New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-11
THE QUESTION OF REVENUE.
EFFECT OF THE TARIFF BILL REVISION.
SOME sANGUINE DEMOCRATS SAY TIE MEAS
IRE WILL YIELD ENOUGH TO MEET
EXPENSES INCONSISTENCIES IN THE
GLOVE SCHEDULES.
by TELEGRAPH TO The TRIBUNE.

GLOVE SCHEDULES.
BY rE1RGRAPH TRIBJSE.-
Washington. March 10.-The meeting OF the
Senate Finance Committee this morning to con-
slider the revise" Of the Wilson bill reported by
the Democratic members was rather brief and IN
decisive nothing being done toward determining
the time TO be given to the bill liz full committee
AS four Senators. Messrs Mcpherson and Vance,
of the majority, and Messrs. sherman ana
Jones (Nevada). of the minority. were absent
definite settlement was postponed until Monday.
The indications are, however. that the Repuoii-
cans on the committee will be allowed to eX-
anime the bill as carefully as they wish, and 10
frame any amendments which they desire 10
suggest before the measure is reported to the
Senate and placed on the calendar.
The chief interest expressed to-day in the COM
mittee concerned the amount OF revenue likely
to be derived from the bill as it now stands;
and 1t was found that the Treasury experts en-
gagged In estimating the receipts on the basis of
last years collections were still unable 10 sub
nit definite figures. The Democratic Free Trade
leaders, who have yielded reluctantly 10 the de-
mands of the Conservatives for higher duties
for the benefit Of various special interests. are
now making the best they can of their surrender
by asserting that the new rates will increase
s4O00O.OOO and s5OOOo,OOO 1t is claimed rather
sanguinely. that the revise" will yield $780,
0oO which will be almost If not quite, sufficient
TO meet the annual expenses of the Government.
The question Of estimated revenues will be more
carefully investigated, however. before the bill
gets out of the Finance Committee
AS the revise is subjected to minute In
spection. fresh blunders and Inconsistencies are
daily discovered in its schedules. so far as Gus
toms are concerned The theory Of the trainers
of the Wilson bill has been. presumably. to re-
duce taxation on articles of general and popular
use. while retaining comparatively higher duties
articles of finer quality and restricted con-
sumption The glove schedule of the bill is now
discovered to be glaringly in conflict with this
asserted principle raising. as 1t does, duties on
gloves of cheaper grades and general consump-
ton while lowering the rates on the more eX-
pensive importatiOnS.
The glove schedule is understood TO have been
prepared by a leading firm of importers in New
York City which deals almost exclusively in
the higher grades of gloves, and which was
consequently quite willing TO let the domestic
manufacturers of the lower grades have even
greater protection than under the Mckinley law,
If the charges the more expensive foreign
grades were materially decreased.
The women's and childrens gloves most gener-
ally worm for instance. are the cheap four and
six-button suedes "Of sheep origin" according
to the technicaties of the schedules. BY the
Mckinley law these gloves pay an ad Valorem
duty Of 80 per cent on each dozen pairs; but IN
the Wilson bill the ad valorem duty reversing
the general tendency Of the revisers to abolish
specific rates, Is altered to specific duty; ana
the tax on a dozen pairs is fixed at 81 10. SUICIDES.
r-button, under fourteen inches. now cost
abroad IL francs per dozen pairs less 10 per cent
discount. or about 81 81. The Mckinley ad va
loren duty on them would amount to sc cents.
while the specific duty in the Wilson bill as 1t
stands now, is 81 10, equivalent TO an al valorem
rate of 81 per cent. Sx-button suedes. over four
teen inches in length can be imported now for
about 81 10. and at the Mckinley rate OF duty
would be taxed 81 05 per dozen pairs. But the
Wilson BILL as approved by the Senate revisers,
imposes on the sX-button suedes specific duty
of 81 75 or 131 per cent ad valorem-nearly three
times as heavy charge as that imposed in the
present law. The rates. on all other and higher
grades Of Gives are substantially reduced.
protest against this peculiar and one-sided
arra ngement OF duties has been made to the
committee and the whole glove schedule will be
sought 10 be amended when it comes before the
Senate.