Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-05-11
FRANK aURD ON TARIFF.
The Father Of Free Trade Talks About
the Revised Wilson Bill.

the Revised wilson Bill.
TOLEDO, O., May 4.-Ex-Congressman
Frank Hurd, whom Ohio democrats have
chosen to designate as the father of the
free trade movement in this country, says
the tariff bill now in the United States
senate will pass about the first week in
June. Mr.. Hurd has just returned from
Washington, and as he is within the pale
of the leaders of the democracy his ut
terances are supposed to carry much
weight. Mr.. Hurd says that while the
tariff bill which will be adopted by the
senate will not be wholly in accordance
with his well-known views as to unre-
stricted commerce, he regards the pros
pective passage OF compromise measure
as notable victory for democracy and
freedom over system that has been
fortified by forty years of protection.
1.-THE principal changes that have been
made in the schedules of the bill as it
passed the house," said Mr.. Hurd,
"were In the duties on sugar, coal, iron
and lead ores. There can be no good
reason from revenue standpoint for i'm
posing duty ON coal and ores, inasmuch
as the amount of revenue derived from
these will, on account of their bulk, be
very small. Nor from the protection
standpoint is there much reason for a
duty on coal and on iron ores. There is
little doubt that if Goa was on the free
list Canada would remove the duty she
imposes on that product, which duty, it
is claimed, is retaliatory duty. So far
as iron ores are concerned the foreign
ores brought into this country are i'm.
ported to compete with American ores,
and by commingling them in process OF
manufacture to produce the best results.
l am convinced that if all foreign ores
were admitted free it would largely in
crease both production and consumption
of American ores."
In regard to sugar Mr.. Hurd says
"Sugar is essentially revenue article.
The rule for imposing duties in rev.
enue tariff is to levy them ON articles not
produced in this country, like tea and
coffee. A duty on these articles, when
collected, goes entirely to the govern
ment, and in it there can be no protec
ton, because no tea OF coffee is produced
here. But as it was not proposed in the
Wilson bill as it passed the house to tax
either tea or coffee the duty should be
! imposed on those articles which will
bring the largest and most certain rev
enue to the government. OF these the
most prominent is sugar. The tariff op
crates to increase the price OF the article
taxed. This increase goes to the govern
ment and to the American producer
whose business is sought to be protected
Suppose the increase OF price, through 8
duty, to be $l00, 900. 900 per year and
that the increase grows out of the duty
on wool and the products of wool or iron.
The government would receive of this
sum SIC, 600 600 and the protected inter
est about $90,000,000. But if the duty
was imposed upon sugar the $4,000,
600 would go into the United States
treasury and the 100000 900 to the pro.
tected sugar growers. 1t is manifest
therefore, that for the purpose of revenue
duty should be imposed first upon sugar
providing tea and coffee remain un-
touched; and this is in accordance with
the rule laid down by writer's on the
subject, that the less the production of Il
given article in a country the higher
should be the duty on similar foreign
article"