The Delta independent., 1893-12-06
A SWEEPING CUT IN The TARIFF,
THE WILSON BILL SUBMITTED.

Its Author Gives His Idea of the Scope
of the New Measure. ..
VIM. L. Wilson, chairman of the Ways an d
Means committee, has given to the press a
statement concerning the new tariff bill pre-.
pared by the Democratic members of his COM
mittee. Following are extracts from his
statement:
The main features of the bill are two:
First, the adoption, wherever 1t seems prac-
ticable, OF ad valorem instead OF specific
duties. Secondly, the freeing from taxes OF
those great materials Of industry that lie al
the base of production.
Specific rates of duty are Objectionable for
these reasons: They frequently "onceal a
rate Of taxation too enormous to be submitted
to If exposed in ad valorem terms, as the duty
OF 8 cents per 100 pounds salt in bulk.
which amounts to over so per cent. on a COM
mon necessity of life. They always bear
heavily on the common article used by the
masses, and slightly on the expensive article
consumed by the rich; as tax of $50 on all
houses would be little or nothing on the great
mansion, and very high on the humble home.
Coal and iron are the foundations Of mod
ern industry, and material progress is meas
ured by the amount of their consumption.
No other country can supply them as cheaply
as we can. No possible competition can in
terfere with our own producers few miles in
the interior of the country. RemoteEess from
the source Of supply is, in ITSELF enough dis
advantage to any section OF the country,
without further burdens In tariff taxes. Tn
things, must immensely stimulate production
In certain parts Of our country.
In the chemistry schedule, we have trans
ferred to the free list quite a number of arti-
cles used In manufacturing, the most import
ant Of which is sulphuric acid, one Of the
commodities Of all chemical industry.
In the iron and steel schedule we begin
with free ore. The discovery Of the immense
deposits Of Bessemer ore In the lake regions
and of foundry ores In Alabama has rapidly
swept us to the leadership Of the world in the
production of iron and steel, and brought
near at hand an undisputed supremacy In the
great field Of manufactures, Pig iron we re-
duce from S672 per ton, which is from 50 to
90 per cent, to uniform duty Of 2211 per
cent, rate somewhat higher in proportion
than the rest Of the schedule, because Of
cheap freight rates on foreign pig, 1t being a
favorte freight on western voyages. Steel
rails We reduce from $l3.44 per ton now, IS
per cent, to 25 per cent.
Tin plates are reduced 10 40 per cent, a
little more than one-half Of the Mckinley
rate. This is a revenue duty, and at the same
time enough to permit any existing mills to
live and flourish. Cheaper grades Of cutlery
are 35 per cent, higher grades As per cent
table cutlery is 80 per cent These are very
substantial reductions from the present rates,
which, being specific, reach In some grades OF
pocket cutlery as high rs 80 per cent. Both
copper ore and pig copper are made free, we
being large exporters Of the latter, and the
duty serving only to enable the producer to
sell higher to our people than to oreigners.
Nickel is free. Lead ore has small duty OF
Is per cent. Pig lead cent a pound; silver
lead ores are restored to the free list.
Unmanufactured lumber Is free; manufac-
tured is put at 25 per cent, with proyiso
that If any export duties or charges are
placed on foreign lumber 1t shall be admitted
only at the rates now existing.
strong desire among members Of the
committee was to put an ad valorem duty OF
20 or 25 per cent on sugar and to abolish the
bounty at once. After much consideration II
was decided to reduce to one-half the duty on
refined sugars and TO repeal the bounty one
eighth each year, leaving the raw sugar taxed
at present.
In the tobacco schedule those rates were
sought which would bring the most revenue.
The present tax Of e275 per pound on wrap
pers or leaf has blotted out many small estab.
lishments and actually impaired revenue.
We make the rates 81 and sl.75 cents per
pound on wrapper leaf and 35 and SO cents
per pound on filler tobacco, unstemmed and
stemmed In each. Manufactures Of tobacco
are put at 40 cents. Cigars are reduced from
81. so per pound and 25 per cent ad valorem
10 $3 per pound and 25 per cent.
Live animals are put at 20 per cent.
Barley Is reduced from 30 cents per bushel
to 20 per cent, which is about IL cents.
Breadstufis, of which We are immense ex.
porters, are made free, except when i'm.
ported from countries putting duties on
our like products, In which case It Is 90 per
cent.
Fresh vegetables, fruits and like products
are untaIed for the benefit Of our own con
sumers, largely the working people Of the
cities.
Salt in bulk Is free; in packing, salt is free
but the covering 10 dutiable at rates pre-
scribed for like articles. The tariff on spirit
| ID put NJ oOuUle Inc lntorndi Te'chue raIe8 VI
like spirits and some slight reduction is mad'
on still wines, malt liquors, ginger ale ..ant
like beverages in the interest Of increased
revenues. The duty on sparkling wines II
likewise slightly reduced for the same reason
that on champagne being put at 81 per dozer
quarts, as against IS In the Mckinley bill ant
G8 In the law Of 1888.
In cotton manufactures substantial reduc
tions are made, and especially on cheal
cloths and prints, and the existing system o
taxing by count of thread In the square is re
tanned. Hemp and fax are made free; dresset
linen Of hemp aud fax cent and ~ cent
respectively.
Wool 10 made free. This takes the still
from under woolen manufacturers and beget
the hope that they may recover from the Ian
gushing condition in which they have beel
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