The herald., 1894-03-04
OUR STEVE Gets THERE,
Notifications of the Wilson
Tariff Bill.
Protection Assured for Wines
and Dried Fruits.
Senator White Obtains Important
Concessions.
The Senate Finance Committee WIN Alss
Take Coal, Iron Ore and Lead
Ore OF the FREQ List.
Washington Notes.
By the Asnoois,ed Press.

By the Associated Press
WASHINGTON. March 3-The Demo-
cratic members of the finance committee
today continued their work on the Will
son bill, but did not make such progress
as to justify the chairman in calling a
meeting of the full committee for Mon
day. There is little room for doubt that
the committee has virtually decided
upon duty upon coal, iron ore, lead
ore and many other articles on the free
list in the Wilson bill, but the commit
tee refuse TO make an official announce
meDt until the bill is presented as a
whole.
Among other articles on which the
rates of duty have been decided upon
are wines and fruits and nuts. Senator
White Of California complained of the
rates fixed by the bill. The Wilson bill
provides that no still wines in caeks
should pay higher rate of duty than 10
per cent ad valorem. Senator White
represented to the committee that under
this provision cheap French clarets
would be admitted almost free, and he
secured the promise of an amendment
striking out the Rd valorem clause and
providing that such wines, when con-
tanning less than IA per cent alcohol,
shall be assessed at the specific rates of
80 cents, and those containing more
than IA per cent, 80 cents per gallon.
He has also obtained 9 concession
providing for duty on spirita
in which cherries are preserved.
The amendment will tax spirits at the
internal revenue rate, which puts do
mestic cherry preserves on an equal
footing with imported.
Important changes are also made in
the fruit schedule; practically all dried
fruits have been put on the same footing
as raisine, upon which a duty of / :
cents per pound is fixed by the Wilson
bill. As amended by the senate com
mlttee, the bill will raise Zante cur
rants, figs and prunes to this level.
Under the Wilson bill the rate on prunes
is 20 per cent ad vslorem, which would
be about q cent per pound; figs, about
l cent per pound. and Zante currants
about d cent per pound.
Senator White made an especial effort
in the matter of Zante currants, claim
ing that they were really grapes. and it
is understood he convinced the commit
tee of the correctness of his views. The
Greek minister has made vigorous pro-
tests against these changes on fruits,
but it 10 claimed that the duty rate
proposed 10 not 30 great as is imposed in
Greece upon the same importstions.
The members of the committee say
they agreed upon some schedules, but
decline to give out the fgures, as any
coaclusions reached may be subsequently
changed on account of the bearing the
rates in one schedule may have upon
another. They still have in mind the
ides of formulating what shall be in
most respects revenue bill. Some sem
ators who have been before the com nit
tee express the belief that their re-
quests ior higher rates of duties " i'll be
granted.
The advocates of duty on lead ore
have been assured by members of the
committee that duty of "a cent per
pound will be fixed on that article. This
is just one-half of the rate in the McKin-
lev tariff The Wilson bill made
it practically free. 1t is stated
upon the same authority that the pro-
vision in the Wilson bill objectionable
to lead ore men, which let's in Mexican
lead ore free, when mixed with silver,
and the ore is more valuable for eilvsr
than lead, will be stricken out. 1t ia
learned from the same source that lead
products will remain as fixed by the
house bill.
Unless the committee should change
it's decision coal and iron ore will be
given duty of 40 cents per ton.