The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-02-29
TWO REPORTS SENT IN.
The Ways and Means Committee
on the Wool Question.
THIRD PARTY POSSIBILITIES.
News and Gossip of the National Capital
Who WIN Fan First?-New England
Pensions-Chief Justice Fuller May
Retire.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29.-The reports OF
the majority and minority Of the House
committee on Ways and Means to accom-
pany the Springer wool bill were present
ed to the House today. The majority re-
port was prepared by Mr.. Springer, and
the minority report by Mr.. Burrows of
Michigan.
The majority report says the Mckinley
bill was passed with enormous rates of
duties, many OF them prohibitory and all
unreasonably high. "There can be no
good reason" says the report, "for main
tanning such high taxes upon articles
which are so necessary TO the health and
comfort of the people. A peculiar feature
OF these rates Is that, owing to the high
rates per pound and per square yard added
TO the advalorem rates, the duties were
highest upon the cheaper grades of goods
worn by the masses of the people and
lowest upon the high priced goods worn
by those in better circumstances"
"Twenty-tive percent" comments the
report, "was all the protection that wool
manufacturers in 1867 asked in order TO
entitle them to complete successfully
with their foreign rivals; but 1T seems in
the case of woolen goods, as in all others,
the amount of protection required in
creases from year 10 year. AS the indus
biANs biOn plONI uhi DNtNIA NHibbiishNA,
more protection is demanded" The re-
port proceeds TO show that, while it is
claimed the specific duties imposed on
wooden goods by the Mex nley law were
merely compensatory, careful eNamina-
tion will show that the specific duties
are in fact highly protective and in many
cases prohibitive.
The rates proposed in the bill submit
ted, the report says, are fixed with due
regard TO the labor, cost OF production
and to the necessities Of consumers.
The lowest rates are placed upon goods
upon which the least labor has been be-
slowed and which are consumed by the
greatest number of people. The history
of the effect OF high tariffs on WOOL and
woolen goods, is reviewed with the object
OF showing that since our first beginning
in 1867 the policy OF high protective
tariffs on wool and woolens disastrous
results have followed TO growers, manu-
facturers and consumers.
The report says: sin 1868 there were
6,730 900 sheep in Ohio; in 1870 the num-
ber had fallen to 1925 900; in 1880 TO A.
0S0,000: in 1883 to f,050,000; in 1890 there
1890 the number was given at 4,061, 900.
Similar results took place in ell the
other states east of the Missouri and Mis-
sissippi rivers. The increase in the num-
Der Of sheep in the United States has been
in states west of those rivers or in locali-
ties where there was free range upon
the public domain. There were in the
whole United States in 1868 nearly 80, 9,000,-
900 sheep.
There are now only 43,000OO an in
crease OF 4,439,000 in twenty-four years.
In 1867 there were only 3S,0O0,0O0 pounds
of wool imported into the United States;
which was 19 per cent only of the wool
consumed in this country.
The minority report says that from both
WOOL growers and wool manufacturers
here comes almost unanimous sentiment
That the law may be permitted to stand
- il is. Within the year that has passed
lnce the present law was enacted, the
locks of the United States have increased
more than 1900, 900 sheep, and, under any
lsSurance of its pormanence, this increase
gill continue rapidly.
The number of wooden mills in the
country has also increased; great amount
Of idle machinery has been started up TO
supply the new market created by cur
tailment of s22, 100000 in the imports OF
foreign wooden goods; old mills, long
idle, have been re-equipped; large num-
bers of operatives have been given en-
ployment and new industries, never be-
fore successfully undertaken in the United
States, have been inaugurated.
The people are able to secure all the
woolens they require at smaller cost
than ever before.
Constant tariff changes are menance
TO stable business conditions. They un-
settle values, even when they do not re-
duce prices, and they breed uncertainty,
which means paralysis to business enter
prises.
The nation has just adjusted its busi-
ness to new tariff, carefully framed in
accordance with the Instructions of the
voters to the Congress which effected that
revision. That revision has already vim
dicated itself, by greatly enlarging our
field for industrial enterprise, and has
disproved every prediction of higher
prices and universal disaster which greet
ed its en- actment.