St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-04
THE TARIFF TINKERERS.
DEMOCRATIC SENATORS STILL UNABLE
TO AGREE ON BILL.


No Longer Any Doubt But That
the Senate Committee Has
Agreed On a Duty for Coal,
Iron Ore, Lead and Many Other
Articles on the Free List in the
Wilson Bill.
WASHINGTON. March 3.-The Demo.
cratic majority of the senate committee
on finance resumed its sitting this
morning with the intention, as one of
the members expressed it, of continuing
the days session until the bill should be
perfected so far as the committee can
perfect it. They have agreed upon
some OF the schedules, but decline to
give out any figures, as any conclusion
reached may be subsequently, changed
on account of the bearing that the
rates in one schedule may have upon
another. They still have in mind the
idea of formulating what shall be in
most respects revenue bill. Some
senators who have been before the com.
mittee express the belief that their re-
quests for higher rates of duties will be
granted. Members Of the committee
have asserted that if all the increases
asked for were granted, they would
have more revenue than Is necessary,
to which opponents of the income tax
have answered that this feature of
the bill might be eliminated, but the
majority of the committee will not as
sent to anything of the kind. The men,
bers of the committee continued their
work on the Wilson bill during the day,
but had not at the close of the sitting
made such progress as to justify the ,
chairman i'll calling n meeting of the
full committee for Monday. The mem
bers were quite as reticent as at any
previous time. and declined to give out
any information Of what has been ac-
complished or what
REMAINS TO BE DONE.
1t reunited to say that they found It
so great task as to render speedy
action Impossible, and that the whole
adjustment is so delicate as to make it
unsafe to make it public until the work
is entirely concluded.
There is no room for doubt that the
committee has virtually decided on
duty on coal. iron ore, slead ore and
many other articles on the free list IN
the Wilson bill, but the committee re-
fuse to make official announcement of
their conclusions upon these points
until the bin can be presented as a
whole. Some other articles ON which
rates of duties have been decided upon
are wines, fruits and nuts. Senator
nf Iaf Is e.
rates fixed by the house bill. The VIII
son dill, as it passed the house. provided
that no still wines in casks should pay
higher rate of duty than 10 per cent
ad yalorem. Senator White has repre-
sented TO the committee that under this
provision cheap French clarets would
be admitted almost free OF duty,
and he has secured promise
OF an amendment striking ont
the ad valorem clause and providing
that sucn wines, when containing less
than Il per cent OF alcohol, shall be as
seSSed specific rates CT 80 cents per
gallon, and those containing more than
IA per cent. so cents per gallon. He
has also obtained a concession provid.
Ing for duty upon spirits in which
cherries are preserved. Under the
present law preserved cherries are as
seSsed upon the value of the cherries
alone. The amendment secured will
TAX THE SPIRITS
at the internal revenue rates, which
Will put the domestic cherry preserves
on an equal footing with the imported.
Important changes have also been made
In the fruit schedule. Practically, all
dried fruits have been put on the same
footing as ralsins, upon which duty of
IL cents per pound was fixed by the
Wilson bill. This, as amended by the
senate committee, will raise Zante
eurrants. figs and prunes to this
level. Under the Wilson bill the
rate OH prunes is 20 per cent ad val
orem, which would be about 81 cent per
pound; figs, 2 per cent All valorem,
which is equal to cent per pound, and
Zante currants, l per cent ad vaiorem,
or about a cent per pound. Senator
White, of California. has made an
especial effort In the matter of Zante
currants, claiming that they were not
curran:s at all, but really grapes, and 1t
is understood has succeeded in convinc-
ing the committee of the correctness
of his views. Under the Mckinley law
these curraDts came In free. The Greek
minister mas made very vigorous pro-
tests 10 the committee against these
changes Gil fruits, but it is claimed that
the duty rate proposed 10 be provided is
not so great as is imposed in Greece
upon the same class OF importations.
Senator Smith was before the commit
tee during the greater part of the day
contending for protection for the manu-
featuring interests Of. New Jersey.