Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-11-30
THE NEW TARIFF BILL.

Inc long lOchCu-lOT IdTlu pi'i' upon
which the WAYS and means committee
of the House of Representatives has
spent so much time, and which has
been so eagerly anticipated by all
the people, was made public last Mon
dav. While it is II bill embodying
genuine tariff reform. at the same
time the measure provides for ample
protection in all lines of industry that
REQUIRE it. While it pleases the Dem
ocrats. it gives slight opportunity TO
fair minded Republicans TO find fault
with it.
Coal iron ore, salt, lumber and
wool are put on the free list. The
duty on refined sugar is reduced TO
quarter of cent pound, and pro
vision made for the gradual repeal of
the sugar bounty. Big reductions are
made in WOODEN goods, plain pottery
and glass. The bill is to take effect
the 4th of March, 1884
In statement made on Monday
Chairman Wilson spoke for the com
mittee. He said there were two main
features of the bill:
First, the adoption, wherever it
seemed practicable, of ad valorem in
stead of specific duties. Secondly,
the freeing from taxes of those great
materials of industries that lie at the
basis of production. Specific rates of
duty are Objectionable for these rea-
sons: They frequently conceal a rate
of taxation too enormous TO be sub
mitted to if expressed in ad valorem
terms, as the duty OF cents on
hundred pounds of saltin bulk, which
amounts 10 over 50 per cent on COM
mon necessity of life. They always
bear heavily on the article used by
the masses, and lightly on the eXpen-
sive articles consumed by the rich, as
a fax OF $50 on all houses would be
little or nothing on the great mansion
and very high on the humble home.
And. contrary to common belief,
specific duties lead to greater frauds
in administration, for counting and
weighing at the Custom House are
done by the cheapest and most easily
corrupted labor, while al valorem
rates are assessed by the best paid
and most responsible appraisers.
The adj valorem system has worked
we'll in practice; is essentially the fair
system because it is a tax upon the
actual value Of an article, and was de
clared by Mr.. Clay himself TO be in
theory and according 10 every sound
principle of Justice entitled 10 the
preference and indicated by long
trial.
THE boldest innovation of the bill
is its large free list of raw materials.
Taxes upon production are double
wrongs. They gather and cumulate
on the consumer of the finished pro-
duet. They hurt labor by narrowing
the market for what it produces.
Coal and iron are the foundations of
modern industry. Material progress
is measured by the amount Of their
consumption. No other country can
supply them as abundantly or cheap
IN as we can. No possible cOmpeti-
tion can interfere with our own pro
ducers few miles in the interior OF
the country.
'RemOteness from the sources of
simply is in itself enough disadvan-
tage to any section Of the country,
without further burdens in tariff taxes.
UntaXed ores, coal, lumber, wool ana
other flores must immensely stimu-
late production in certain parts OF
orr country. The thin edge of Amer
lean manufactures has entered every
country. With release from taxes
upon their materials there l. no limit
TO the growth of our foreign trade.
This will more than compensate to
the home producers of raw material,
who. tariff or no tariff, control all the
interior of the country, for any APP
pretended loss of markets anywhere
along the seaboard. Its incalculable
advantage to labor is apparent.
In every great line OF manuiac-
lures we can produce in six months
TO nine months enough for our home
market. We can get rid of our sur
plus only 10y foreign trade. As long
as we have taxes on the materials OF
industry we cannot build up the trade.
Hence the other alternative OF trusts
to keep down production TO the home
market. The wOrkingman can see
whether his interests are with sNS-
TEN that represses production ana
robs him of employment, or with
system that gives natural and healthy
play to production aud emRncipSteN
him from trusts and like com Dina
tons of capital.
Some of the other details of the bill
are rs follows: In the chemical sched-
ule many additions are made to the
free list, including suIphuric acid
the basis of the chemical industry
Castor oil is reduced from 50 to 30
cents a gallon, linseed oil from 80 to 10
cents. Pig lead from TO ! cent q
pound, and lead paints correspond
ingIy. Plain pottery is dropped away
down; decorated ware is reduced from
90 to A. per cent; undecorated from s.
to 40 per cent Plate and window
glass has nearly half the duty taken
off. Pig iron, now from 80 to 80 per
cent, is reduced to 22t per cent; steel
rails, from - per cent to p per cent.
All iron is reduced substantially.
Pocket and table cutlery are cut
down heavily. Agricultural imple-
ments and works of art are put on
the free list. There are heavy reduc-
tions on wooden goods all around, the
duty in no case being over A per cent
and averaging below forty. The
cheaper grades of flannels and blank
cts are put down to - per cent. I'm
der the Mckinley bill some woolen
goods had duty of over 100 per cent
upon them.