The morning call., 1893-09-01
FOR FREE TRADE.
Republicans Not to Be
Consulted.
WILSON'S NEW TARIFF BILL.
1t VIII Be Measure So Radical as
to Greatly Astonish the
Country.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31.-The Ways and
Means Committee has decided that it will
permit representatives OF the great manu-
aeturlng and other interests 10 appear be-
lore 1t and submit statements for its guild
ance. On Monday next representatives of
the iron and steel industries will appear
before the committee. and from that time
un til the goth of September daily sessions
will be held Mr.. Bynum, a member of the
present Ways and Means Committee. and
who helped to frame he Mills bill, said to
IHE CALL correspondent to-day that after
the hearings were closed the work of franz
ing tariff bill would proceed with the
utmost expedition. He said that the new
bill would probably be ready to report to
the House by October 20.
Ii is evident that the House leaders have
a5an doDed the proposed effort to adjourn,
now that the Wilson repeal bill has gone
TO the Senate. They admit that the un-
certainty is strong factor OF the present
unsettled financial condition of the coun-
try, and it is for the purpose of diffusiug
Information relative to the sort of tariff
bill which the committee will report that
even the older members of the committee
are disposed to be communicative.
1t can be stated on the best authority
that the Wilson tar iff bill will be great
stride forward in the direction of free
trade. To quote the language of one of the
members of the committee to-day: when
the people see this new Wilson tariff bill
they will believe that the old Mills bill was
protection measure in comparison"
The programme to be followed in ar
ranging the various schedules of the new
bill will be essentially the one adopted
when the Mills bill was framed, for it must
be understood that after the public hear
tngs close the Republican member CT the
com mittee will not be invited to participate
in lis meetings until the completed bill is
laid before them.
The great industries Of this country may
well feel alarmed when they study the
composition OF the present Democratic
majority of the committee. Not man is
manufacturer. and the only interest that
most of them have in the tariff lies in un-
developed coal and iron beds in their va
rious districts Mr. Breckenridge of Ar
kansas. for instance, TO whom may be
assigned the iron schedule or the textile
schedule. has not a town or factory in all
the country which he represents. Never
theless these men viii determine the i'm
post duties and the free list OF the Wilson
all
''It is ns1 improbable that Mr.. Wilson.
and perhaps Messrs. Breeklnridge and
McMillin, may present complete bills to
the committee; but these. like the famous
bill of the Reform Club of New York, will
be again." quoted one of the members,
torn up when We get to work. OF course
we will have opposition on our own side,"
continued this member. 'but we expect
that and are prepared for it. We propose
to abolish the bounty on sugar entirely
and to put a duty on it higher than the
Mills bill did. That will evoke opposition
from sugar men, and so we expect opposi-
tion as we touch every other industry; but
we will just worry it through and hold the
House here until the bill is passed"
One reason why the Wilson bill will be
so much more drastic than was the Mills
bill is the concession by members of the
House committee that the bill will be ma
terally amended in the Senate. MANY
cuts will be made in the bill deeper than
the committee expects the Senate will per-
NIT to remain. so that it is safe to assume
that the tariff bill of 1894. as finally passed
by both houses, will not be quite as mimi
cal to American Industries as will be the
Wilson bill which the House committee
will report during October.
Another urgent question may have to be
considered before the tariff comes up. The
monetary stringency has caused such
falling off in receiDts from the internal
revenue, customs and other sources that
the daily receipts of the Government are
now falling $500. 900 short of the compu-
sorry expenditures for pensions and ordi-
nary expenses of the Government. Already
2 deficiency of from $4,000 600 to SI1,O0O.-
600 is in sight. The situation cannot be
met by economy, as these EXPENSES are
obligatory under the law. The alterna-
tives before Congress to meet the situation
are limited to three-a new issue of Gov
ernment bonds. an income tax or some
such new impost. or an increase of the rate
in some of the existing forms of taxation.