The Russellville Democrat., 1890-04-24
THE TARIFF BILL.
The New Tariff Bin Reported in
 the House.
The salient Points of the Majority and Minority Reports-Practicafiy Free Sugar with Bounty on
 the Home Product,

Icy, from the committee on ways and means introduced the new Tariff bill with the majority renee-=. on it, in the House yesterday. Tho majority re- port discusses the effect that the bill will have upon tho revenues of the Government. It states that the exact effect is difficult of ascertainment, and says:
 That there will be h substantial reduction. as we shall show, admits of no doubt It Is not believed that the increase of duties upon wools and woolen goods and upon glass ware will have the effect of increasing the revenues. That would, of course, follow if the Importations of the last fiscal year were hereafter to be maintained, which, how over, is altogether improbable. The result will be that importations will be decreased, and. therefore. the amount of revenue col iected from these sources will be dimn- ished In every case of increased duty ex- ccpt that imposed upon tin plate (which does not go into effect till June 1. ls9l,) and upon linen fabrics, the effect will be to re duce rather than enlarge the revenues, be- cause importations will fall off. It was the aim of the committee to fix the duties upon that class of manufactured 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 producers the home market, believing that competition among ourselves will secure reasonable prices to consumers in the future as 1t has invariably done In the past. We seek by the increased duties recommended not only to maintain but to enlarge our own manufacturing plants and check those supplies from abroad which can be profitably produced at home. The general policy of the bill is to foster and promote American production a pI 6iv roi fiea at tifn pf ind at
 The report quotes the recommenda- tions concerning the tariff in the Presi- dents annual message and terms them sensible and patriotic. After discussion of the administrative feat ures of the bill, the report goes over each schedule, noting the proposed changes and discussing the reasons for making them, and estimating the amount of duty in each case that will be affected
 In regard to wool, the report states that by the proposed bill the duties on first and secondclass wools are made at Il and 12 cents pound, as against 10 and F under existing law. On third class wool, costing 12 cents or less, the duty Is raised from 2l5 cents pound to 3k cents, and upon wools of the third class costing above 12 cents the duty recommended is an advance from 5 to cents per pound. The report says.
 There seems to be no doubt 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 produc- n pf the country can not be estimated. The pro dnction of 0.000, 900 pounds of wool would require about 900 sheep, or an addi- ton of more than loo per cent. to the pres cnt number. In revising the wooien goods schedule so as to afford adequate protection to our wooden manufacturers and wool growers, we have continued the system of compound duties which have proved to be so essential in any tariff which protects wool providing first for specific compep- satory pound or square yard duty, equiva- lent to the duty which would be paid on the wool if imported, for the benefit of the wool growers, and an ad yalorem duty of from 30 to 50 per cent. according to the pro- portion of labor required in the manufact- ure of tho several classes of goods, as pro. lection to the manufacturer against foreign competition, and 10 per cent additional upon ready made clothing for the protec- ton of the clothing manufacturers.
 From the best information we can obtain 1t Is probable that increased rates of duty given to manufacturers of woolens will re- duce, certainly not increase, the revenue from this source and transfer to this country the manufacture of from si5, 900 to s20oo0- 900 of wooden goods now made abroad. In computing the equivalent ad valorem duty on manufactures of woolens, the combina- ton of both specific duty, which is simply compensatory for the duty on the wool used, of which the wool grower receives the ben eft, and the duty which protects the manu- facturcrs, and makes the average resultant rate of the woolen- goods schedule proposed 9l.78 per cent Is considered.
 After defending it's action in increas- ing the duty on certain kinds of iron and on tin plate, the committee goes on to discuss the sugar and molasses sched- ule. The sugar schedule was only de- cided on Tuesday night. The committee recommend that sugar up to and includ- ing No. Is Dutch standard of color and molasses be placed on the free list, with duty of four-tenths of one cent per pound on refined sugar above No. l5, and that bounty of two cents per pound be paid from the Treasury for period of fifteen years for all sugar polarizing at least S5 per cent made in this country from cane, beets or sorghum produced in the United States. Discussing the sugar question the committee says:
 So large a proportion of our sugar Is inn ported that the home production of sugar does not materially affect tho price, and the duty is therefore tax, which is added to the price not only Of the Imported. but of the domestic product, which is not true Of du- ttea m ri fala Ht fls. here substantially to the extent of our wants.
 The committee admits that free trade or revenue duties would tempo rarily diminish prices, but argue that It would be at the expense of the do- mestic products, which would be dis placed, and then prices would again ad- vance and the country be left at the mercy of foreign syndicates and manu- lecturers. The report says:
 Cheaper products from abroad to the American consumers mean cheaper labor at home and lower rates to the domestic producer with no benefits to the consumer. to the United States That country Is the less prosperous where low prices and low wages prevail One of the chief complaints now prevalent among our farmers Is that they can get no prices for the crops at all commensurate to the labor and capital in vested in the production Those who differ from ms must believe that even further agri- cultural depression Is desirable, for no other consequence can result from their economic theories. They ad- vocate cheap prices as the chief object of the industrial policy they commend to the country. This means permanently low prices for agricultural products as well as for manufactured goods. Ths bill Is framed in the interest of the people of the United States. IL is for the better defense of Amer. lean homes and American industries. Am pie revenue for the wants of the Govern ment arc provided by thls bill. and every reasonable encouragement is given Co pro ductiye enterprises and to the labor em- ployed therein. The committee believe that inasniueh As nearly Ss00,000,O00 are annu. ally required to meet the expenses Of the Government is Is wisest to tax these for eign products which seek a market here In competition with our own, than to tax our domestic products or the non competing foreign products The committee respond ing, as it believes, to the sentiment of the