The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-03-25
FOR TARIFF REFORM.
Methods Proposed by the New
York Reform Club.
AN AID TO SECRETARY CARLISLE
Report in Formulating Tarin Meas
ure-Raw Material to be Admitted Free
and All Duties Ad Valorem.
AN AID TO SECRETARY CARLISLE

Report in Formulating Tarin Meas
ure-Raw Material to be Admitted Free
and All Duties Ad vaIorem.
NEW YORK. March 28.-A special com
mittee of the Reform club Of this city,
consisting Of f. Ellery Anderson Charles
g. Fairchild. Thomas G. Shearman, David
A. Wells, John Dewitt Warner and Ever
rett p Wheeler, has completed a draft Of
a bill which, when perfected, viii be urged
upon congress as a substitute for the pres
ent tariff laws and fulfllment Of the
pledges mderw the Democracy has OBJ
tanned control Of the national government.
This special committee was appointed
Immediately after the election Of Mr..
Cleveland. Its report, which is the pro-
duct Of much labor, assisied'by competent
expert knowledge has been submitted to
the regular tariff reform committee Of the
club for suggestions and criticisms
After such further consideration and
amendment as may be deemed advisable,
the bill, drawn I'm accordance with the
recommendation Of the report, will be
presented TO Secretary Car isle for his in
formation and assistance in the work Of
formulating measure which shall consti-
tute the administration scheme for re
forming the tariff.
The general principles upon which the
proposed tariff has been framed are in the
main as 10 llows:
Crude material to be used in the process
Of manufacture are in general made free
Of duty.
In taxing other articles the general OBJ
iect has been to fix such rates as would
produce the largest amount Of revenue in
,a ..F
| importations.
The purpose Of obtaining the largest
revenue has, however, been limited by
consideration Of the welfare and necessi-
ties Of the people at large and especially
the poorer classes.
The purpose of obtaining revenue for
| the government having been made in good
faith the sole reason for levying any of
these duties, it has not been thought neces.
sary and hardly proper to- reduce rates
merely for the purpose Of avoiding some
incidental protection to domestic producers.
All duties have been made strictly ad
valorem, except some Of those which have
been levied as compensatory for internal
revenue taxes upon similar articles pro
duced at home.
In order to secure the honest administra.
tion of an adj valorem tariff it is essential
that the rates Of duty upon the great mass
| of articles should be kept at very moderate
| figures. Upon articles Of immense value
and small bulk il Is absolutely necessary
TO impose very low duties, because other.
wise they will be smuggled by wholesale
and no revenue will be obtained. Upon
other articles experience has shown that
duties cannot he raised above 25 per cent
without Offering dangerous incentives to
| fraud.
Silk is classed as a luxury, but silk rib.
bons are practically a necessity of life to
the vast majority Of women, and duty OF
20 per cent is proposed Marble may be
considered luxury, and therefore we put
a higher duty upon that than upon ordi
nary stone. As to liquors and tobacco,
the duties upon them should be made In
view to obtaining the greatest possible
amount Of revenue without any concern In
so doing as to whether we give or with.
hold protection to the domestic producer.
The duties upon woolens and worsted
manufactures Of every description, leather
| gloves and all other gloves, except of silk,
are placed in the p per cent. schedule.
/ Tin plates not to be taxed more than q
per cent. and perhaps not more than Il
per cent. Manufactures of wood in the
most finished forms are placed In the 20 Del
cent. schedule, as also buttons, except OF
metal or glass Most provisions are made
free Of duty, but some, which partake in q
mild degree of the nature of luXuries, are
put in the % per cent. schedule, while
breadstutfs are mostly made free. Pota
toes are left subject to duty of 10 per cent
| The committee expresses the belief that
the proposed measures would yield an i'm
mediate revenue Of at least $4,000, 900.