The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-20

tresS any Of our home industries on the one
hand nor on the other secure to them an OPP
pressive monopoly Of the home market.
II is neither necessary nor practicable in
thls report TO specify the particular reduc-
tons we have made upon the long list Of arti-
cleS that still remain in the dutiable list. The
tables which have been prepared for the use
OF the members of the House give full and
minute information as TO these changes A
Few only OF the most important need be emu
in the earthenware schedule we have made
substantial reductions, still leaving rates as
nigh as were deemed necessary in the war
tariff.
In common window glass where close COM
bluattons have kept up the prices to consum-
ers under scale of duties averaging more
tnan 100 per cent, we have made reduction
of about one-half.
In the iron and steel schedules, beginning
with free ore and duty of 2l1a per cent. on
pig iron we have reported scale of duties
considerably below those OF the existing law
graduated according to the degree of manu-
tacture, which should bring benefit to the
consumer, without calling for any halt in the
imperial progress Of that great industry IN
our country.
The duty upon steel rails has been put at
% per cent, which, according to the reports
OF our department Of labor, quite compen-
safes for all difference in the cost OF produc-
tion in this country and abroad.
Uroa tin plate the tariff has been gagged
with reference to the revenue it will bring
into the treasury, and the difference between
WIS uuly ana bndb upon Gl0 DldCk pldJe mas
been lessened with view to discourage what
may not uniustly be called the bogus indus
try OF making American tin plate blythe mere
dipping In this country of the imported black
plate
In the sugar schedule we should have pre-
ferred to wipe out at a single legislative stroke
the existing bounty. We believe it to be con-
trary to the spirit Of our institutions and can
conceive of no circumstances under
which we should have advocated or
approved its Introduction into our
laws. We have found it existing there,
as we find it virtually existing In every other
schedule of the tariff, and dealing with il in
this more open and offensive form, as we have
dealt with other schedules where large inter
ests are at stake, we have reported pro-
vision for its repeal by such stages as shall
permitting those who have invested large
means under the expectation Of its continu-
anee, reasonable time in which they may pre-
pare to take their stand with the other indus
tries OF the country.
The duties upon imported tobacco leaf
suitable for cigar wrappers which were
enormously advanced by the act of 1890 have
been placed at such figures as, after careful
investigation, were deemed likely to produce
most revenues to the treasury, but this object
has not alone decided the rates; their amount
is so high that no domestic producer need
| claim that there is not abundant protection
and TO spare for his product in them.
To the farmers Of the country, we have
given untaxed agricultural implements and
binding Irvine and untaxed cotton ties. for the
additional reason, in the latter case, that'cot-
ton is the largest export crop Of the country.
sold abroad in competition with the cheap
labor of India and Of Egypt, believing that II
was sufficient for the private tax gatherer to
follow the farmer in the markets Of his own
country and not TO pursue him into all the
markets of the world.
AS cotton bagging can be used but once, we
| have thought it but just TO extend the draw
| back system to such bagging made OF jute
| butts when used upon our exported cotton, a
privilege which the exporter of wheat can
| already now enjoy, coupled with the further
| advantage that the same bags may be used
| for successive expectations OF grain.
Taking the importatiOns OF 1892, the latest
which were accessible to the committee when
| its tables were prepared, the new rates would
operate q reduction OF nearly one-third OF the
| duties collected under the tariff. But this
great reduction in taxes actually paid to the
government is no measure of the tightening
| of the burden to the taxpayers of the coun-
| try. That reduction may be estimated at
| several times more than the reduction OF
taxes.
1t may be said that we are not justified in
making SO large a reduction in revenue al a
| time when the government receipts and eX-
/ penditures can no longer be balanced, and
when some new sources of temporary rev
enue must be sought for. We have been com
| PEELED to retain some articles upon the duti-
able list and to leave some duties higher
| than we desired because Of the present
necessities of the treasury, but We have not
| felt that any temporary shrinkage of the
revenue should deter US from carrying out as
| faithfully and as effectually as we could the
| instructions given by the American people
| when this congress was put into power. Our
| own experience and that Of other countries
has shown that decrease Of tariff duties i'm,
mediately operates such an enlargement OF
| commerce, of production and consumption as
rapidly to make up any apparent loss of
| revenue threatened by those reductions.
The report says that most important
change in the bill proposed for the pres
L. h
stitution of ad yalorem for specific duties.
RECIPROCITY REPLACED.
An argument follows to show the ad-
visibility of this change, and the report
continues:
| 1t is the purpose of the present bill to re-
| peal in toto section three of the tariff act OF
| Oct. I, 1890, commonly, but most enormously
called its reciprocity provision. That act
| placed sugar, molasseS, coffee. tea and hides
on the free list. but authorized the President
should he be satisfied, that the government
| of any other country producing such
| articles imposed duties upon the
agricultural or other products OF this
reciprocally. unequal and unreasonable
| to suspend the provision under which
| these articles were admitted into this coun
| try free. This section has brought no appre
| ciable advantage to American exporters; is
not in intention or effect a provision for re
| ciprocitv, but for retaliation.
| 1t inficts penalties upon the American peo-
| pie by mailing them pay higher prices fol
these articles, IL the fiscal necessities OF other
| nations compel them to levy duties upon the
| products of the United States, which, in the
| opinion of the President are reciprocally un
| equal and unreasonable.
The report supplements this latter
statement with an example of the man
ner in which the reciprocity feature OF
the existing tariff conflicts with the
"most favored nation" provision in exist
| ing treaties between the United States
| and other countries