The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-04-17
THE TARIFF BILL.
Two Reports Presented to the
House.
The Principal Disagreement Arises Over
The Sugar Schedule.
Strong Opposition TO the Proposed Bounty
on Domestic Products -MCKenna's
Views on the Subject.
Special by the California Associated Press.

WASHINGTON, April 16.-The majority
report of the Ways and Means Committee
on the Tariff Bill was presented to the
House to-day. Speaking of sugar and mo-
lasses, 1t says:
The committee recommends that sugar up to
and including No. 16 Dutch standard of color
and molasses be placed on the free list with
duty OF four-tenths OF one cent per pound ou re.
fined sugar above No. 16, and that bounty of
two cents per pound be paid from the Treasury
for period OF fifteen years for all sugar polar
izing at least 50 per cent, made in this country
from cane. beets or sorghum produced In the
United States.
DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN PRODUCTION.
In 1855 The consumption of sugar in the
United States was 1.469. 997 tons, or 53.1 pounds
per inhabltant. OF this only 1S9,S14 tons
C375,9O4, ,l90 pounds were produced in the
United States. and 1850, 1873 tons, or seven
eighths of our consumption, were imported. We
have not at hand the statistics of sugar consump-
tion and production for 1889, but the relative
proportions of domestic 10 foreign production
was substantially the same.
SO large a portion Of our sugar Is imported
that the home production Of sugar does not ma
terially affect the price, ana the duty is, there
fore, tax which is added 10 The price, not only
of the imported but OF the domestic product,
which is not true of duties imposed on articles
produced madedhere substantially to the ex-
tent OF our wants
DUTIES ON I3IPoRTATIoNs.
In 1889 the duties collected on imported sugar
and molasses amounted to S55, ,975,61O. Add to
this the Increase OF price of domestic sugar aris
ing from the duty and 1t is clear that the duty on
sugar and molasses made the cost OF tue sugar
aud mOlasses consumed by the people OF this
country at least S64,0O0,00o OF about 81 for
each man, woman aud child in the United States
more than 1t would have been II no such duty
had been levied and the domestic product had
remained the same
Even on the assumption that with proper en-
couragement we shall eventually be able to pro-
duce all or nearly all the sugar required for the
consumption OF our people, an assumption which
your committee believes TO be sustained by many
facts, notwithstanding the slow progress thus
Tar made IN sugar culture 10 this country, this
encoura cement can be given much more eco
nomicaliy and efectually by bounty of . cents
per pound, involving the expenditure OF but a
little more than 100000 per annum with the
present product Of sugar Ia this country, Than by
the imposition OF DUTY Involving tie collection
OF 500 5r975,6lo In duties In The last fiscal year
not 10 mention the amount individually involved
AN UNNECESSARY BURDEN.
Mlen II Is considered that this Increase In
cost Is due TO The duly which falls on an article
Of prime necessity. as food, your committee is
persuaded that justice as well as good policy
Qulres that such au unnecessary burden 10 the
way OF direct Tax should be removed from
sugar and that The encouragement required 10
induce the production of sugar in the United
States should be given through bounty rather
than by an import duty.
In providing that not only sugar. but also
sugar up 10 and including No 16. shall be ad-
mltted free Of duty, an opportunity is given for
the free Introduction of yellow sugars suited for
our people sugar at the lowest price existing IN
tie markets OF the world, while even imported
while refined sugars Will be subject TO duty OF
only touT-tenths OF cent per pound.
THE FREE LIST.
In the bill as reported the free list has
been enlarged by the addition of the fol-
lowing:
Books and pamphlets printed exclusively
ID no .c language sed ether than English books
sLvely for the blind; biaids, plats, laces
faisj bristies,. raw chickory root, raw,
dried or undried, but unground; coal-tar crude
and pitch OF cOAttar; dandelion roots, raw. died
or ungroundi acorns; beeswax; floor mating,
manufactured from round or split straw IDclud-
ing what IS commonly known as Chinese mating;
currants Zante and other dates; grass and nbers,
1uie, ana 1uIe butts, MANILA, sisal grass, sum
and all other textile grasses or fibrous vegetable
substances unmanulactured; degraS and other
grease hair, human, raw, Uncleaned and not
dTawRi molassesi needles, hand sewing and
ddrniDgi nut oil or oil of nuts; olive oil for
uiactuTing and mechanical PURPOSES UNIT for
ealing; opium manufactured; ore, nickel; pot
ASH crude or black salts; ehiOrate of nitrate OF
crude; sulphate of crude; red earth used for
polishing lenses; SEEDS; hemp; rope; bulbs;
Dubious roots, not edible; sboIguus, barrel or
barrels rough or bored; sponges; tar and pitch
OF wood; tlnsel wire; tobacco stems; sulphur
ore, as pyrites or sulphur OF iron, containing an
excess OF sulphur; turpentine, spirits Of Driar-
wood manufactured; paintings In oil, water
colorsi staIuary.
THE FINANCIAL SITUATION.
The report gives a statement of the
financial situation, and deducting the sum
required to make payments on the Sinking
Fund the net surplus of receipts over
expenditures will be S43,679, 900. The
estimated surplus for the next fiscal
year will be S4357o,oOO, which, with
the amount OF cash now on hand
tlon of the revenue in the sum con-
templated by the bill. 1t is estimated that
there will be $50, 937, 600 and probably more
from customs and say $40, ,32S, 900 from in
ternai revenue, or total Of 81, ,264,0 600.
A DECREASED REVENUE.
The report further says that the bill as
proposed will result in decreased revenue,
and that In all cases except tin the in
creased tariff will result in decreased ini-
portations, and therefore decreased revenue.
The committee aimed to put an in
creased rate on manufactured goods
and farm products producible in this
country in order 10 develop the home mar
ket. The committee was not so much con-
cerned about the prices OF articles consumed
as to encourage the increase and diversif-
cation OF home products, giving fair returns
to producers and fair wages to American
wOrkmen. believing that home competition
will regulate prices.
A TEMPORARY REDUCTION.
The committee admits that free trade
would cause temporary reduction in
prices. but argues that it would be at the
expense OF domestic products, and that the
prices would then advance, with the
country at the mercy of foreign syndicates
and manufacturers. The ultimate result
would thus be disadvantageous to both
capital and labor.
The committee says that that countrv is
least prosperous in which low prices and
wages prevail, and points to the present
agricultural depression as a sample The
committee believes 1t better to raise the
Sf00,O00,000 necessary to run the Govern
ment by taxing foreign imports than to take
II from domestic products.
PROTECTION TO AMERICAN INDUSTRIES.
They believe 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
normal cost OF production here, including
labor, and the cost of like production
abroad.
The report then takes up the details of
the bill. IL says that the reduction in rse8-
enues from placing on the free list chemi-
eals not produced in this country will
amount am 70 $4,000. 1t cites figures to show
the de line in wool production. IL saws
that advance duties have been recommended
Whieh VIII afford ample protection to WOOL
growers. wv
THE WOOL TARIFF.
While the Senate bill fixed the duty on
third-class wool at 4 cents the COMMITTEES
makes it 312, with change in definitions
and classihcations, ETC., which will compen-
safe for the difference. The committee be-
heves the country should produce ali the
wool it consumes. This can be done by an
addition Of 10O,0O0.0OO sheep to the present
number.
SHAMELESS FRAUDS.
The report says that the bill seeks to stop
the shameless frauds which have been
practiced in the importation of woods and
woolen goods. 1t declares that during