New-York tribune., 1896-12-27
FRAMING A NEW. TARIFF.
THOROUGH AND PRACTICAL WORK
WILL BE DONE
PUBLIC HEARINGS BY THE WAYS AND MEANS
COMMITTEE TO BEGIN Tc-MoRRow-IN.
FORMATION FROM EVERY AvAILA-
BILE SOURCE WELCOME
CHAIRMAN DINGLEY's
STATEMENT.


CHAIRMAN pINaLEY's
STATEMENT.
fpr TELEGRAPH rRIsuNEl
Washington. Dec. 26.-On Monday morning at
10 o'clock the Committee on Ways and Means
Will begin publicly to collect the materials for
,be foundation Of a new tariff law. and will
prosecute the work from day to day Except on
Sundays and New Years Day. until January
H. 1897 when tho public hearings will he closed
and not reopenod. While these hearings VIII
place the committee in possession Of large fund
OF information and facts especially in regard to
the destructive effects Of the Act of 1874 II Is
~ no means TO he supposed that such facts and
Information alone will bc sufficient to enable
the committee to frame revenue measure.
Although there seems to be a contrary impress
sion in many quarters. it is a fact that every
statement made TO the Ways and Means COM
r,,tee hv interested persons will he carefully m
yestieated and tested to its trustwor'hiness
s. far as practicable. and will receive only so
much weight as IL deserves. II Is obvious 'ha'
ms IS the only safe course to pursue nasmu'h
IS most Of the information given to the commit
,eo either orally in writing. VIII be eN-
,arte in form. This much may properly hH Sald
without 'mNuEning the motives or hon'S'V OF
r,en who NAV app'ar before the committee
ether IN their ovr rchalf or as the representa-
,ives cf .~Srst,ies ~ which they are interested
The committee will, und"ubt'alv seek ana ne
.,o5 ~ Obtain information from very available
e,d trustworthy .ource. ~ 20 is reason Il be-
,,ave that II expects 10 vecei." much and valna-
-, aid from officers Of ovpcri,nc in the Gus oms
r,.ice csreciallv ~ 're appraisers DEPART
won't Narv Of theso officials have had 10 dea
vith The administration i seterai dli'ereh'
tariffs aud have ohs2', ID the effects OF varying
rates Of duty. specific &c we'll as ad 'alren|
10th or the revenue ard or The domestic manu-
facturer or producer Their fufies require them
70 be close careful and thor ugh students ana
- know, ae Yearly as nay re 2scertaihed' inc
,asi = production as well as the prices in fo.eien
countries ot the goods covered by the invoices
they handle.
ONE GREAT ADVANTAGE ENJOYED
There are also other sources Of trustworthy in
formation e which he committee VIII be care
f,l 20 avail itseif. II will enjoy one advantage
that no othc- v-ays and Means Committee has
enioved. in addition to having access to all the
Information cleaned by its predecessors. Ihis
was tersely stated by Chairman Dngey IN con-
xersat;on with a Tribune correspondent To-Day
He said:
The committee will not he "bhSed 10 waste
any time upon theories l believe fhat - d
eaff ID
,ation-eomething that will protect American
industries and AZ the sam" time bring III SUM-
c,ent revenue for the support If the Govern
,Oar, with what it receives from other sources
We mus get as near as practicable 10 basis
of sneciec duties That IS proposition upon
..bicb T believe almost everybody now STANDS
agreed Some Of the worst and most destructive
schedules Of he existing law are :" h"' 81
much because the nominal rates are 100 'o"' d.
hecause half of the protection fhHy ouSh- 10 az
ford as well as a very large proportion ol uhe
revenue they ought to yield. has been s"ePt
avav by fraudulent undervaluatons n,ade pia'
ticable and easy by the operauoh u '"o "'
valorcm system. ,, :, on
Of course. ii will not he practicable IN al
eases 10 prescribe n specific rate. nor IN eNetH
case where it may he found commi,tee
problen1 be an easy one. and IL Inc 'oiii'iii" -.
ebau ho abb, 20 complete tn" preiai id'loA a.
early as March 3. 1897 Of sucn tarlii olI a. a.
Chairman Dingley at least, alpeapd g. n.,in,ed
mind ii will deserve hearty ana unsuh'eu
praise. -
NO DISAGREEMENT AS TO RECIPROCITY
Within the last few davs several publications.
,.ve anneared which purported TO give the views
of the 1aiority Of the committee as To certain
features of the proposed bill. such puthcauohs
ebor1d he generally discreditcd. All OF the as
cussions and suggestions thus far nave "Ve" 0'
The most informal and tentative nature 'o"'-"
larlv enough. however. one OF 'he P''o'''
reports referred TO was that thei" ""S ~
sgreement among the Republlcan meHl"eiS "
,h. subject Of reciprocity the Eastern 'i'e''
hers being inclined 20 oppose II --"he"' d.
..or of fact no sign Of such disagreement
- 80 hos anneared and at least one Eastern
Iar ~ Of the committee had suggested ma, si
i, might be found practicable to add sG 'n nf re- re-
~ arficles which were made the oaSHo "l -
% % go q" aprennents by the Act o1 lN.' ,
Tbere is one other matter resardins wn'on nan'
,hare is no difference Of opinion among 'i.'tI ~ ~
neIa VI ,ha, al imported merchandise IN bonueo
srnhose on and after the date of me prPiPbsSu
law whether entessd for consunpdsTtM pd,'tn whether
,,te,ed before or after the law takes eaeco e.
,honebt that such provision would Inesy- ny
rshlv check speculative importa,ionMS M amu arded
,Iirg which would do that wouio pe ioo"'
"a ..'.7 -, only expedient. but necessary