The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-24
TARIFF IN BERMUDA
BUSINESS ON THE ISLANDS HELPED
by DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATION.
The People Did Not Like the McKin-
ley Bill Because They Paid the Tux
"A Happy and Peaceful Land.
Washington Correspondence Philadelphia

Washington Correspondence Philadelphia
Representative Dalzell, of Pittsburg. who
has just returned from a trip to Bermuda,
gives an interesting account of his visit to
those islands. When the Wilson tariff bill
was under consideration in the ways and
means committee of the House a delegation
from appeared before the commit
tee to ask for a reduction of the duties on
potatoes, onions and other products of Ber-
muda. That delegation. by demonstrating
that Bermuda paid the duties under the
Mckinney tariff bill on the products of the
islands sent to the United States, proved a
thorn in the side of the Democratic free
traders.
Mr.. Wadson and Mr.. Masters. two of the
members of the Bermuda House of Assem-
bly,, conclusively proved that the increased
duties under the Mckinley act had been
paid, so far as Bermuda products were con-
cerned, by the people of that country, and
that it amounted practically to a tax of $40
per capita. Chairman Wilson and other
Democratic members of the committee put
the Bermuda delegates through a cross-ex-
animation of a rather severe nature, with a
view of discrediting the statements that the
producers in Bermuda paid the duty, in
stead of the consumers in the United States.
But these efforts utterly failed, as the dele
gates showed that the prices of their prod
ucts in New York had not increased any to
consumers, notwithstanding the large in
crease in duties. Delegate Masters said: II
know that during the latter part of the
present season QS93) the shipment of some
| 10000 boxes of onions to New York paid
some SO cents a box duty and the freight
was Is cents. They sold for about 60 cents.
There was clearly a loss, and they brought
us in debt. If we did not pay the duty, who
did:|' The Democrats were a good deal con-
founded by the statement of these dele
gates, who put their request squareiy on the
ground that Bermuda bought the principal
part Of her supplies from the United States
and that 81 per cent. of her exports came
to this country, and they ought to receive
some favor in lower duties on those prod,
ucts. But the delegates perSistenly refused
to accept the Democratic theory that the
consumer in the United States, instead of
| the foreign producer, paid the tax, so iar as
| Bermuda was concerned.
When Mr.. Dalzell registered at the 5ote-
ceived a cali frum Mr.. Masters and Mr..
Watson, the two delegates who had APP
peared before the ways ana means ca cogn mav
to make it pleasant for Mr.. Dalzell and his
wife, which greatly contributed to the pleas,
ure of their visit in Bermuda Mr.. Dalzell
was made an honorary member of the yacht
club, and leading society. people called on
him and his wife at the hotel, and invited
them to various society gatherings, and
the PittSburg member has come back quite
charmed med with with the Berm anntnrte Re io says ys neat
pie in his life. AS nearly all of their trade
is with the United States, this being their
vegetables, they have a very friendly feel
ing toward the people of this country. and
If the Mckinley act had been maintained
they would have been anxious to become a
part of the Republic. But If they can have
ask. The Wilson tariff bill has helped them
in that respect. The duty on onions was
cut down one-half. The duty on potatoes
rrno 06rroa roo r1x n tho co ma nvfnn nnd
so on with other articles. AS a result. the
imports from the Bermudas in February.
month this year the imports were s11, 1881,
an increase of about 200 per cent. in i'm
Creased IS s per u cent. This is the same story
of the effect of the Wilson tariff act, as
statistics with other countries show, and
no wonder the BermudaS feel grateful to
the United States for this favor.
PAY NO TAXES.
Mr.. Dalzell relates how the residents of
Bermuda boast that they do not have to
pay any taxes, because their revenues are
all raised from import duties. Mr.. Hastings,
formerly of Ohio, and now a large land
owner in Bermuda, although his farm con-
sists only of fifty acres, boosted to Mr..
Dalzell that his taxes last year amounted
to only $3.50. Outside of the poor rates, the
revenues are derived almost altogether from
custom duties, and thus the people feel
that they escape taxation. AS only one
man was in the poorhouse last year. the
poor rates were by no means oppressive.
Bermuda imposes specific duties on cattle,
cigars, cigarettes, tobacco, snuff, and spirits,
while all other articles pay a 5 per cent.
duty, with the exception of coal, and fresh
liquors pay $40 a gallon, wines 20 per cent.
ad valorem. tobacco u cents a pound, and
cigarettes rs cents a pound. AS the popula-
ton of the islands in 1892 was only $3.50,
OF whom 5,sOs were whites. and the re-
eminent are not very large. The system of
raising all the revenues from custom duties,
which gives SO much satisfaction in Bermu-
da, is the system the Democrats have been
trying to o%verturn in the United States
by imposing direct taxes by way of income
Mr.. Dalzell says he never met a people
so .contented and so free from desire to
the world. There is only one paper, a week
ly, published in the Bermudas, and that
9oes not not s get mar any yor telegi q f1nn, d Na%s, 9oar
the only persons that show any desire
for the New York NEWSPAPERS are the Amer
islands seem to have no concern as to
what is going on outside of their domain.
The colored men are IN intelligent class
of people and make up the mechanics of
the islands. The pilots are also all col
ored men: There is little opportunity for
Bermudas owing to the limited extent of
land fit for cultivation. Although there are
of them are inhabited. The area of the
islands is twenty square. miles. composing
lHSlN6 ItuiluIeQ dCIeS, Jul lHouSduu Oh
which, according to a British return, are
under cultivation. But the delegates who
appeared before the ways and means COM
mittee testified that there were only 2.422
acres of arabic land, which was worth
from $50 to $500 per acre. The best land
is worth over $500 per acre. When the dele
gates appeared before the ways and means
Committee they testified that there was
a decrease in the value of land in Ber-
muda as a result of the Mckinley act.
But under the Wilson bill there has been
an increase owing to the greater profits
made because of the reduced duties under
the Wilson bill. There is not much OPP
portunity for increasing the product, ex-
cepting by a better system of cultivation,
the use of more fertilizers. which increases
the cost of production. But the increase
in the value of land in Bermuda contrasted
with the decrease in the United States is
significant.
A DELIGHTFUL CLIMATE.
The latitude OF the Bermuda islands is
about the same as that of Charleston, S.
c.. But there is never any frost in the
islands, and, while the maximum reading
of the thermometer is about eighty-five
and it's minimum forty-nine, the mean an
mail fop7uarofura 10 seventy dapraac or6