The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-04-17

1aml1eS or half million farmers every sea-
| son." To encourage the production of cocoons
and to give direct encouragement to producers,
| the committee has also providedFa bounty of
cents pound for freSe cocoons, the bounties to
| continue ten years.
| OF the internal revenue sections the commit
] Tee says 1t recommends the repeal of all stat
utes imposinti restrictions upon farmers
ana growers gro, , OF tobacco, SO that they
report says of the advance in the duties on agri-
cultural products, that they are for the most
part articles which this country can produce TO
the extent OF our wants. The increased duty
Will reduce the 1mportationS the revenues
Will not be increased. and our farmers will hold
their own markets. The same result will follow
| IN other cases OF increase and where the revenue
IN special cases is increased, the increase will
! be far less than indicated by compilation based
on the theory that importations will continue as
| large as under more duties.
THE MINORITY REPORT.
The minority report is signed by all the Dem
| line minority contends for the principle of just
and equal taxation upon all, according to their
ability to bear the burden, while the majority
has. in this BILL thoroughly committed itself to
the policy of the unjust and unequal taxation of
| the many for the benefit of the few We are as
| anxious as the majority can possibly be to pro-
| mote and encourage American industries and
| advance the interests of American laborers, but
we believe both these objects can be
accomplished by reducing taxation, not
py increasing 1t. The majority, after
| able to satisfy part only of the demands made
| upon 1t. The only remedy is to remove as far
| as possible artificial burdens and restrictions
| ana give TO all our industries an equal chance
In the field OF competition at home and abroad
According to statements made before the COM
mlttee the protected Industries of the country
never nave been at any time in our history in
| such depressed and discouraging condition as
now, after nearly thirty years OF continuous
| protectlon. A great many parties engaged in
these industries declared that the slightest re-
| o tbaTT1 70
close their works and discharge the en-
ployees, and others have even gone
SO SSo,,,o far r. as to assert that they
| II the rates of taxation are not increased. At
the same time laborers in these industries are
complaining OF insufficient wages. repeated
| suspension OF work and the general condition of
| insecurity. These 1aborers, fully realizing the
TACT that this system has wholly failed to in
crease their earnings or improve their condition
| In any way, have been compelled to organize
| trades unions and resort to other methods of
combination and cooperation for self protec-
| ZION, ana these various organizations now af-
| ford the only efficient means at their command
for The preservation even of the existing rates
| of wages"
The report states that the remedy proposed
Dy tne majority is the imposition of more taxes
on every article OF foreign origin which the peo-
pie OF this country desire to buy, and for which
| they are ready and anxious to exchange the
cotton which they cannot spin, the corn and
wheat which they cannot consume, the oil and
coal they cannot burn and many other produc-
| lions.
| The majority bill is framed upon the assump-
tlon that as our industries grow older they grow
weaker and more dependent upon the bounty Of
| the government. 1t devolves upon these adyo-
Gates now to explain, If they can, why it is that
after low tariff policy Il has been
abandoned more than quarter of a century
| and high tariff policy substituted in its place
| Inc manufacturing and mechanical industries of
the country are less able to maintain them.
| selves than they were when the change was
made? And when it is done it will still remain
for them to show upon what principle of lust
ness or policy consumers can be periodically
subjected 10 additional taxation for the eXclu-
slye benefit of private business enterprises
Inc SILK bounty is severely criticized The
report says the bill will increase the tax on
wool and woolens S15,5O0,000 according to last
years 1mportations, but really to much
greater sum- while the taxes on tobacco to the
amount OF SS,S60994 are abolished. The minor
1ty cannot agree do this at the price of an in
crease on neceSsaries.
The report attacks some details of the BILL
Among other things it says one grade of coarse
cheap blankets will be required to nav 1O6 ner
cent. but the finest blankets pay ~ per cent:
the coarSeSt and cheapest wooden hats will be
subject to duty of Ill per cent. and the finest
10 DO per cent. women's and children's cheapest
dress goods with Gotten warp are to be taxed
lOo per cent, and the finest 70 per cent; the
lowest grade wooden cloths will pay 1875 per
cent. and the highest grade SO per cent, etc.
On the metal schedules the report says there
are many increases and scarcely any reduc-
lions. The report says: 1--WE have for a long
time been endeayoring to increase our trade
with the people of Central and South America
and Mexico and an international conference is
now being held to devise means for the accom-
pllshment OF this result. In the midst of this
consultation and when it was earnestly hoped
that some practicable plan might be agreed
upon for the establishment of closer commer-
clal relations, this bill is reported containing
provisions which will not only retard reciprocal
arrangements for the future but will DESTROY a
large part OF the trade now existing The
bill proposes to make large increases in the
dutles on carpet woods, and to subject lead con-
tanned IN silver ores to duty, not because we
need the revenue, but for the sole purpose of
preventing these articles being imported into
the country.
Speaking of the wool schedule the report
says: These increases are made principally
upon the demand of few large flock masters in
the state of Ohio, and defended by the majority
upon the alleged ground that they are beneficial
to The farmers OF the country VINO keep sheep.
The fact is, wool is one of our least Important
agricultural products in point of value and bv
comparison with others''
Speaking of other duties imposed unon aori
cultural products, the minority report saws. EFT
Is impossible to protect the farmer against for
elgn competition and his home market, for he
has no such competition, and the insertion or
retention of these articles in the tariff bill is a
device which will deceive no one who gives n
moments thought to the subject During the
last fiscal year we exported 60 500 900 bushels of
corn and imported 2,3SS bushels The same
proportion is quoted on wheat and corn meal
and the minority adds: 'rrhis shows how futile
1t Is to attempt to afford protection to farmers
by imposing duties on the importation of these
products, and large and intelligent
class of citizens cannot be recon
c1led in this way to a policy which
increases taxes upon their clothing, tableware
carpets, earthenware, glassware agricultural
implements and her,necesSary articles The
minority asks how the farmers are to be helped
by increasing the duty on rates used i'm The
manufacture OF fencing wire and iron and steel
Tor hoop or tleSlfor baling purposes and saws
If the bill is passed the farmers will be the first
TO demand the restoration of the old rates or
the abolition OF the duty. While the imposi-
tlon OF duties on live animals and other agri-
cultural products cannot possibly do the
farmers any good at home the increases made
Will certainly be great injury to them in
markets abroad. Such policy is certain to
provoke retaliatory legislation from The various
countries interested and the farmers will soon
lind themselves ,withouta market for their
surplus products either at home or abroad,
kxNo reduction has been made in the under any
ScneuuIe except That relating to sugar and mo-
lasSes. The report criticises the sugar bounty
ana protests against the gross favoritism and
1EJustlce OF such policy. 1t says: THE bounty
on last years production would have been
SlosoOOO, but as 1t is expected to encourage
producers TO supply the entire domestic demand
the ultimate result even if the CONSUMPTION
renamed at last years figures 700 421 3lr2
poundsmthere would be an annual payment of
S9l52S, 1926 in bountieS The sugar dutv is do
Tended as far more just and equitable than that
on many other articles, and while the minority
believe that the duty should be reduced they
Ciuuot see tne justice or prOpr1ety Of making
this article pay bounty and making this an
excuse for imposing s65,0OOOOO of additional
taxes on the other schedules. The minority
mos u impossible to state with accuracy the
effect of the increase. They express the opin-
Ion that the increase on tobacco will be SIG a5.-
Vs. and other items show an increase of 5000
20 Adding these amounts to s40,o55 l59, shown
by the committees tables to have been
added to the duties on articles remaining on the
dutiable list it shows total increase of duties
on articles stu dutlable outside of the sugar
ont
IL is more than that. We do not mean to assert
that the bill actually increases the customs