The herald., 1893-11-28
WILSON'S STATEMENT.
The Author OF the Tariff Bill Review
Its Formation.

Its Formation.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 81. - Chairman
Wilson of the committee ON ways and
means has issued a statement in regard
to the tariff bill, the gist of which is
contained in the following Introductory
paragraphs:
"The Democratic members of the
committee have felt, as no others could
feel, the momentous responsibility rest
ing upon them and the mag
nitude. difficulty and delicacy of
the duty assigned to them of
framing a tariff bill for a nation Of
100000 people. The bill they were
called on to reform is a vast labyrinth
of system of class taxation. the culmi-
nation of so years. control of the taxing
power by few interests, gatht ring into
their train host of petty toll-gathersrs.
1t was carefully framed to prevent as
long as possible what it's author called
amy monkeying with the tariff
by which he meant any sue
cessful effort OF the people to
undo or lessen the bounties
which its benefciarieB were permitted
to write therein in their own words and
own figures. 1t transferred to the free
list proper and fruitful revenue articles,
where most of the taxes paid by the
people we're received by the government,
| and greatly increased the rates on those
articles, all or or most OF the taxes on
which, paid by the people, went into
private Golfers. And it was boletered
about by many defenses, chief among
which are swept and famished treas-
ury, and swollen and colossal scale of
permanent expenditures. Such are the
conditions that confronted us at the out
set OF our work.
"The committee have welcomed in
formation and counsel from every trust
worthy source, and while they do not
expect their bill to escape just criticism
in all its details, they do present it to
the country as the result of months
of patient and anxious toll, and
of an honest desire to dirchsrge their
duty, purged of all taints OF local and
personal favoritsm or prejudice.
Its main features are two. First,
the adoption, wherever it seemed prac-
ticable, of advalorem instead of specific
duties second, the freeing from taxes
of those great materials of industry that
lie at the basis of production"
The statement continues by saying:
"Specifc duties are Objectionable be-
cause they can be used to conceal
GENEROUSLY large and inequitable taxa
ton, and because they lead more
readily to frauds, as weighers and
counters at custom houses are cheaper
and more easily corrupted than those
under the ad valorem system. More.
over, the ad valorem system has worked
we'll ir practice end is essen
TALLY fair. 1t defends the large
free list OF raw materials
on the ground that taxes on production
are double wrong, cumulating on the
consumers and hurting labor by narrow
ing the market. They are made free
for the further reason that no other
country eupplies them as cheaply as
we can; no competition can interfere
with US in them, and freedom from tax
alton must immensely stimulate the
production of ores, coal, lumber, wool
and other things in certain parts of the
country. A thin wedge OF American
manufactures has entered every coun-
try, and with free raw materials there
ia no limit to the growth of our foreign
trade, with an incalculable advantage to
labor"
The statement continues by saying:
"In every great line of manufacture we
can produce enough for home consump-
tion in six to nine months, and we can
get rid Of our surplus only by export.
Trade cannot be built up so long az raw
materials are taxed, hence the iorma-
ton of trusts to keep down production,
to the great detriment of labor"
The statement points out various
items Of reduction in the schedule, in
cluding sulphuric acid, to the free list,
because of its general use; castor oil
from S5 to 30 cents per gallon; linseed
oil from 35 TO Is cents per gallon; pig
lead from 2 cents to cent per pound.
thus reducing the price of paints. 1t
declares the increase of the dutv on
opium to $l2 per pound by the McKin-
ley bill simply put the business into the
hands OF smugglers on the Pacific coast.
The present bill puts it where it is
thought it can be collected.
The duty on common window-glass is
reduced more than half. which will
stimulate home production, because it
has been produced under trust condi-
tions. There is also marked reduction
in plate glass.
In the iron and steel schedule, free
ore, on account of the discovery of Bes-
semer ores in the lake regions, and
foundry ore in Alabama, will give the