Evening journal., 1894-03-06
TARIFF COMPLICATIONS
Finance Committee Finds the
Situation Very Complex.
TIE BILL ONCE MORE DELAYED.

Gated by Concessions. but the Sugar Men
Are Hard to suit Debate on the Pension
Appropriation Bill ia the House.
WASHINGTON, March 8.--The Wilson tar
iH bill has been the subject Of au earnest |
consultation among the senators. 1t has |
reached a certain stage OF completeness, |
and vet, like a complicated piece of ma
chinery, it may be thrown out OF gear by |
one single article or wheel. In the tariff |
bill that article is sugar and IL was gener- |
ally understood that if definite agree
ment could be reached on this article it |
would then be possible TO agree upon
everything else, and the bill could be re-
ported without delay.
II is understood that by mutual conces-
sions and frequent consultations the de-
mands made by those Democratic senators
who opposed the bill in the form in which
It was first presented have been met and
tentatively agreed upon, but even these
agreements are subject to the approval of
the treasury department and the needs of
the government in the matter Of revenue.
Carlisle Lends Hand.
Secretary Carlisle had been with the
members Of the committee most of the day
and met withkhem again in the evening
20 discuss and compare changes. While
| these concessions have been made and the
| members of the finance committee and the
| Obiectng senators have found a middle
| gronnd, there yet remains the matter OF
sugar, and the difficulties surrounding an
agreement upon this are the greatest that
the tariff makers have TO contend with.
The Louisiana senators have one plan
which does not meet with favor by the re
/ fners. The plan of the refners is objection
able to the Louisiana senators. A sugges-
tion has been made that an ad valorem tax
be laid, and the refiners have said to the
committee that this would afford them no
| protection. Some senators. looking toward
concession. have said that if an ad valorem
rate is not just TO reiiners adilferential one
be made in their favor. This is stubborn
ly resisted by those who claim that an ad
valorem rate would afford them a just pro
lection, as the higher price Of the refined
sugar would necessitate greater tax when
imported than the raw sugars.
Like wheel within wheel, IL appears
also that the proposition for an increased
tax on whisky is mixed up with the pro
posed duty on sugar.
II the latter is agreed to- the necessity for
an increased whisky tax disappears. For
this reason those who have been insisting
upon increases in the whisky tax are not
favorable to a sugar tax.
One of the senators who was openly Op-
posed to the Wilson bill as II was amended
by the senate subcommittee and who was
active in the caucus said that the outcome
was matter of considerable doubt.
Situation Is Delicate.
"Had the bill made equal reductons,n -
he said "and had no attempt been made
to give some special interests an advantage,
we could not complain. But when il was
| proposed TO protect the Louisiana sugar
men we could not sit still and see interests
in our states suffer. This led to the eau.
Gus, and it was there shown how unjust il
would be to make the bill protective in one
locality alone IL may be that the conces.
sions which have been made will be agreed
to and that the treasury department will
find them satisfactory, and yet one littl,
thing may result in undoing all that has
been done and the Wilson bill be reported
very much in the form It came over"
"Then there would be a fight in the sen
atei"
eyes, and the biggest that has occurred
for years But the whole matter is on such
a delicate ground that a rejection by the
senate of one of the points in dispute might
, |
also kick over what the senate does. We
hope. however that we are going to reach
an adjustment which will settle the mat
ter"
1t is understood that the committee haC
. also been giving attention TO the tobacco
i | schedule in the internal revenue bill dur
, ing the day, AMI that the internal revenu,
commissioner was before them to MAKE
. suggestions concerning rates and the meth
cd of collecting this as well as other taNel
in this part of the bill.
The committee is having trouble to sat
, isfy the manufacturers with the rate o
> this tax, as they are urging that if there i
to be an increase il shall be placed at 4
| cents, because their machinery, which i
! expensive, is made TO produce package
corresponding with either a or y cen
tax 1t is stated that the committee ha
increased this tax to 10 cents
a Senators Jones, Mcpherson and Yes
4 continued their work on the Wilson bill a
G the capitol until late last night, but di,
{ not get the bill in shape to suit them an,
- stopped with the intention Of resuming tn
c work this morning They announced a
{ the conclusion of the meeting that the bill
e would not be in shape to be reported to tn
full committee today It has been foun,
that some of the amendments made are no
consistent with the main portions of tn
a bill. and many corrections have been foun
n necessary at the last hour. This work
k consuming much of the time of the CON
z mittee, as well as that which it is necessar
5 to give to the fixing of rates on the disput
e ed items.
In House and Senate.
WASHINGTON, March 6.-The senate hel
n a short session, and but little business G
ip,nortauce was transacted A brief Il,