The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-13
HEARINGS ON THE TARIFF
STATEMENTS MUST BE MADE IN
WRITING.

No Verbal Hearings TO be Held-Two
Members of the New York Assocla-
tion OF Importers Try 60 Correct
What They Term a General Errons.
ous impression Ia Regard to the Mo-
Kinley Act.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 12.-It Is deemed
probable that the ways and means commit
tee of the House will make one very radi>
cal departure from the past practices of the
committee. This will be In refusing u
afford prolonged hearings TO the various
interests that are likely to be affecs
ted by proposed legislation. The senss
OF the democratic majority is clearly I'D
favor of limiting the work of the commit
tee to the preparation Of less than doz.e 4
bills, affecting only that number Of articl4
of import, and they hold that the articles
affected have been the subject of SO much
public discussion that no special informa-
tion Is necessary 10 enable the committee Ia
act intelligently upon the bills to be considt
cred.
MAY BE PRESENTED IN WRITING.
Those delegations and those interests
which desire TO be heard will, it is said, be
invited to reduce their statements to writ-
ing and present them to the committee
where they will receive careful consldera-
the Information Of the committee.
Daniel McKeever. secretary of the New
York Association OF Importers, and PeseE
B. Worrell, member OF that association,
to-day applied to Chairman Springer for
hearing before the committee in order "a
correct what they characterized
as "a general erroneous impressionS
in regard to the workings OF
the Mckinley act To Chairman Springer
these gentlemen stated that there wasta
much larger falling of In the importatlons
of woolen goods under the operations of the
Mckinley law than appeared by the report
of imports and exports furnished by thl
treasury department.
HOW THEY FIGURE IT our.
They cited the fact that the McKinieJ
law provides that Oil goods in bond prior te
| Oct l, 1890. could remain in bond until
| Feb. l, 1891, and on being taken out would
be subject only TO the duties imposed by tho
| act of March 3. 1888, which was the law In
| effect previous to the enactment
OF tho Mckinley act, and which
imposed less duty than was imposed
by the Mckinley law. Hence, these gentle.
men maintained, the basis of determining
the decrease in the importations of wooleu
goods under the Mckinley act was 10 make
statement, dating from Feb. l, 1891. td
| the present time. This statement, theV
said, would show a falling off Of moro thai
30 per cent. in the imports Of
woolen goods. Except as to sugar
and tin plates. the receipts Of
customs since the passage OF the Mckinley
bill should date from Feb. /, 1891, for the
purpose OF comparison with previous dates.
Comparisons from that time, it Is assertedl
would show very large reduction Ia tbs
customs duties as compared with the prevI-
GUS year.
| AN ENORMOUS INCREASE.
| They also asserted that while under the
KoKinley law there was an apparent in
crease in women's and children's dress goodi
valued at not exceeding 5 cents per squara
yard OF from 6S to S8 per cent, yet there
was an actual increase upon that grade OF
goods of over 175 per cent,
| the lower average having beer
secured by combining the average upon the
| cheaper with the higher grades, and thus
showing the general average increase upon
tho cheaper goods worn by the people. At
the suggestion of the chairman 1t was
| agreed that the New York Association OF
Importers, or the two gentlemen themselves
| should reduce their statements ana compar.
lsons to writing for formal presentation to
the whole committee.