The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-04-17
The new TARIFF BILL
Its Provisions Severely Criticised
by the Minority y--Aides and
Sugar Put on the Free
List.

ing completely changed two of the most
important items In tho bill. Again hides
have been placed on the free list, and so
has sugar, but in the latter case the COM
mittee has adopted provision looking TO
the payment OF bounty of two cents n
pound on the domestic product. These
changes have been communicated
to the democratic minority MEM
bers, and as corrections are neces-
sary in the report of these democrats
II is said the bill will he delayed in pres
entation TO the house until late this after
noon. II is understood the sugar men
have little confidence i'm the continuity of
the bounty, and they therefore protest
against the change.
The duty ON sugars above and includ-
ing 16 Dutch standard, IL is said, is fixed
at two-fifths of cent n pound. Grades
below that are feee. This satisfies
neither the sugar cane nor best sugar pro-
dlcinR states.
The house committee on commerce re-
ported back adversely the resolution di-
recting that the committee investigate the
life-saying system. Laid on the table.
The tariff bill was reported TO the house
and referred to q committee of the whole.
The reports Of the majority and minor
ity OF the ways and means committee on
the tariff bill were presented to the house
this afternoon. The majority report be-
gins with q statement of the financial
situation. IL estimates the surplus at the
end Of the present fiscal year to be S92,-
100000, and deducting the sum required to
make payments of the sinking fund, the
net surplus of receipts over expenditures
will be si3,679,OO0. The estimated surplus
of the next fiscal year will be S43,51O,0OO,
which with the amount OF cash now on
hand and available, reaching S90,OO,OO0
will justify reduction OF the revenue in
the sum contemplated by the bill reported
- s.hn OpS .l,ol f,r
toms, and, say $40, 600 from internal
revenue or total of S41, ,264,0 600.
In the metal schedules, the report says,
no reduction can he made in pig iron or
ore without detriment to existing indus
tries and the committee has not felt justi-
fled i'm interfering with its further de-
velopment. Dur ore resources now seem
promising i'm Southern states. With re-
gard to pig iron II is said il is in no sense
raw material but was the product OF the
highest skill, requiring for its manufac-
ture a large and expensive plant with
capital invested, which, in our country to-
| day, was more than that usually invested
| i'm any other branch of our iron and steel
| industries. Pig iron Is made in twenty
| five states of the union. The
report strongly sustains the increased
duty recommended on tin plate. OF
sugar, the report says the committee
| recommends that sugar up to and in
cluding number 16 and molasses, he
placed on the free list with duty of four.
| tenths of one cent per pound on refined
sugar above IL and bounty OF 2 cents
per pound paid from the treasury for a
period OF Is years. For all sugar polariz'
ing mt least IS per cent is made in this
country from cane. beets or sorghum,
produced in the United States. In 1885
| there was 1 ,469,991 tons or 53.1 pounds per
inhabitant, Of this only 1854 tons
were produced i'm the United States.
So large proportion OF sugar is
imported that the home production OF
sugar does not materially effect the price
and the duty, therefore, is a tax which il
| added to the price, not only of the i'm
ported, but of the domestic product sub
stantially to the extent OF onr wants. IL
1889 the duties collected on imported
| sugar and molasses amounted To S55.y,5
6l0. Add TO this increase the price of do
mestic duty arising from duty, and Il IL
clear the duty on sugar and molas
ses made the cost OF sugar ant
molasses at least S6i,UO,OU, o
about one dollar for each man, woman
and child I'm the United States; more thar
were levied, and the domestic produces
had remained even on the assumption
that with proper encouragement we shal
eventually be able to produce all or nearl!
all the sugar required for the consumption
of our people. Al this encouragement
1
eifectually by bounty OF two cent
per pound, involving an expenditure O
but little more than S1,0OO,UOO per annun
with the present production of sugar II
this country. In providing not only 70
raw sugar but also sugar including No.
ity is given for the free introduction q
yellow sugars suited To family use, an M
rangement which will secure To the pee
Pile sugar at the lowest price existing Il
the markets Of the world, while even i'm
ported white refined sugar will b
subjected TO a duty of only -four
tenths of I cent per pound. Coming Z
agricultural products the report say
the committee has given most of its inves
tigation to the existing conditions OF agr
cultural and kindred matters. Rcferrin
: to the widespread depression of this il
dustry, the report says the enemies oi IN
protective system have no word oil crit
! cism for the real causes of the agricultnra
depression. and no suggestion OF relic
from the real burdens which are weighin
it down to-day; but. seizing the present a
a favorable time, they solemnly charp
, that the decline in our market Is solel
due to the tariff. They are pleased
, ignore the fact that one of the purposes {
the protective tariff is TO hinder the sti
f, larger importation OF foreign pr
duce and thus save the ma
ket from still greater depression
] But your committee, sensible OF the III
portance of this industry, prompted by III
single motive to lift IL To higher level
i, profitable employment, believe they oil,
In the bill all the relief which tariff lcgi
lation can give to it. A critical examini
ton of the subject shows that agricultur
is suffering chiefly from damaging foreig
competition in the home market III
\ increase in importations OF agriculture
products since isJO has been enorinou
amounting from Sl0,00UJ to more tina
S.js, ,OW.OOO i'm lss9. The worlds mark
to which the advocates Of tariff for rev
nue. only invite the farmers OF this coul
try. is to-day crowded with the produc
of the cheapest human labor the earth a
fords. All over the old world there Is
rush of this surplus To that market, and
is to such n contest as this that free trat
un,,ld .II,,.. A,n.r;can agriculture