The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-01-13
NO ORAL TARIFF HEARINGS.
Mr.. Springer Will Receive Only Written State
ments-Complaints Of importers.

Mr.. Springer Will Receive Only Written state
msnts-Complaints Of Importers.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12.-It Is probable
that the ways and means committee of the
House will make one very radical depart
ure from the past practice of the commit
tee. This will be in declining to afford
prolonged hearings to those various inter-
ests that are likely to be affected by pro-
posed legislation. The sense of the Demo-
cratic majority ia clearly in favor of limit
ing the work of the committee to the prep
sration of less than dozen bills. and they
hold that the articles to be affected have
been the subject of so much public discus
sion that no special information Is neces-
sary to enable the committee to act intelll-
gently upon the bills to be considered.
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 considera-
tion, and probably be ordered printed for
the infor nation of the committee.
Mr. Daniel McKeever, secretary of the
New York Association of Importers, and
Mr.. Peter Is. Worrell, member of that
association, to-day applied TO Chairman
Springer for hearing before the commit
tee in order to correct what they character
ize as q general erroneous impression" in
regard to the working of the Mckinley act.
To Chairman Springer these gentlemen
stated that there was much larger falling
of in the importatiOns OF woOlen goods un-
der the operations of the Mckinley law
than appeared by the report of the imports
and exports furnished by the Treasury De-
partment. They cited the fact that the
goods in bond on or prior to Oct
l, 1890. could remain in bond until
Feb. !. 1891, aud on being taken out would
be subject only to the duties imposed by
in effect previous to the enactment of the
Mckinley act, and which imposed less
duty than was imposed by the Mckinley
law. Hence these gentlemen maintained
the basis of determining the decrease in tho
importations of woolen goods under the
Mckinley act was to make q statement
dating from Feb. /. 1891. to the present time
That statement, they said, would show q
falliDgioffio more than 10 per cent. in the
imports of wooden goods. Except a. to
sugar and tin-plates, the receipts of Gus
toms slnce the passage OF the Mckinley law
should date from Feb. /, 1891, for purposes of
comparison with previous duties. Com
parsons from that time, 1t was asserted.
would show very largo reduction IN GUS
toms duties. as compared with the previous
law. They also asserted that while
under the Mckinley law there was an an
parent increase of women's and chlldren's
QTe6S gOOOe, ValuoQ AT not eXCeeQluS I'D cen t6
per square yard, of from 6S to So per cent, yet
there was an actual increase upon that
grade of goods of over 125 per cent, the
lower average having been secured by COM
binIng the average upon the cheaper with
the higher grades, and thus showing q gen.
eral average OF increase upon the cheaper
goods worn by the people.
At the suggestion of the chairman. it W as
agreed that the New York association of
importers, OF the two gentlemen themselves,
oh hAtr afof 20 nd
parsons to writing for formal presentation
to the whole committed.