Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-17
THE TARIFF REPORTS.
Arguments For and Against the Bill
Submitted Yesterday.

TIE MAJORITY DEFEND THE SCHEDULE RECON-
aESDED-DIvIDED OPINIONS on sUGAR-THE
MINORITY GIVES ITS vIEws-THE ISSUES DE-
FINED.
The three reports the tarih bill which
were introduced in the House yesterday are the
one topic Of conversation at the Capitol today.
The majority report of which a portion was
printed in The STAR yesterday, after a short
general argument goes deliberately into the
changes that have been made in the duty
imposing schedule of existing law. The chem
icals placed ON the free Inst, the report says,
will result in a remission OF sS76. 3O4 in duties
Considerable space is given to wool The re-
port cites figures an evidence of the alarm
ing decline in production and says that an ad-
vance of duties has been recommended, which,
it is believed. will afford ample protection to
wool-grOwing farmers.
The committee believes that the United
States 81, uld produce all of the wool it con-
snmes, and that with adequate defensive legis-
Iation 1t will do So The report gives the in
crease OF thu duty on wool and the construc-
ton given to the worsted clause OF the existing
law as a reason for increasing the duties on
wooden goods to protect manufacturers. 1t
SAYS: The necessity of this increase is APP
parent III view of the fact already stated that
Of manufactures of wool of the foreign value
OF =52, 6Sl, 4S2. as shown by the undervalued
invoices, and the real value in our market of
nearly $4,000, OO0-fully one-fOurth of our en-
TIRE home onsumpton-equivalent to an I'M
port of ut least l60, 900, 900 pounds of wool in
the form of manufactured goods" The exist
ing law gives, 1t Is said. protection of 30 to As
per cent; the bill gives a range of 80 to 80 per
cent. The advance in these fine grades will, it
Is believed, diminish Importation and there by
reduce instead OF increase the and
transfer to the country the manufacture of
from 900 to S2O. OO0, 900 OF WOODEN goods
now made abroad The average rate OF the
wooden goods schedule proposed including the
specific duty on the wool used and the manu-
facturer's duty, Is 81. IS per cent The average
rate at present is 81. Is per cent.
THE METAL SCHEDULE
In the metal schedule the report says that no
reduction can be made in pig iron or ore du-
ties without detriment to existing industries,
and the committee has not felt justified in in
terfering with the further development of our
iron ore resources, now so promising in the
southern states The report then argues
against pig iron being set down as a raw mate
rial.
In justification of the increased duty recon-
mended on tin plate the report quotes fromthe
report upon the Senate BILL and says: 1T has
been demonstrated that We manufacture
tin plate in the United States as successfully as
II can be done i'll England Its production
here. suitable for all uses, is no longer expert
mental We make sheet iron and sheet steel,
and it is confidently believed that we have in
the Dakotas pig tin In sufficient quantities for
use in making all of the tin required for this
market, and II this were not SO pig tin is on
the free list accessible to our people for manu-
featuring purposes. There is no reason except
inadequate protection why we are not today
manufacturing the more than 90, OOO 900 worth
OF tin now imported into the United States
and upon which we pay an annual duty of over
Sd,OOO.OO0. 1t is estimated that the establish
ment OF an industry which would supply our
own market IN TINS particular would furnish
steady employment to at least "a, 600 men," II
Is argued that as the domestic plants are es-
tabllshed prices will fall. that in the end the
American consumer will secure lower and
steadler prices than at present.
SUGAR.
The report goes into long argument on its
action in regard to sugar. The BILL it will be
remembered, provides that sugar up to and
including No. 10, Dutch standard of color and
molasses be placed on the free list, with IA duty
OF four-tenths OF i cent per pound ON refined
sugar above No. 10, and that a bounty of
cents per pound be paid from the Treasury for
period Of fifteen years for all sugar polariz-
ing at least 50 per cent made in this country
from cane. beets or sorghum produced in the
United States.
The report says: I'm 1888 the consumption of
sugar in the United States was l.469 9y7 tons
or So pounds per inhabitant OF this only
lss sl4 tons 1915, 9O4, 1877 pounds) we're produced
IN the United States and l,2S1, 1873 TONS or
seven-eighths Of our consumption were i'm
ported. so large proportion of our sugar is
imported that the home production of sugar
does not materially affect the price and the
duty Is therefore a tax which is added to the
price not 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 SUBJ
stantlally to the extent Of our wants. In 1889
the duties collected on imported sugar and
molasses amounted to SIS. 975,6l0 Add to this
the increase of price of domestic sugar arising
from the duty and it is clear that the duty on
sugar and molasses made the cost of the sugar
and molasses consumed by the people of this
country at least S64, 900. 900. or about 81 for
each man, woman and child in the United
states more than it would have teen if no such
duties had been levied and the domestic pro-
duct had remained tie same.
Even on the assumption that eventually the
country Will be able TO produce all of the sugar
required. encouragement can be given much
more economically and effectually by q bounty
OF two cents per pound, which involves an ex-
penditure OF only little over $1,000, OOO."
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
Agricultural products are touched on by the
report, which saws:
"A critical examination OF the subject will
show that agriculture ia suffering chiefly from
most damaging foreign competition in our
hume A4aFAoI lAe increase In importation OF
agricultural products since 1850 has been enor-
nous, amounting from $40 600 900 to more
than S356,OOOOOO in 1889. The worlds mar
ket, to which the advocates Of tariff for reye-
nue. only invite the farmers of this country il
today crowded with the products of the cheap
est human labor the earth affords"
In conclnslon the report SAYS that the advance
OF duties on agricultural products would in
crease the revenue If the imports continue to
be as large as during the last year. But as
they are for the most part articles which this
country can produce to the extent of our wants
the increased dirty will reduce importations so
that the revenues will not be increased, and
our farmers will hold their own markets The
same result will follow in other cases of in
crease, and where the revenue is III special
cases increased the increase will be far less
than Is indicated by computation based on
the theory that the lmportations will continue
as large as under lower duties
The Minority Report.
The minority report is signed by all OF the
five democratic members of the committee. II
begins with the following statement,
Upon the question of collecting such reye-
nue. from duties on imported goods as may be
necessary TO pay the whole or a part of the cost
vt conducting the government when ecouomi-
cally administered, We now at the parting
OF the ways Whether such taxes shall he i'm
posed upon the people for the primary purpose
OF raising money for the payment of the orCii-
nary public expenses and the public debts or
be imposed for the purpose OF increasing the
of r,r0luctiOD nd he