Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-14

iiftii y ihf. iNivNs
The house ways ana means committee
will meet today for the purpose OF for.
| mally considering the course To be pur-
! sued in revising the tariff. the work of
| which it is proposed to proceed with at
once. 1t is understood to be the mtcn-
| tion TO begin the hearings with the holi-
day recess ana continue through the
holidays. TO prevent them from drag
| ging along indefinitely a limited time
may be assigned for testimony relating
TO each of the most important schedules
obviously this will be necessary if the
committee expects to frame bill during
the present session. which appears to
be the plan. Two weeks ought TO be
ample time for the hearings.
According to Washington dispatches
have been practically decided on already
by the republicans. 1t is said that those
schedules of the existing law which have
proved satisfactory will not be dis
turbed. Among these the cotton sched-
ule is likely to remain unchanged.
Having been guarded by democratic
protectioniStS in the senate that schedule
has been satisfactory to manufacturers
and operatives and the duties being
specific are in accord with republican
policy. OF course the ad valorem fca-
lures of the present law viii b. very
largely done away with and the most
satisfactory and conclusive reason for
doing this will be found in the expert
rncC with ad valOrcm duties during the
past two years. This iudcfcnSblr SyS-
tenn, which is excluded from the tariff
laws of all other countries but this, has
deprived the treasury of many millions
of dollars through undcrvaluatiOns. 1t
is an incentive to fraud. by which the
government is robbed and great in
justice done to our own manufacturers.
Ad valOrcm duties may he necessary in
some cases. but they should never be
employed where specific duties are prac-
ticable. Not only do the latter protect
the treasury against fraud, but they
greatly simplify the collection of Gus
toms and reduce the cost. since fewer
officials are required in the service
In regard to reciprocity. it is said that
there may be established two schedules
of articles on which concessions are de-
sired from other CountricS-One schedule
for goods when imported from other
countries which agree to reciprocity
treaties, the other schedule for those
which do not. This feature of the new
tariff will have to be very carefully AZ
ranged in order to make it successful.
because conditions have somewhat
changed since the reciprocity policy of
1890 went into effect. Merely restoring
that policy would probably not en0bie us
to renew reciprocity agreements with
some of the countries which then en-
t"red into them. There is reason to be |
lievc that most of the American COuu- |
tries will he found favorabIy disposed |
toward the principle and it is not I'M |
likely that some European countries may |
be induced to accept ii. At any rate n |
reciprocity system will be formulated |
ard if enacted into law there can be no
doubt that the next administration will !
22alouSly urge it upon the acceptance Of
those countries with which the United
states shall desire commercial reci-
pocity.
Tho disturbing question is whether
after the republicans have prepared a
bin revising the tariff they can secure
It's passage by the senate There is cor
tainly ground for apprehension as to