The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-22
THE COMING TARIFF BILL.
SCHEDULES AGREED UPON BY Mr..
WILSON'S COMMITTEE.

WIeSON'S SOmMll ! &C.
Free Raw Materials and Reduced Rates
on Manufactured Goods-Republicana
Will Not Delay the Passage OF the
Measure.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 15.-An air OF
Profound mystery surrounds that por'
ton Of the House of Representatives
where the ways and means committee
room is located. The members OF the
committee have been pledged to the
strictest secrecy regarding the propos-
ed changes of duty, and this pledge
has been as faithfully respected by
them as Is consistent with human fra
ilty. Newspaper men are carefully
avoided. One of the members, who
was cornered by a reporter this morn
ing, hastily jumped inside the elevator,
drew the door to with nervous haste,
and grasping the rope, helped the con.
ductor to propel 1t basementwards, and
thus made his escape.
Notwithstanding these precautions,
some of the details of the committees
work are gradually becoming public.
There is apparently no doubt that wool
coal and iron ore will be placed on the
free list. Upon these points there is
now practical unanlmity, although un-
I'll recently, it was mooted question
whether it would not be advisable to
retain q fair duty on the two articles
last named.
1t is understood that q material re-
duction will be made on steel rails.
When the Mckinley bill was before
the Senate, three years ago, one OF the
largest manufacturers Of steel rails In
Pennsylvania appeared before the r.
nance committee and assured Senator
Sherman that duty Of SO ton would
be an ample protection to the manu-
facturers. Notwithstanding this as.
surance, the duty was placed at 3l3A
ton, and this rate Is still In force.
Remembering this, some Of the Demo.
cratic members Of the ways and means
committee have argued that the rate
be lowered to 50. It Is expected, how
ever, that the duty which Will finally
agreed upon will be be q compromise
between the present figure and 81.
The duty on tin plate will probably be
reduced from two and two.tenthS
cents to one cent.
The schedules of texible fabrics have
been substantially agreed upon, In &C
cordance with the Democratic theory
of free raw materials and reduced du-
ties on manufactured goods. The
wooden duties will be similar to those
in the Springer bill-not above 40 per
cent. advalorem, and at 25 per cent. on
only q few items. The rate on manu-
facturers Of cotton will be about 40
per cent, including cotton hosiery as
well as fabrics. The duties on linen
goods and laces will suffer q considera-
Bile reduction. In view Of the fact that
fax and the other raw materials OF the
industry are going upon the free list.
The representatives Of the linen man
ufactures have been bringing strong
pressure to bear upon the committee
to maintain the existing duties, but
the compound duties are likely to be
abolished In every case, and some OF
the advalorem duties reduced.
A meeting OF all the Democratic
members of the committee will be held
tomorrow, at which time the sub-com.
mittee having In charge the various
schedules will submit their reports.
The work of adjusting and harmonic
ing the reduction Will then be contin-
ued until the bill shall have been com.
pIeted. It is expected that this result
will be reached the last of next week,
or not later than the iS.onday follow
ing, The bill will then be reported to
the full committee and made public
the same day.
Chairman Wilson believes that the
bill will be taken up In the House and
generally. debated for about ten days
preceding the holiday recess. Mr.. Will
son will make the opening speech In
support of the measure, and 1t Is un.
derstood that Burrows Of Michigan
one Of the leading Republican members
of the committee, will speak first for
his side. An effort will be made to
close general debate as quickly as pos.
sible, in order that the House may
proceed to consider the measure under
the five minutes rule.
There is no intention on the part of
Republican members of the House to
flibuster against the bill or unnecessa-
rily delay It's passage. They recognize
the futility of fhbustering, inasmuch
as the committee on rules may at any
time report an order fixing q date
when vote shall be taken, thus cut
ting off further debate. Aside from
this fact, the Republican minority have
no desire to prevent the majority from
passing the bill. While they regard
any notifications In the existing tariff
law as hurttul to the business interests
of the country, they are philosophical
enough to agree that the Democratic
party was placed In power on plat
form which declared In favor Of tariff
reduction, and that thsy, and not the
Republicans are responsible for the
conseq whatever they may be.
KICKING AGAINsT THE FREE LIST.
The iron and coal men Of Alabama
will not be accorded. formal hearing
by the ways and means COMMITTEES.
For a week or two past, Congressman
Wheeler, Senator Pugh and others have
been interviewing members of the
ways and means committee, with
view of having a hearing accorded to
the representatives Of the Commercial
Club of Birmingham, who desired to
protest against the proposition now
pending In the committee to place iron
ore and coal on the free List. At re.
cent meeting Of the Commercial Club
of Birmingham, which is composed of
capitalists and manufacturers OF
that city, resolutions were adopted
calling upon the Alabama Senators aud
Representatives in Congress to vote
against any bill reported by the ways
and means committee to place iron ore
and coal ON tha fraa list. As RirminQ.