The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-03
Probable Breakdown in the Attempt to
Destroy the Glass and Tin-Plate
Industries of Indiana.
WILSON BILL RATESTO STAND
Ad Valorem Duties to Be Substi-
tuted for the Specific System.
Senator Voorhees, Scheme for Benefit
ing the Whisky Trust-Sugar
May Yet Be Admitted Free.
,ecial to the indianapolis Journal.

Spec1al 10 the Indianapolis JOurntl.
WASHINGTON, March 2.-Col A. L. Con-
ger. of Akron. O.. who is largely interested
in manufacturing and lands in the natural
gas belt of Indiana and Ohio. and who has
been here two or three days quietly look
ing after the interests Of tin plate, glass,
iron and one or two items in the Wilson
tariff bill now before the Senate finance
committee left for his home this afternoon
He viii shortly return TO Washington and
keep his eyes on the bill until IT is finally
defeated or passed into law Just before
leaving the capital Colonel Conger stated
to the Journal correspondent that II the
bill was not materially amended by the SEN
ate so as to give some protection to i'm
portant interests and industries which have
been established in good faith under the
promises Of the Mckinley tariff law he be-
lieved il would be defeated on the final vote
Colonel Conger is unstinting in his praise
of the stand taken by Senator Brice against
features of this bin. which has been pre-
pared by "ex-confederate brigadiers. ideal
lists and dreamers in the interest OF the
South"
1t is believed that the bent OF the finance
committee to cut the throat Of the glass
and iron industries in Indiana and TO stab
the life out of the tin-plate factories which
have recently been established by a single
stroke has been somewhat checked. The
finance committee changed the specific du-
ties fixed by the House upon tin plate TO
an al valoren duty, which made another
serious cut. Through the intercesslon OF
Colonel Conger the Senate committee has
promised that while changing the duties
from specific to ad valorem it will not make
the duties lower than fixed by the House
Ntn
will levy upon imported tin plate and the
black plates from which tin plates are made
has not been finally decided. but il is stated
that it will be as nearly the same as that
fixed by the House as possible. which is
about one-half that in the present law.
THE GLASS SCHEDULE.
The finance committee. as heretofore in
dicated in Journal specials, agreed to cut
the duty on glass of all kinds down to 30
per cent. ad valorem, which is an average
reduction of about 50 per cent. from that
fixed by the Wilson bill and about 20 per
cent. below the duties imposed by the Nc
Kinley law. The last print of the bill now
in the hands of the finance committee fixes
a uniform ad valorem duty OF 30 per cent.
upon glass of all kinds. but the eyes Of
members of the finance committee have
been opened during the past few hours by
men from the natural gas belt in Indiana
and Ohio. who convinced the committee that
a duty of 30 per cent would result in the
immediate closing of all the glass factories
in this country; that nearly all OF the
money in glass ready for the market rep
resented labor. and that there was a much
greater difference between the wages paid
in this country and Europe than that repre-
sented by 80 per cent. duty upon glass.
In Ofn orIe ffa
that even a go per cent. uniform duty on
glass would not cover the difference be-
tween wages In this country and Europe,
and that any reduction in the glass duties
fixed by the bill as 1t passed the House
would simply destroy our industries at a
stroke. 1t is believed that the Senate COM
mittee will, while probably changing some
of the specific duties for polished plate
blown and other glass. make the ad valorem
duties about the same as the specific fixed
i'm the House bill, which, as everyone knows
are so low that radical reductions in wages
paid glass workers in the gas belt will have
to be made as soon as the law goes into
effect
Iron billets and various grades OF mer-
chant iron, such as is manufactured so
largely in Indiana and Ohio, and which is
made dutiable by the House bill at 22ls per
mittee to 20 per cent. ad vaIorem, which Is
a reduction OF over IL per cent. from the
duties fixed by the House and is less than
haIt the protection given by the present
law.
Wherever the Senate finance committee
proposes any increase of duties upon a raw
material IN the tariff bill ii makes a cor
responding reduction in manufactures from
that material For instance IL is proposed
10 place duty OF 20 cents per ton upon
iron ore and coal, and three-quarters OF a
cent upon lead in the ore Sharp reduc-
tons are therefore made from the House
figures in the iron schedule, and IL Is pro-
posed to put the products Of lead on the
free list This is protecting the mine own
ers. but minimizing the slight protection
given labOrers by the House bill II any
duty should be placed upon wool the very
life would be cut out Of wooden manufac-
lures
VOORHEES, AND THE WHISKY TRUST.
Chairman Voorhees, stated to-day that he
had not, as reported. lost his fight for an
increase of the whisky tax 70 $1.2O per gall
Ion and an extension Of the bonded period
to eight years. This is exactly what the
Whisky Trust and the Bourbon distillers
OF Kentucky and elsewhere want The
chairman Of the finance committee said
that when the bill becomes public II will
contain this increase Of the tax and this
extension OF the bonded period IL the Sen
ate votes for these provisions IL Is hoped
that the conference committee VIII reduce
the tax To S.l0 and fix the bonded period
at five or six years a compromise. Sen
ator Voorhees, proposes 10 make the fig
ures high enough to have margin upon
which TO trade in conference.
The plan is now 20 get the changes which
the kickers have demanded completed, 50
that the Democratic members OF TIE Sen
ate can view the measure between to-nOr-
row night and Monday morning III the dis
satisfaction expressed with the mOdlnczl-
ton is not 50 general and bitter as 10
threaten the fate OF the bill, the measure
viii be laid before the full finance COM
mittee on Monday Tuesday morning ana
given 10 the public, but If the kickeTs are
yet much dissatisfied, another conference
or caucus will be called.
The bill, IL stands, fixes single duty
OF cent a pound upon sugar OF all grades.
Since duties have been placed upon a NUM-
ber OF articles made free by the House
bill, and duties reduced upon manufactures
in a way 10 largely increase the revenues
under the law proposed, IL is found that a
duty for revenue upon sugar VIII not De
necessary, and IL is row simply a ques-
ton whether the provision in the bin as ~
stands will be allowed 10 remain or snall
be stricken out and all grades or sugar
be made absolutely free.
At the meeting OF the finance committee
to-day Senator Hin pleaded for protecuon
for the manufacturing interests OF the NcW
England States well as for New 1ofh.
as none of those States are Represented IN
the Senate by Democratic senator's 1nc
committee listened with apparent INTEREST