The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-15
PASS The TARIFF BILL
Advice Of the Naval Stores Men 70
Congress.

Chairman voorhees, of the Senate FL
nance Committee Sends Out a Circu-
Tar Letter Inquiring as to the Condi-
ton of Trade and Business Prospects
Generally - The Savannah Naval
Stores Factors Unite in a Reply
Giving Him the Benefit Of Their
Opinions.
A lengthy communication to Senator
Voorhees,, chairman Of the finance com
mittee of the Senate was mailed yester-
day by the Savannah naval stores factors.
The communication was in answer to a
circular letter sent out by Senator Eoor-
hees. as chairman of the finance commit
tee to representatives of the various
business interests throughout the Coun-
try in which a number of questions
are asked as TO the condition Of business,
the prices Of products as compared with
previous years, the prospects Of business
and the opinions of the persons addressed
upon pending legislation, ana as to how
such legislation will affect the business
interests in the lines in which they are
interested.
by J. p Williams & Company yesterday
morning. MIR. Williams regarded the
matter as important, and taking the cir
cular proceeded to interview the mem
bers of the various naval stores firms in
the city as to their views upon the ques-
tions propounded.
THE FACTORS VIEWS.
After obtaining a consensus of the
views of the factors, Mr. Williams pro
ceeded to reply to Senator voorhees,
questions. The reply was then sub
mitted to the naval stores factors in the
city, with the exception of one or two
who were not in their Offices when called
upon, and received their signatures, after
which it was forwarded to Washington.
MIR. Williams did not feel at liberty
when called upon by MORNING News re
porter yesterday afternoon to make pub
lie the reply without the consent of the
other signers. He made no objection,
however, to stating in substance the con-
tents of the reply.
I'VE replied, :" said Mr. Williams. sin
answer to the questions as to the prices
of our products. etc, that prices are dis
tressingly low and much lower than the
average for previous years.
We mentioned, however, that
the worst feature was not the
lON lIlCtS DIGAdHlIE. bub bAt EOLuIllG
stagnation of trade. A statement was
made showing that while the foreign con-
sumption of naval stores had been as
great as in previous years, there had
been an immense falling of in the domes-
tic consumption, which has been 30 10 30
per cent less than for the previous year.
ON ACCOUNT OF THE TARIFF BILL.
eve stated that, in our opinion, the I'M
satisfactory state of business was due en-
tirely to the uncertainty which has pre-
vailed for so long as to the action of con
gress upon the tariff, and the failure of the
democratic congress to pass the tariff
bill There is no question that this
Is the center of the whole trouble.
The banks are overlooking with
money on account of the lack of legiti-
mate investments, caused by the uncer-
tainty of business and manufacturing in
terests as to how these respective
interests will be affected by the new tariff
schedule. AS instances of the man
ner in which business is af-
fected by this uncertainty we men
toned that manufacturers who have
been accustomed to buy naval stores by
the thousand barrels are now order
ing in quantities by the hun
dred and less That instead of
stocks for the year as hereto
fore, manufacturers have merely bought
a weeks supply at the time
and are consuming much smaller quanti-
ties of materials and producing a smaller
output than in ordinary years. We urged
that immediate action upon the tariff
was an imperative necessity for the bust
ness interests of the country.
TRADE RELATIONS.
at was also stated that enlarged trade
relations with South American and east
ern countries are needed for the benefit
of our commerce and manufactures. On
the question of finance we stated that
we favored bimetallism under an interna-
tional agreement.
''On the question of pensions, we re
piled that in our opinion it was due to the
financial interests of the country that
heavy reductions be made in the
pension outgo, and that an expendi-
ture of $l75,000,O00 year for pen
sions was a burden which the country
could no longer afford to bear. The other
questions and answers were not of es-
pecial Importance. The reply chiefly
concerns itself with the staguation of
trade and the imperative necessity of
immediate action upon the tariff by con-
greSs.