Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-04-17
THENEW TARIFF BILL
Several Important Changes
Are Recommended.
A BOUNTY ON DOMESTIC SUGAR
Hides Restored to the Free List and
Duties on Wool.

The Majority Report Says the Bill Will
Foster American Irdustry-What the
Minority Report ClAims.
| WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE reports
of the majority and minority Of the
Ways and Means Committee on the
Tariff bill have been presented to the
House.
The majority report begins with a
statement of the financial situation. It
estimates that the surplus at the end of
the present fiscal year will be
$92, 900, 900, and deducting the sum
required to make payments on the
sinking fund, the net surplus Of
receipts over expenditures will be
$4S, 67S, 1888. The estimated surplus of
the next fiscal year will be IS, 500 ,522,
which, with the amount of cash now on
hand and available, reaching 800, 0OO, 900,
will justify o reduction of the revenue
in the sum contemplated by the bill
$50, 986 1886, and probably moro, from
customs, and say SO, ss7, s78 from in
ternal revenue, or a total Of 81, 1894 Ala.
The majority report says:
THAT there will be a substantial re-
duction in the country's revenues
admits no doubt. 1t is not believed
that the increase of duties upon woods
and wooden goods, and upon glass
ware, will have the effect of
Increasing crss the revenues venues That as
importations of tina last fiscal year were
hereafter to be maintained, which,
however, is altogether improbable. The
result will be that importations win be
decreased, and therefore the amount Of
revenue collected from these sources
will be diminished.
| "1n every case of increased duty, e.
| cept that imposed upon tin plate (Which
| n
1891, and upon linen frabrics, the effect
will be to reduce rather than enlarge tho
revenues, because importations will
fall off. 1t was the aim of the com
mittee to fix the duties upon that
| class of manufactured goods and farm
products which can be supplied at home
| so as to discourage tho use of like for
eign goods and products, and secure to
oar own people and our own producers
the home market, believing that compe-
tltlon among ourselves will secure
reasonable prices to consumers in the
future, as it has invariably done in tho
past. We seek by the increased dut-
les recommended not only to maintain
| but to enlarge our own manufacturing
plants and check thpss supplies from
abroad which can be proftably pro-
duced At home. The general policy Of
the bill 10 to foster and promote Amer
lean production and divsrsihcatisn of
american INDUSTRY
Tho report quotes the recommends
t1ons concerning the tariff in the Presi-
| dents annual message, and terms them
sensible and patriotic.
| After discussion of the Adminis-
trative features of the bill, the report
goes over each schedule noting the pro-
posed changes and discussing the rea-
sons for making them, and estimating
the amount of duty in each case that
will be affected.
Tho Duties on Wool.
In regard to wool the report states
that by the proposed bill, the duties upon
first and second class woods are made at
IL and 10 cents n pound, as against 10
and ~ under existing law. On third
class wool, costing 10 cents or less, the
duty is raised from 1-2 cents pound
to 1-2 cents, and upon woods of the
! third class costing above - cents, the
duty recommended is an advance from
o to cents per pound.
| There seems to be no doubt the report
says, that with the protection afforded
by the increased duties recommended
In the bill, the farmers of the United
| States will be able at an early day to
supply substantially all of the home de-
mand, and the great benefit such reduc-
ton will be to the agricultural inter
ests of the country cannot be estimated
The production of soc, OOO, 900 pounds of
wool would require about 100 900, 900
sheep, or an addition of more than 100
per cent. to the present number.
Free Sugar and = Bounty.
After defending its action in increas-
| ing the duty on certain kinds of iron
and on tinplate. the committee goes on
to discuss the sugar and molasses sched-
| ule.
The committee recomends that sugar
up to and including No. 16 Dutch
| standard Of colored and molasses be
placed on the free list, with q duty of
four-tenths of one cent per pound on
refined sugar above No. 10, and that q
bounty of two cents per pound be paid
from the Treasury for . period Of IS
years for ell sugar polarizing at least IS
per cent. made in this country from
cane, beets or sorghum produced in
Concerning SILK.
Asonsiderable portion of tho report
is devoted to giving reasons for incrsas-
ing duties on agricultural products.
Concerning silk the committee states
that, in order to secure this industry
as speedily as possible, they offer .
bounty of one dollar per pound, about
the equivalent of 20 per cent. Of the
market value of good silk. A bounty
Of seven cents per pound, 1t il stated,
10 also allowed on cocoons.
Changes in the Internal Revenue Laws.
The committee recommends changes
in the internal revenue laws a. follows,
Abolishing tho tax on dealers in leaf
tobacco, manufactured tobacco, manu-
facturers of tobacco and cigars and ped
oilers of tobacco; reducing the tax on
smoking and manufactured tobacco and
snuff from eight cents to four cents per
pound. The committee recommends
that all provisions of the statutes i'm
posing restrictions of any kind whAtso-
ever upon farmers and growers of to-