, 1890-04-17
THE NEW TARIFF BILL.
Mckinley Cracks a Few Old
Time Chestnuts.
Home Market and Pauper La
Dor Harped Upon.
Able Report Presented by the
Minority
Just and Equal Taxation De-
handed

~H1 S1 D
were presented to the house this after
noon. The majority report begins with a
statement of the financial situation and
estimates the surplus at the end of the
present fiscal year will be S92. 900. 900 and
deducting the SUI required to make pay
meuts on the sinking fund the net sur
plus Of receipts over expenditures will be
$43, 1879. 900. The estimated surplus of
the next fiscal year will be S43, $40, 900,
which, with the amount of cash now in
hand and available (reachIng $50, 600. 000),
will Justify the reduction of the revenue
in the SUN contemplated by the bill re
ported oil $50, 937, 900 and probably more
from the customs of say $40. 32S, 900
from internal revenue, or a total of ST.
264, 900.
The report further iys that the bill as
proposed will result in decreased revenue;
that in all cases, except tin. the increased
tariff will result in decreased importations,
and therefore decreased revenue; hat the
committee aimed TO put an increased rate
on manufactured goods and farm pro-
ducts producible in this country in order
to develop a home market; that the com
EhAANCO 10 " ~ lhubh AOhNIlhGud OOuN III
prices OF articles we consume as to en-
courage an increase and dIverslication Of
home products and fair wages to Amrri-
can work men, believing home competition
will regulate prices. The committee ad
mits that free trade would cause a tenn
pOrary reduction in prices, but argue it
would be at the expense Of domestic pro-
ducts, and that prices would then ad.
vance with the country at the mercy of
foreign sYndlcates and manufacturer
The ultimate result would thus be disad
vantageous to both capital and labor.
The committee says that the country is
least prosperous in which low prices and
wages prevail, and point TO the present
agricultural depression as an example.
The committee believes il better TO raise
the S4OO, 900, 900 necessary to run the
government by taxing foreign imports
b a take it from domestic produces; that
the entire bill is based upon protection to
American Industry, but. at the same time,
recommending no duty above the point OF
difference between the normalcost of pro-
duction here, including labor, and the
cost of like production abroad. The re
port then takes up the details of the bill
and says the reduction in from
the placing on the free list chemicals not
produced in this country will amount to
1875 900; cites figures to show the decline
IN wool production; says an advance in
duties has been recommended which will
afford ample protection to wool growers;
while the senate bill fixed tine duty on third
class wool at four cents, this committee
makes it three and one half, with a
change in definitions and c~lassihcations,
etc. which will compensate for the differ
ence. The committee believesIthe coun
try should produce all the wool it con-
sumes. This can be done by the addition
of 100, DOC, 900 sheep to the present mum
Der. The report says the bill seeks to
stop the shameless frauds which have
been practiced in the importation OF woods
and wooden goods and declares that dur
ing the past tiscal year undervalued in
voices showed the importation of wooden
manufactures valued at $50, 6Sl 900,
whereas the real market value was nearly
800. 900. 900, equivalent to the importa-
ton of LOO, 900. 900 pounds of wool. The
present bill, it is argued, by increasing
the duty on fine woods will transfer to this
country 5000. 900 to $40. 0v0, 900 in
wooden manufactures. The average rate
of the wooden goods schedule as proposed
is LIS, against the present rate OF e.. Is.
OF the metal schedules the report says
no reduction san be male in the pigirun
or ore duties without detriment to ex-
listing industries. and the committee has
not felt Justified IN Interfering with the
further development of iron ore re-
sources which now seem promising in the
Southern states With regard to p%ieiron.
u Is said II is in no sense a raw material.
Ii Is the product of the highest skill, re-
curing for its manufacture large and ex-
pensive plants. The capital invested in
our country today is more than that IN
vested in n other branch of our iron
and steel Industries. Pigiron is made in
twenty five states OF the Union.
The report strongly s~ustains the in
creased duty recommended on tin plate.
OF sugar the report says: The com-
mittee recommends that sugar up to and
including No. lG, and molasses be placed
on the free list, with a duty of Jour tenths
OF one cent per pound on refined sugar
above l6, and a bounty OF two cents per
pound paid from the treasury for a period
of6tteen years for all sugar polarizing at
least 5 per cent.made in this country from
cane, beets or sorghum produced in the
United States. 10 1883 the consumption
of sugar in the United States was ] 400,
996 tons or 53.l pounds per ih6abitant.
vi this Only 1884 tons were produced
in the United States. So large a pro-
portion of the sugar used is imported that
the home production of sugar does
not materially affect the price and the
duty, therefore, is a tax which is added
to the price not only of the imported but
of the domestic product substantially to
the extent OF our wants In 1889 the
duties collected on imported sugar and
nnlaaaac apnn,ptnl 80 lEE org cTn Ala
to this the increase in the price of do
nestle sugar arising from the duty and it
Is clear the duty on sugar and molasses
made the cost OF sugar and molasses at
least $64, zoo, 900, or about 81 for Zach
man, woman and child in the United
States, more than it would have
been if no such duties we're levied
and the domestic product had remained,
even on the assumption that with proper
encouragement we shall eventually be able
to produce all, or nearly all. of the sugar
required for the consumption OF our
people. This encouragement can be given
much more economically and effectuallv
by a bounty Of two cents per h., inyolv-
ing an expenditure of but little more
than $1,000, 900 per annum, with tie
present production of sugar in this coun-
try, than the imposition Of a duty ~involy-
ing the collection of $55, S75, 6IO in duties
in the last fiscal year, not to mention
the amount indirectly involved. In
providing that not only raw sugar but
also sugar, including No. l6, be admitted
free of duty an opportunity is given for
the free introduction of yellow sugars
suited for family use, an arrangement
which will secure to the people sugar at
the lowest price existing in the markets