The morning news., 1892-03-17
POLICY ON THE TARIFF .
TIE DEMOCR ATS UNDECIDED ON
BRINGING IN MORE BILLS.

Fears of Exciting Opposition in Ger
tain Sections If Special Articles Are
Singled Out as the Subject Of
Special Bills-Free Coal and Free
Iron Ore Not Wanted By Certain
States.
WASHINGTON, March 16.-The Idemo-
cratic majority of the ways and means
committee is hesitating now that the three
tariff bills are before the House whether to
go forward and report more bills or await
the attitude of the party upon those already
reported. The question was some what dis
cussed at the meeting of the committee
yesterday, but no decision was reached aud
1t will be taken up again in a few days.
The fact that not single bill can pass the
Senate and become a law makes the Ques-
tion, in the opinion of the democratic
members, essentially one of political ex-
pediency. Some members Of the commit
tee maintain that 1t is necessary In order
to prove the sincerity of the
majority in the contest for reduced
taxation to report number OF
additional bills. The one most likely
to be reported next, IL any more reports are
made, will place barley on the free list.
This has been urgently demanded by the
brewers and will be especially beneficial to
the establishments along the Canadian bor-
Der.
FREE COAL AND FREE IRON ORE.
Two more bills which some of the eastern
members are very anxious to see reported
are bills for free coal and free iron ore.
There has bean strong demand among the
iron manufacturers of Massachusetts and
Rhode Island for these raw materials, and it
would help the party in the majority il
such bills were reported by the committee
of ways and means. 1t is just at this point
that the advocates Of different policy
come in conflict with the advocates Of re-
porting q variety Of bills. Free GOAL and
free iron ore are not relished In West VIr-
ginia and Maryland, and there is probably
scattering opposition to such legislation in
Northern Alabama and East Tennessee.
Mr.. WILSON'S ATTITUDE.
Mr.. Wilson of West Virginia. who is con-
sidered one of the most aggressive tariff
reformers on the ways and msans committee
has suggested delay whenever the question
Of reporting free iron ore has been raised In
the committee. He would undoubtedly sup
port general tariff bill containing such
provision, but he would rather not see these
two interests of West Virginia singled out
for special legislation. The benefit which
the party would receive in Massachusetts,
and Rhode Island would be offset in meas
ure by the injury it might receive in
West Virginia. Mr.. Wilson probably
has no fear that free coal aud free
iron ore would cripple in any de-
gree the industries Of West Virginia,
but he knows that such legislation on the
eve OF presidential election would be
seized upon to prejudice the people of his
state against his party. The argument
which applies in this case applies to other
localities IN the case of other articles, and
several members OF the committee are urg-
ing that no bills be. reported which will
single out particular articles for reduced
duties and will make il hard for the majority
to hold its ground In districts where domes-
tic manufacture of these articles are profit
able and strongly intrenched.
THE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW.
The consideration Of changes In the ad-
ministrative law has been delayed because
the members of the committee have been so
busy with the bills relating to wool, binding
twine and cotton machinery. Mr.. Wilson,
Mr.. Stevens Of Massachusetts, and Mr.. Dali
zell OF Pennsylvania are the subcommittee
on the administrative law and they will
probably take up in due time the subject of
changes in it. Mr.. Andrews Of Massa-
chusetts, who introduced the bill proposing
several changes desired by Boston mer-
chants, has received a number of letters
from New York as well as Boston importers,
asking to be heard on the subject. Mr.. An
drews will probably appear himself before
the subcommittee and urge that the
changes recommended by the Secretary of
the Treasury be made, even if it is not
thought wise to make more radical changes.