Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-04-24
THE TARIFF.
rho Bin Finally Reported TO the
House.
Points In the Report OF the Majority Of tho
Ways and Means Committee Mr.. Car
Isle submits a Report of the
Minority
The Majority Report.


The Majority Report.
WAsmEGToN, April II. I'm reporting
the Tariff bill to the House yesterday.
Mr.. Mckinley, OF Ohio, set forth the
views Of the majority substantially as
follows;
The majority report begins with state
ment Of the financial situation and estimates
that the surplus at the end Of the present
fiscal year viii be 92000,001, and deducting
the sum required 20 make payments on the
sinking fund the net surplus of receipts over
expenditures viii be s4a.67s,ssa. The estl-
mated surplus OF the next fiscal year win be
Hs,5dy52l, which, with the amount OF cash
now on hand aud available Preaching 10000
1D, Will Justify reduction Of the revenue
In the sum contemplated by the bin reported
s50,ss ,9i6, and probably more from customs
and tl0,sl7,s7s from internal revenue, or a
total OF S7l ,264,4lA
The report says; "The exact effect upon
the revenues OF the Government of the pro
posed bill Is dnicult Of ascertainment That
there viii be n substantial reduction, as we
will show, admits Of no doubt. 1t Is not be-
lieved that the increase OF duties upon w0ols
and woOlen goods and upon glassware will
have the effect of increasing the revenue.
That would, OF course, follow II the importa-
tions OF the last fiscal year were hereafter to
be maintained, which however, is altogether
improbable. The result viii be that lmpor
tations will be decreased and, therefore, the
amount OF revenue collected from these
sources will be diminished. In every case OF
increased duty except that imposed upon tin
plate (Which does not go into effect until
July /. ls9D and upon linen fabrics
the effect viii be 10 reduce rather than
enlarge the revenues, because importation
viii fall OF. il was the aim of the committee
to fix the duties upon that class OF manufact'
ured 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 pro
ducers the home market The general pol
icy OF the bill is to foster and promote Amer
lean products and diversiheation Of the
American industry. We have not been so
much concerned about the prices OF the arti-
cles we consume as we have been to encour-
age a system of home production that shall
give fair remuneration TO domestic pro-
ducers and fair wages TO American work
men, and by increasing production and
home consumption insure fair prices TO con
sumers."
The committee admit that free trade or
revenue duties would temporarily diminish
prices, but argue that il would be at the
expense OF the domestic products which
would be displayed, and then prices would
again advance and the country be left at the
mercy OF foreign syndicates and manufact-
urers One OF the chief complaints now
prevalent among our farmers is that they
can get no prices for the crops eommensur-
ate to the labor and capital invested IN their
production. Those who differ from us must
believe that even further agricultural de-
preston Is desirable for no other conse-
quence can result from their economic
theories. They advocate cheap prices as the
chief object Of the industrial policy they
commend TO the country. This means per
manently low prices for American agricult-
ural products as well as for manufactured
goods. This bin Is framed In the Interest OF
the people OF the United states.
In the case Of wool the report recites ig-
urcs as an evidence of the alarming decline
In production and says that an advance OF
duties has been recommended. The com
mittee believes the United states should pro
duce all the wool IL consumes, and with ade-
auate defensive legislation il viii do so. The
annual consumption is 6n,O00,000 pounds,
and with the protection offered by the bill
the farmers Of the United states Will, at an
early day, be able TO supply this demand by
the addition OF 10 per cent, or loU0O0OlO
pounds to the present number. The bill
seeks 10 stop the frauds which have been so
shamelessly practiced in the past by import
luE WOODS ltAAN lNN NAt l0oiI AlAASA Aht hfM
names and forms TO avoid legal duties The
report gives the Increase of the duty on
wool ant the construction given TO the
worstcd clause Of the existing law as
reason for increasing the duties on wooden
goods 10 protect manufacturers. II says
'"rhe necessity OF this Increase Is apparent
in view OF the facts already stated that dur
ing the last fiscal year there were imports OF
OF wool OF the foreign value
Of $50, ,6si ,ls2 as shown by the undervalued
invoices and the real value in our market Of
nearly S9ll o i,O0O-fully onc-fourth OF our en-
tire home nsumption--equiyalent TO an
import OF az least 10000 pounds OF wool
In the form Of manufactured goods" The
existing law gives, It is said, n protection OF
50 10 IS per cent the bill gives range OF
from 80 10 30 per cent.
on sugar the report says; sugar up TO and
No. l6, Dutch standard Of color,
and molasscs Is to be placed on the free list
with duty OF four .tenths OF / cent per
pound on refined sugar above No. i6 and a
bounty OF cents per pound be paid from the !
treasury for period OF fifteen years on all |
sugar polarlzcd at least IS per cent, made in |
this country from cane, bects or sorghum. !
seven -eighths Of our sugar consumed In the /
United states 10 now imported from foreign |
countries. In 1883 the duties collected on /
imported sugar and molasscs amounted to /
,I,,s756l0. Add 20 this the Increase OF price ]
II domestic sugar arising from the duty and |
I is clear that the duty on sugar and mo /
asses made the cost OF sugar and /
nolasses consumed by the people OF /
his country at least S4 ,0t0, OF about /
u for each man, woman and child in I
he United states, more than Il would I
lave been II no such duties had been levied 1
md the domestic product had remained the I
,ame. Even on the assumption that with I
proper encouragement we shall eventually !
le able TO produce ALL or nearly all, the su- I
gar required for the consumption Of ourpeo- /
,le-an assumption which your committee i
believes to be sustained by many facts. not /
sithstanding the slow progress thus far /
made in sugar culture In this country til /
can be given much more /
and eficctually by bounty OF /
cents per pound. involving the annual ex. i
,enditure Of about s .00,0. on the present /
Of the country. This encourage 1
nent should be given. When il is consider I
d that this increased duty in cost falls upon 1
he prime article of food-suEar -justire as 4
seli as good policy requires that unnecessa.
y burdens In the way Of direct tax should 4
,e removed, and that the encouragement ic- I
,uired TO induce the production II sugar in /
he United States should be given through a I
bounty rather than by an import duty"
gosnins g. agi icaitural products the com
nittee SAYS it has given months to the in
,ultural products, etc. Il says. There is
y idespread depression In this industry to-
iay beyond a doubt livery remedy within
he scope of pract cal leg Station known to
-our committee has been recommended In
he proposed measure TO meet the urgent
requirements OF the situation
Q he report further says - critical exam
nation of the subject viii show that agri-
.ulture is suffering chiefly from a most dam.
Hssfssr fnraIrrr ror1fet Itinu in our home uer-
ret The Increase in Importation of agri-
.uitural products since l-5o has been
.normous. amounting from s4o.uooeo0 90 more
han ss5 f0a0.101 in issll he worlds market,
70 which the advocates uf tariff for revenue
,nly invite the farmers 90 this country. to-
lay crowded with the products Of the cheap
It human labor the earth affords. All over
he world there Is a rush of their surplus 90
hat market and &C. o. 60 such ntest as
his that free trade would allure agriculture.
with a foreign grain market under the sway
4 such denrrss with the cattle aud pork