Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-05-09

These advanced rates on the better grades
Of goods for the protection of the manufacr-
urers with specific duties fully compensatory
for the duties on wool will, it is believed,
have the effect largely to diminish importa-
lions Of manufactures of wool and conse-
quently to reduce the revenue instead of in
c~reasing the revenue, as would be the case If
the importations should continue the same.
In computing the equivalent I'D valorem
duty on manufactures Of woolens, the COM
binations Of both the specific duty, which is
simply compensatory for the duty on the
wool used, of which the wool grower receives
the benefit, and the duty which protects the
manufacturers, makes the average resultant
rates of the wooden goods schedule proposed
81. 70 per cent.
The average rate under the present Law, as
computed on the basis of the importations Of
the last fiscal year, appears to have been only
81. Is per cent. This, however, is about 10
per cent. lower than it would have been II
the worsted decision, which corrected a fla
grant wrong by which wooden cloths known
as worsted were admitted at a lower rate
than cloths known as wooden cloths, had been
made at the beginning Of the fiscal year in
stead Of at the close, and at least Is per cent.
lower than it would have been if worsted
yarns had paid the same duty as wooden
yarns costing the same. That is, if both Of
these manifest errors, working serious injus.
tice to the wooden manufacturing industry,
had been corrected at the beginning of the
last fiscal year the average rate of duties in
the WOODEN goods schedule of the present
tariff would have been nearly 80 per cent,
against d. per cent. as proposed.
WOOD, COTTON, PAPER, WOOD PULP.
The duties on manufactures of wood, which
under the existing law average only 1881
per cent.-the lowest of any schedule-have
been reduced so cents per thousand on pine
boards. In other respects this schedule is not
changed. Logs, single and stave bolts, hoop
poles, ship timber, and other forms of rough
lumber, cabinet woods, and other woods I'M
manufactured, are placed on the free list. A
provision is added that sawed lumber i'm
ported from any country which imposes an
export duty on logs in excess of our duties on
such sawed lumber shall pay a duty equiva-
lent to such excess in addition to the duty
provided by the proposed bill.
The cotton schedule has been arranged 80
as to reduce duties on the lower grades of
manufactured cottons where a reduction can
be made without injury to OR cotton manu-
featuring interests, and to ~inceease duties on
the finer grades, Of which there were imported
In the last fiscal year goods to the value Of
$27, los, 500.
An increase of duties has been made in the
finer grades of cotton hosiery, of which there
were imported in the last fiscal year knit
goods to the value of s8,O56, $50. Notwith-
standing this increase Of duties on manufact-
ures of fine cottons to enable our cotton mills
to make classes of goods in which labor is the
principal element of cost, yet the reduction
of duties on the lower grades leaves the aver
age duty of the proposed cotton schedule only
slightly more than in the existing tariff, the
average in the latter being 1854 per cent,
against 49, G per cent. in the proposed bill
In the paper schedule no change has been
10 from existing rates of duty in the grades
of paper which form tho principal consump.
ton of the country. Tissue and other fill.
papers have been given an increased duty in
order to enable our own mills successfully ia
manufacture these papers in the face of the
injurious competition from foreign manu-.
facturers to which they have been subjected
Wood pulp, both ground and chemical.
which is used to so large an extent in paper
manufacture, and which has cheapened the
price of paperin a marvellous manner, has been
given specific rates Of duty equivalent to th.
present I'D valorem duty on this article whe.,
justly valued, in order to protect the large
wood pulp industry of this country against
the injurious competition Of foreign chemical
pnlp, which has been largely imported at a
y luation far below what it should properly
bear.
METALS
In the metal schedule no change of duty
has been recommended upon iron ore or iron
in pigs. These duties, it is believed, cannot
be lowered without detriment to existing in
d~ustries, and we haAe not felt justified In
interfering with the further development of
our iron ore resources, now so promising, in
the southern states.
To reduce materially the duty on pig iron
and on scrap iron and scrap steel, which are
substitutes for pig iron, would annually bring
into our ports many shiploads of these prod.
ucts to take the place of pig iron which could
be produced at home, and it would CORE.
s%pondingly reduce the demand for coal and
iron ore. This is a result which is surely not
to be desired.
The committee have recommended among
others the following changes: Bar iron, not
less than three-quarters Of an inch square,
has been reduced from l cent to nine-tenths
or a cent per pound; square iron less than
three-quarters of an inch, from IL to | cent
per pound; and round iron in coils or rods
less than seven-sixteenths of 1 inch in diameter,
and bars or shapes of rolled iron, not espe-
cially provided for in this act, from liz to IL
cents per pound. Beams, girders, joists,
angles, channels, hinged columns, and posts,
or sections thereof in building form, are re-
duced from ~ to nine-tenths of cent per
pound. Railway iron is reduced from SIT
per ton to 1914 per ton. Iron and steel
sheets, common or black, and known as
taggers iron or steel, has been reduced
throughout one-tenth of l cent per pound.
In wires Of all description there has been q
reduction of one-fourth of l cent per pound.
Anchors, or parts thereof, of iron or steel,
and mill iron and mill cranks, and forgines
of iron and steel AVE been reduced from 2
cents to 1.8 cents per pounds. Axles, or
parts thereof, of iron or steel, from ~ to 3
cents per pound. B~lacksmiths' iron and
steel, hammers, sledges, track tools, wedges
and crowbars have been reduced from ok to
~ cents per pound. Boiler or other tubes,
from B. to ~ cents per pound. Bolts, nuts
and finished hinges and hinge blanks, from
~ to "a cents per pound. Cast iron pipe Of
every description, from l cent to nine-tenths
of a cent per pound. Cast iron vessels, plates,
stove plates, andirons. sadirons. tailors,