The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-07
NEW TARIFF BILL.
characterized by Sweeping Reductions and
Extensive Free List.

Extensive Free List.
The new tariff bill made pnblic last
week. AS has been anticipated, it is radical
measure. Sweeping reductions are made in
the duty on manufactured articles. aud upon
the free list are articles that have always been
protected from importation by more or less
prohibtive tariffs. The Importance Of the bill
lies in the fact also. that with House and SEN
ate and President Democratic, the changes
which are proposed stand an excellent chance
of being enacted into laws.
The minority have had neither lot nor parcel
in the framing OF the measure, but they have
been allowed 10 days in which to prepare
minority report and it can now be predicted
that this document will wave aloft, with un-
diminished enthusiasm, the flag of protection.
The Democrats are now wrestling with the
internal revenue features of the bill, which
arc important, because, in some way, the deficit
caused by the enlargement Of the free list and
the reduction of duties will have to be made
good.
There is absolutely no protection per see in the
bill. AS matter Of fact, the Committee seems to
have gone even beyond the letter of its instruc-
tons in the National Democratic platform. If
the proposed measure were to be enacted into
law as it at he present stands, without some in
ternal revenue feature, such as an income tax,
added, it would fail to meet the current
expenses of the Treasury by at least $50 600 600
some of the members of the committee that
the income tax will meet this entire defci-
ency.
1t is claimed by the Republicans that every
Secretary of the Treasuary, from Alexander
Hamilton down to Mr.. Manning, with the single
exception of Secretary Walker has advocated
the adoption of specific duties as the best
method of protecting the Government against
fraud. Representative Burrows pointed out
that when times are hard and prices low, the
adj valorem duty is also low, and thus the i'm
portation of foreign products is rendered easiest
at the very time when the mills and foundries
ought to be giving labor to our own people.
Chairman Wilson declares that specific duties
lead to great frauds in administration, for count
ing and weighing at the custom house are done
by the cheapest and most easily -corrupted labor,
while ad valorem rates are assessed by the best
paid and most responsible appraisers; that the
ad valorem system has worked well in practice
and is essentially the fair system because it is
tax upon the actual value of an article.
Among the heavy reductions wearing apparel
is reduced from S2 per cent. to 40 per cent;
blankets, which also pay So per cent, are now
brought down to %, 80 and 30 per cent, aud
WOODEN cloths, which averaged 125 per cent. in
the Mckinley bill, are placed at 40 per cent. in
the new bill. Women's dress goods and carpets
are also relieved from the heavy duty which
has been imposed upon them Brussels carpets
show reduction equally great. while iron aud
steel are cut down to the lowest possible ma rgn.
Steel rails are now to come in at about So per ton
instead OF $13.44 Tin plate which now pays
duty of 2 10 cents per pound equivalent to
an ad valorcm duty OF 70 per cent. is cut to 40
cents Hay is reduced from s. to So a ton. Po-
taUoes are cut from % cents bushei to 10 cen ts
The free list is very long. All the free articles
in the Mckinley bill have been let alone. We
give below the most important of the added
list with the duty under the existing law:
Articles for the use of tho United States coal,
iron, and other ores coke, fax, hemp, clay,
| salt, binding Irvine. lumber, cotton ties, salt,
mica, bacon, and hams (now five cents pound),
| beef, mutton, and pork leach two cents a
| pound), bristles 10 cents pound. cabbages
tthree cents each, cotton oil go cents pound),
| cotton ties of iron steel cut to lengths
| punched not punched, with or without
buckles, for bailing cotton cotton seed oil 40
cents a gallon), eggs five cents per dozen), lard
| two cents a pound), milk, fresh five cents a
gallOn), plants, trees, shrubs and vines of all
| kinds commonly known as nursery stock, not
specially provided for in this act go per cent.
| ad valorem); plows, tooth and disc harrows,
| harvesters, reapers drills, mowers, horserakes,
cultivators thrashing- machines, and cotton
| gins; soap, all not otherwise specially pro-
vided for in this act go per cent. ad vaorem) !;
seeds of all kinds not specially provided for in
| this act go per cent ad vaoren); straw $50
per cent. ad valorem); tin ore, cassiterite or
black oxide OF tin. and tin in bars blocks, pigs,
| or grain or graduated (under the Mckinley
| law tin ore was on the free list until the 1st OF
| last JULY; all wool Of the Sheep hair of the
| camel, goat, alpaca, and other like animals and
| all wool and hair OH the skin, nois, yarn waste,
card waste, bur waste. rags and focks, incIud-
| ing all waste, or rags. composed wholly or in
part of wool III, IL, and Is cents per pound,
according to grade)