The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-11-28

prepared by the Democratic members OF
ways and means committee vas given
to the public to day. 1t deals entirely
with the customs and administrative
branches of the subject. The inter
nal revenue portion Is left in abey-
ance. Chairman Wilson has prepared
the following statement which was
given out this morning with the bill:
The Democratic members of the com.
mlttee on ways and means have felt as
none others could feel, the momentous
responsibility resting upon them and
the SURPRISING magnitude, difficulty and
dellcacy OF the duty assigned them of
framing tariff bill for nation OF
seventy millions of people,
AS to details of the bill, will briefly
recRpltulate the salient changes Of the
several schedules. In the chemical
schedule we have transferred to the free
list quite number Of articles used in
manufacturers, the most important OF
winch IS sulphuric acid, one Of the cor
ner stones of all che mical industry. The
duty on castor oil is reduced from IS to
IS cents per gallon, and the DUTY on
l1nseed oil, which was recently raised
to ~ cents blythe conference committee
on the Mckinley bill, after each House
had openly voted for lower duty, we
put at II cents gallon.
Pig lead being reduced from two 10
one cent for the pound, lead paints are
correspondingly reduced. The McKin-
ley bill increased the duty on opium
prepared for smoking to sig pound on
tho vain hope of lessening it's importa-
ton. The custom house officials on the
Pacific coast declare that this increase
OF duty has simply placed in the hands
OF smugglers the bringing in of opium
to the decentralization of the customs
service, and tho loss of over half mil
lion dollars in revenue. The duty pro.
posed is believed to be collectable and
will put the traffic under governments
control and supervision.
In The pottery schedule substantial
reductions are made. Plain white ware
is dropped from the high schedule in
which it had been placed Decorated
ware is.reduced from go to As per cent.
Undecorated from SIS to 40.
In common window glass, where close
combinations have kept up the prices to
consumers, under the shelter of duties
averaging hundred per cent. reduction
of more than one-half has been made
in all the larger sizes. In plate glass
reductions are made, the largest sizes
q,
Or Silvered from 60 to 35 cents.
In the iron and steel schedule we
began with free ore. The discovery of
the immense deposits of beasemer ores
in the lake region and of foundry ores
in Alabama has rapidly swept us to the
leadership of the word in the produc-
ton of iron and steel and brought near
at hand our undisputed supremacy in
the great field of manufactures. The
use of steam Shovels reduces the cost
of mining to point where the wages
paid natural labor" are Irrelevant.
PIG IRON DUTY REDUCED.
Pig iron we reduce from 70 per ton,
which is from fifty to ninety per cent,
to uniform duty of 226 per cent, a
rate somewhat higher in proportion
than the rest of the schedule because
of cheap freight rates on foreign pig, it
being 6 favorite for freight on westward
voyages. Steel rails we reduce from
1874 por ton now, seyenty-iv per
cent, to twenty-five per cent. AS the
pool which has kept up so many years
in this country seems now disorganized,
tho other producers will soon need pro
lection more against Mr.. Carnegie at
Pittsburg, and Mr.. Stirling at Chicago,
than against foreign producers.
The residue Of the schedules varies
from 25 to 80 per cent, wood sc, ews be-
ing put at the latter figure. Iron beams
and girders are 50 per cent. because of
the waste in cutting beams and the
variety OF lengths and sizes and also of
the frequent necessity OF changing the
rolls in making beams and Orders, be-
cause Of the irregular quantities and
lengths and sizes OF orders. Tin plates
are reduced to 40 per cent, little more
than one half of tho Mckinley rate.
This is revenue duty, and although at
the same time enough to permit any
existing mills to live and flourish.
Cheaper grades OF pocket cutlery are
IS per cent, higher grades As. Table
cutlery is put at IS per cent. These are
very substantial reductions from present
rates. which, being specific, reach, in
some grades Of pocket cutlery, as high
as 90 per cent, but, with the release Of
taxes on raw materials, especially on
heart and ivory for handles. they seem
ample.
Both copper ores and pig copper are
made tree, we being large exporters of
the latter and the duty being only TO
enable the producers to sell higher to
our people than to foreigners. Nickel
is free. Lead ore has small duty Of
Is per cent. Pig lead l cent pound.
Silver lead ores are restored to the free
list. manufactured lumber is free.
Manufactured is put at % per cent,
with the proviso that If any export
duties arc charged on foreign lumber it
shall BIO admitted only at the rates now
existing.
DUTY ON REFINED SUGAR REDUCED.
Sugar has been difficult subject to
deal with. Raw sugar was transferred
to tho free list by the Mckinley bill