The Portland daily press., 1891-11-10
The DUTY on.HIdes,

Secretary Rusk In his annual report will,
1t is said, recommend the imposition OF the
duty on hides coming from any country
that has not made concessions to our agri-
cultural products. He thinks the admis-
sion of hides free causes great reduction
In the price Of hides produced at home.
Mr.. Rusk as Secretary of Agriculture feels
1t bis duty probably to view this matter
from the standpoint of the farmer aud
make his recommendations accordingly.
twill be remembered that In one Of the
early drafts of the Mckinley bill duty
was placed on hides, but afterwards re-
moved on account Of the earnest protest
of manufacturing States, especially Massa-
chusetts. But the duty which was taken
out Of one part by the tariff bill was condi-
tlonally put back in another, SO that it
would seem that duty on hides in the near
future is inevitable, unless the progress
OF treaty making with the South American
Republics is much more rapid during the
next month than it has been for the past
twelve.
In order to meet Mr.. Blaine's objection
to the Mckinley bill, which was in brief
that 1t did not open market for pound
of pork or barrel of -four, this paragraph
was appended:
Sec. 3. That with a view to secure recipro-
Cal trade with countries producing the follow
ihg thg srncies. ana ior this PURPOSES on aud after
the nrst day OF January eighteen hundred and
ninety-two, whenever, and so often as the Presi-
dent shall be satisfied that the government
OF any country producing and exporting sugars.
mOaSSeS. coffee. tea and hidQe op6
cured, or any OF such articles, imposes duties or
otner exacuons upon the agricultural or other
prooucts OF the United States, which in view
OF the free Introduction OF such sugar molasses.
co1ee tea and hides into the United States he
may deem TO be reciprocaly unequal and un-
reasonable. he shall have the power and 1t shall
be his duty TO suspend, by proclamation to that
effect, the provisions OF this act relating to the
free introduction OF such sugar. molasses, coffee
Tea, and nldeS the production of such country
for such time as he shall deem just. and In such
case and during such suspension duties shall be
levied, collected and paid upon sugar, molasses
conee, tea and hides. the product OF or exported
from such designated country as follows
namely:
In the schedules that follow duty OF
one and half per cent. upon hides is
specified.
1t will be seen that the President is not
only given the power to impose duties on
the articles enumerated, including hides,
when the country from which they are ex-
ported has not granted us equal concessions
but 1t is made his duty to do so. He has
apparently no choice in the matter. For
instanceff the Argentine Republic makes
no concessions to our agricultural products
which the President shall deem recipro-
cally equal to the free admission Of its
hides. then 1t Is made the duty of the
President to impose duty of one and one
half per cent. ON Its hides. Secretary Rusk's
recommendation would therefore seem TO
be superhuOus, inasmuch as the reciprocity
portion OF the tariff law distinctly declares
that under the conditions that Secretary
Rusk specifies a duty must be imposed
upon hides, as well as upon sugar and mo-
lasses. The fact is, the reciprocity clause
has put the tariff on some of the most i'm.
portant articles of consumption practically
Ia the control of foreign nations
Our people can enjoy free sugar
as long as Spain and Brazil SCI
fit to admit our agricultural products at
reduced rate. When they stop doing thar
then the old duty on sugar must be re
stored. So with hides. We can have
them free as long as the countries which
produce them make concessions to our az
ricultural products. There does not seem to
be any discretion given the President in
the matter after 1t has been determined
That the hide producing country is making
us no concessions. In the long run 1t will
probably be found best for this country to
make Its own tariff and let other countries
do the same, and thus avoid the "log roll
Ing" feature of treaty, in which it will
Inevitably happen that certain interests
Will be sacrificed that Others may be pro-
NOTED.