The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1893-10-19

Hon. Titus Shsard of Little Falls, N. ",
in behalf .! Manufacturers Wooden
Hosiery and Underwear Industry.
WASHINGTON LITTER.
Work on the tariff bill by the democra
tic members Of the ways and means CON-
mittee continues on the lines Of making
the raising Of revenue the object of the
bill and protection the incident. That,
according to one of the members, is the
direction the proceedings are taking at
prssent.
There seems to have been considerable
talk about charging the free list, as there
are many articles now subject to duty
which yield but little revenue to the
government, This points toward many
agricultural products where competition
with American producers is impossible
to any considerable exteEt. The tax On
wheat and other grains may be aband-
oned, with exception OF harley. as there
10 ~ considerable demand for protection
against Canadian barley. 1t seems that
the protest of the market gardeners of
the Atlantic coast, who did not want
the duty removed from vegetables, will
not have very much weight, as there
seems to be an opinion prevailing in the
committee that the Bermuda products
will not cut much of a figure as compel
ing against those grown on Long Island
and otner places along the coast. 1t is
argued that the Bermuda products are
shipped in at a time when the products
Of the home gardens could not be
planted. The market gardeners in the
vicinity of Buffalo, Detroit and other
large cities along the Canadian border
have been disturbed to some extent by
the anticipated competition of the Cana
dlans. but members OF the committee
say that the consumers will receive the
benefits Of the reductions in price If any
follow.
1t was supposed that after the state
ment of the governor of West Virginia
before the committee perhaps Chairman
Wilson might be inclined to oppose a
change in the coal schedule. 5ut it is
animated, at least, that coal is very
likely to 30 on the free list. 1t has been
argued that the West Virginia coal
fields are benefited only where tidewater
can be reached by rail and canal routes,
and that is a small matter when the
entire consumption of coal i. considered,
while it Is claimed that the benefits to be
derived by free coal to the New England
manufacturer is an item of great import
ance. tits also claimed that the interior
coal f:lds cannot b. effected materially
by free coal. There has been consider
able talk over the iron and steel seized
uiss, and there arc intimations that this
is the ulost difficult problem that hat yet
confronted the committee and one which
is still quite far from settlement. Mem
bers of the committee have talked about
. reduction of duty on pig and scrap
irsn from $6.72 to $3.50 or $500 per
ton, with the view that there would be
large revenue derived from importations
under such a reduction, AS to the
manufactured products of iron. there il.
yet nothing that can be called an agree
ment. That there will be reductions is
beyond doubt. but the fixing of duties is
considered one of the difficult matters
before the committee.
The iron ore schedule is another Stun
bling block. The pressure from the re-
Eisss along the Great Lakes is for a
reduction of considerable duty. The
Lake Superior Iron miners who have a
large output have been urging their
members Of congress to maintain, if
possible, protection on iron ore. But
this part OF the bill has not been gener-
ally discussed by the members OF the
committee. Some members of the COM
mIttee say there will be no difficulty in
raising sufficient revenue, and that they
need not fear making reductions on that
ground, but on the other hand it is init
mated that whisky will stand an in
creased tax of rs or 80 cents gallon
very easily, also that the tax of 81 90 a
barrel on beer is very light, especially as
the brewers are expecting reduction on
barley aud hops. There are also intima-
tions Of evening up the duty on sugar so
that refined sugar will have no advan,
tage over rnw sugar. As means OF
raising revenue some members of the
committee say that half or quarter OF
cent might be placed on sugar without
any i'll effects.