The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-25
CHANGES IN. The TARIFF
House Bill Will Be Pure Reynue
Measure.
ARTICLES IN THE INCREASE
Carpet and Woods win Be Restored TO the
Mckinley Ratcs-Sugar Schedule
Alone Exempted-The
Bond Bill.

Washington, Dec 24.-"Let the coun-
try understand" said a leading Re-
publican member Of the ways and
means committee to a United Press
reporter today, that the bill we shall
present to the house on Thursday Is a
pure revenue measure, hurriedly pre-
pared to meet any exigency in our ma
tional finances and in response to the
presidents plea that some measure for
relief must be accorded by congress.
There has been no attempt at tariff re-
vision. Our measure is purely a reve-
nue. measure" The correctness of this
declaration was shown by the action
of the committee today in declining to
hear Judge William Lawrence. of Ohio,
president of the National Wool Grow
ers' association, who desired to be
heard In support of a higher rate on
wool than that previously agreed upon.
Repeated applications have been made
to the committee in it's collective and in
dividual capacity. from eastern manu-
facturers who have deprecated party
action in the preparation Of the bill,
that postponement in its preparations
be had Cuntil their arguments could be
presented. To all thttse applications
the committee have turned deaf ear
and the bill will have the unusual dis
tinction of being presented to the house
as the sole result of the committees
labor uninfiuenced by outside consid-
erations.
At this afternoons session of the Re-
publican members Of the committee
several changes were made in the rates
agreed upon yesterday. When an ad-
Journment was had at o'clock the
frame work Of the bill had been COM
pleted and nothing remained but to put
1t In proper form. At yesterdays met
ing 1t was decided that farm products
including live stock should enjoy a 25
per cent. horizontal increase over the
present law, because of the ruinOus
competition which the granger element
along the northern frontier claimed to
suffer from their Canadian neighbors
across the line. This led some of the
eastern members today to ask cores
ponding Increase on manufactures of
iron and steel. This precipitated a
spirited discussion in which the COM
mitee divided practically on geographi-
cal lines, the western men strongly op-
posing higher rate than 10 per cent.
After some debate an agreement was
reached that the agricultural schedule
should be placed in the same category
as the other schedules namely, at Is
per cent. horizontal increase. This was
the only serious difference Of the day
and 1t was speedily settled.
Sugar Alone Exempted.
The sugar schedule alone Is exempted
from change. 1t was not deemed mex
pedient to include sugar in the horizon
tai increase owing to the embarrass-
ments which might arise from increas-
ing the differential duty on refined
sugars.
The most important change made at
today's session was that relating to
carpet woods, which. in the new bill,
will be restored to the Mckinley rate.
On all woods the duty as stated In the
United Press dispatches last night will
be sixty per cent. of the Mckinley law
with the compensatory duty on the
manufactured product also sixty per
cent. of the previous law. The dut- on
all grades of lumber will be placed at
sixty per cent. Of the Mckinley law.
The bond bill was completed today and
will be sent tonight to the government
printing office. Both it and the reve-
nue. bill will be laid before the full COM
mittee at II o'clock tomorrow morning
When the committee adjourns the
Democratic members will hold secret
session. at which they will decide up
on the policy to be pursued by them
when the two measures are called up in
the house. Both bills. as has been pre-
viously reported, will be presented to
the house on Thursday. The commit
tee on rules will report and pass
through the house a resolution setting
aside Thursday for consideration of the
tariff bill and Friday for the bond
measure.
1t may be said in passing that this
latter bill is understood to have the ap.
proval of Secretary Carlisle and conse-
quently of the president as WELL The
bond bill Is simple in it's details. II
provides for the issuance Of bonds in
terest and principal payable in coir
and redeemable at the option of the
government at the end Of five years.
1t changes the rate of interest in the
act of 1875 under which bonds are now
issued to 3 per cent. which is also the
rate of interest tina. the $50. 600, 900 coup.
pom certificates of Indebtedness, which
will be used only to meet the deficit
In the treasury will also bear. The pro.
vision is also made in the bond bill re.
garding the legal tender notes. The
bill by simply separating the redemp.
tion fund from the general assets Of the
treasury puts it I'm the power of the
secretary of the treasury temporarily
to isolate the legal tenders when re.
deemed.
The two bills will go into effect upor
their passage and remain in operation
until August l, 1898.