The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-28
THE TARIFF BILL
Chairman Wilson Defends the
Committees Action.
TON REED SAYS IRIS vERY FAD.
MsKinisy Dsplsres the xssnrs - Al
vsisrsn Dsssss-Ths EngiisA Fress
Rssssy Well Satisfied.

wAsBsseros err, Eoy. N.-Chsirman
Wilson, Of the COMMITTEES on ways ana
means, has issued . statement IN regard TO
the farid bill. the gist Of which II con-
tanned In the following Introductory para
graph:
THE Democratic members Of the COM
mistee hare felt as no others could feel
the rnomentous responsibility resting upon
them, and the magnitude. difficulty and
desicacy OF the duty assigned TO them Of
framing . tariff Dill for nation of n. 600.
60 people. The bill they were called On
TO reform was vast labyrinthine system
Of class taxation. the elimination OF thirty
year, control of taxing power BY few
interests, gathering into their train host
Of petty toll gathercrs. IL was carefully
framed TO prevent a. long as possible
what Ito author calls any monkeying
with tho tariff, by which he
meant any successful effort Of the
people to undo or lessen the bounties
which it, bensficiaries were permitted TO
enjoy. IL transferred 20 the free list
proper and fruitful revenue articles
where most Of the taxes paid by the peo-
pie were received by the government, and
greatly increased the rates on those arti-
clcs al or most Of the taxes on which paid
by the people went into private Golfers,
and 10 was bolstered about by many de-
fenses. chief among which are q depleted
treasury and colossal scale OF permanent
expenditures. Such are she conditions
that confronted us at the outset OF our
work. The COMMITTEES has welcomed i'm
formation and counsel from every trust
worthy source, and while they do not ex-
pect their bill TO escape just criticism In
all its details. they do present IL to the
country ~ the result Of months Of patient.
an xious toll and Of IN honest desire to
discharge their dnty, pufged Of aii faint OF
local and personal fayoritism or preju-
dice. Its main features are two: Frat.
the adoption wherever it seemed practical
bic of ad valorem 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 spe-
ciic duties are Objectionable because they
can be used TO conceal GENEROUSLY large and
inequitabie taxation, and because they
lead more readily TO frauds. ~ weiehers
and counters 1t custom houses are cheaper
and more easily corrupted labor that en-
pioyes under the nd vaIorem System.
Moreover the ad vnlorem system has
worked well in practice and IL essentially
fair.
1t defends the large free list OF raw ma
duction are q double wrong, cumulating
on the consumers and hurting labor by
narrowing the market. They are made
free for the further reason that no other
country can supply them as chcaply as We
can. no competition can interfere with use
of them. and freedom from taxation must
immensely stimulate the production Of
ores. coal, lumber, wool and other things
In certain parts of the country.
The thin edge Of American manufactures
has entered every country, and with free
raw materials there is no limit to the
growth of our foreign trade. with incal-
oulabie advantage to labor. The state
ment continues by saying that In every
great line of manufacture We can produce
enough for home consumption in six to
nine months and We can get rid of our sur
plus only by export. That trade cannot be
built up as long as raw materials are taxed.
Hence the formation Of trusts to keep
down production. to the great detriment
OF labor.
The statement then points out various
items of reduction In the schedule, includ-
ing sulphuric acid to the free list because
Of it, general use, castor oil from s. to IS
cents per gallon, iinseed oil from IS to Is
cents per gallon, pig lead from to cent
per pound. thus reducing the price of
paints. Itdeciares the increase OF duty on
opium TO SIC per pound by the Mckinley
bill simply put the business into the
hands OF smugglers on the Pacific coast
The present bill puts IL where it Is thought
IL can be collected. The duty on common
window glass 10 reduced more than half
which will stimulate home production. be-
cause IL had been produced under trust
conditions There Is also a marked reduc-
tion in plate glass. In the iron and steel
schedule ore is free because the dis
covery Of Bessemer ores I'm the lake
regions and the foundry ores in Alabama
will give as supremacy in this great line
OF manufacture. Pig-iron 10 reduced from
VI. " per ton, an equivalent of 50 TO 80 per
cent. to uniform duty of 22n per cent !;
steel rails from $i3.A per ton. equal to rs
per cent. 10 . per cent The residue OF
the schedule varies from . to 30 per cent.
beams and girders being s. per cent Tin
plato Is reduced nearly one-half, to 20 per
cent, which should allow the existing
mills 20 live and flourish. Cheaper grades
OF pocket cutlery are reduced IS per cent.
higher grades u, table cutlery IS. Copper
ores and pig-copper are made free. We
are large exporters of the latter and the
duty served only to allow the producer TO
sell higher to our people than to for
eigners. Nickel is free.
Lead ore Is only Is per cent. pir-lead 1
cent per pound. silyer-lead ores free.
Unmanufactured lumber Is free. mann
featured = per cent.
On the sabject~of sugar the statemen,
saws. stSnvar has hsen a dftY{r-t, r,.,..
to deal with. Raw sugar Was transferred
to the free list by the Mckinley bill be-
cause nearly all the taxes paid on il went
TO the public treasury. There was a
strong desire among the members OF the
committee 10 put an valorem duty OF
- or = per cent on IL and abolish the
bounty AZ once. After much considera-
ton 10 Was decided TO reduce TO one-halt
she duty on refined sugars and repeal the
bounty one-eighth each year. leaving raw
sugars untouched at present"
In the tobacco schedule rates were
sought which would bring the mos. rev.
snue. The present tax of xa.73 per pound
on wraps aud leaf hlosteG on, many small
establishments and impaired the revenue.
We make the rates 81 and si75 on
wrapper leaf and IS and 80 cents on
| htis-. unsteu.med and ssemmed; manu-.
features CT tobacco. a. cents. Cigars are
reduced from 81 20 per pound aud q per
cent al sasorens to S. per pound and y
per cent Il is believed this will be the
Most productive OF revenue rates. Live
animals are 10 pay N per cent. Barley is
reduced from 40 cents pe- hgshel To - per
cent. OF about l. eents Breadstuffs. of
which We are Immense exporters. are free