
hearing had the appearance Of an auc-
tioneers' salesroom, the committee table
being covered and piled high with variety
of goods, ranging from spectacles and eye
glasses, bone and pearl buttons and cheap
glassware, samples of embroideries and
shawls and other woolen goods, behind
which stood the clerk of the committee,
wondering where he was to place the sam
pies so as to have them ready for reference
in case Of need as the importers illustrative
object lessons.
A FORMIDABLE DOCUMENT.
The printed protest presented to the COM
mittee by Mr.. Constable,is signed by 455
mercantile firms of New York city. 1t EN-.
bodies seventy pages of argumentative
reports of subcommittees, representing
| various branches Of trade, and concludes by
| saying that in view of these reports and
many others of like tenor, the memorialists
respectfully protest against the enactment
of the pending bill for the following rea-
sons:
/. 1t is wholly unnecessary. Every admins
| tration, from Grant to Cleveland inclusive,
recommended a reduction of ''the war tariff, -
| the country no longer needing revenue from
such uncaliei for and unjust taxation. At the
| last presidential election the platform of
| both parties favored revision of the
tariff; neither platform & hinted ,,,.a;.. at al an
believing in the intelligence of their party and
the integrity and patriotism of its leaders, pre-
| ferred not to allow their opponents to reform
the tariff, and the result was the election of a
| republican President and House of Representa-
| tiyes. But it is evident that congress has mis-
taken the sense of the people in regard to the
tariff, or such uncalled-for and reactionary leg
islation would not be contemplated.
q It does not accomplish its purpose. The
propriety of an industry does not depend upon
the rate of duty. For instance, watches enjoy
a very moderate duty of 25 per cent, and yet
two-thirds of all the watches made in this coun-
try are exported, while the woolen manufact-
uring interests, with duty varying from rs per
cent. to 125 per cent is languishing. Intelligent
observers assert that that branch of industry
would be materially benefited by allowing
wool to come in free of duty.
= g.. 1t is unjust. The provisions Of the McKin-
ley bill; directly discriminate in favor of the
rich against the poorer classes. This is appar-
ent in almost every schedule. Take for instance
| iow-priced dress goods. The proposed duty is
1870 per cent, and the cheaper grades of hosiery
would pay about double the present rates.
| Farmers and workingmen would be heavily
| taxed for the benefit of a comparatively few
manufacturers who produce more goods than
| this country can consume, but not cheaply
| enough to sell to other countries.
| a. 1t handicaps our trade. Not long ago a
South American merchant came to New York
prepared to buy $4,000 worth Of American
| goods in this market, provided he could do SO
| to advantage. He compared prices and found
| that he could use less than S5,0 900 OF American
manufactures and was compelled to go to En-
gland, as formerly, to purchase his require
ments Here is trade that naturally belongs to
us. Hampered as we are by vicious tariff laws,
could it be accomplished even by subsidizing
| lines of steamers, the very absence of our flag
| from the high seas being due to the operation
| of the so-called protective policy.
s. 1t retards the progress of the nation, the vel
| fare of the whole country, and the permanent
| good Of manufacturers themselves requires re-
duction rather than an increase or the tariff du-
ties Ii is not a contest between merchants and
manufacturers, but one between monopolie