The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-01-01
MORE REVENUE.
Dingley's Bill Passes the House
with Votes to Spare.
Report of the Ways and Means Commit
tee-A Short Debate - Voted ON
Party Lines, eos to SI-The
Bond Measure.

Thursday responded to the appeal Of
the president by passing tariff bill,
the operation of which is limited to
two and half years, and which is de-
signed to raise $40, 900 for the re-
lief of the treasury. The bond bill
will be passed Friday. The vote was
on party lines, with two exceptions.
The republicans all voted for the bill
except Hartman (Mont.), who did rot
vote, and the democrats and populists
against it, save Newlands (pop., Nes.),
who voted in favor of the measure.
The especial order under which The
bill was brought to a vote at five O'Clock
in the evening. after three and half
hours of debate, was iron-clad in ITS
character, and compelled the members
to adopt or reject it without opportu-
nifty o. Offering amendments of any
kind.
Immediately after the reading of rhe
journal Mr.. Dingley, chairman of the
ways end means committee, reported
from that committee the revenue bill
which the speaker forthwith referred
to the committee of the whole house.
The Committees Report.
In presenting the bill to the house
Mr.. Dingley made the following report
of the ways and means committee:
THE committee on ways and means to
whom was referred so much of the presi-
dents annual message and so much of
the ann ual report of the secretary of the
treasury as relates to revenue and the
condition of the treasury and also the
presidents special message presenting
the urgency of immediate action Of COLI
gress IN a direction calculated to bring
relief, report, that the committee appreci-
ate the seriousness of the situation and the
Importance of prompt remedies so far as
congress can give them.
The report then goes on to review the
growing deficiency of the past two years
and a Lalf and says that IF the con-
sequences Of sucL chronic deficiency were
only the necessity of borrowing money
to meet current expenses in time of pea.e,
even this would AFFORD abundant reason
for Incl easing the revenue. But the con-
sequences are more wide reaching than
that u1sufiicicncy of revenue has made II
necessary to use the redeemed United
States legal tender notes TO pay current
expenditures, and thus to supply aGdf-
tional means to draw gold from the green
back redemption fund-in short, to create
the endless chain of which the secre-
tary of the treasury complains and which
has made il necessary TO sell issue after
issue of bonds 10 repienish the reserve.
Want to Increase Revenues S4O,OOO,OOO.
Your committee believes that it is the
duty of t-e house of representative to
which body the constitution commits the
Inauguration of revenue bills, to frame and
pass a measure that will yield not far
from $40. Uo0, 000-sufhcient to put an end to
the deficiency-and to do this without de-
lay, too. leaving to others whose cooper
alton is required to finally place such legis-
lation on the statute books to meet the re-
sponsbility in their own way. And the
presidents SPECIAL message, setting forth
SO pointedly the seriousness Of the situa-
ton and the necessity for the promptest
action only emphasizes the duty of the
mouse.
Your committee have not undertaken
a general revision of the tariff on protess-
ton lines, as a majority hope can be done
In 1879 not only because they know that
sucl tariff legislation would stand no
chance of becoming law, but also because
general tariff revision would require many
months and the need is more revenue at
once. We believe, however, that this need
of more revenue is so great that a simple
measure increasing all duties of the dutia-
bic list, and taking from the free list of the
present tariff few articles that were always
on the dut4able list until August q, 1884, and
which have always been important revenue
producers, and limiting the operation of
Sucu I0ElSiallOU 10 dpOUl lWO years anu 4
hali-until the present deficiency Of revenue
is overcome-ought to receive the approval
even Of those who do not favor protective
duties, on patriotic grounds; and that the
fact that 1t may incidentally encourage
the production of many articles that we
require at home instead of abroad will not
be regarded as ground of opposition
under present circumstances.
A Horizontal Increase of Duties.
But while we have presented in the
brief measure reported a horizontal in
crease of Is per cent of existing duties on
all the schedules but two. which is an
addition of less than eight per cent to the
average advalorem rate - giving about
5000, 00e revenue from that source: yet
more than s25, 900 900 of the $40, 900 900 which
is estirIated this bill will add to our an
nual revenue, will come mainly from wool.
which is taken from the free list
and given moderate duty, and
from manufactures of wool, which are
given a compensatory duty equivalent to
the duty of wool (Which is always neces-
sary when a duty is placed on wooD in
order to give the wool s. rover the benefit,
and make it possible to manufacture
woolens at home.
The bill reported by our committee pro-
poses to make the duty on imported cloth
ing wool 90 per cent. of the duty imposed
by the act of 1890. which would give IAN
equivalent of 6-10 of a cent per pound
on unWashed wool. or ABOUT ~ per cent
ad valorem. This reduction from the duty
of the act of 1880 has been made because
the restoration of the full duty in that
act might seem to be too great change
from the present law to those whose CO.
operation 1t is necessary to secure In or
der to have any legislation and not
measure of what might be done when
all branches of the government are In
harmony with the majority of the house
on protection lines The duty on manu-
features of wool Is Incl eased by a spe-
cific duty equivalent to the duty on wool.
THE duty on carpet woods Is left at the
H per centum ad valorem where II was
placed In 1880. This 70 a purely revenue
duty, as we raise very few carpet woods.
Such lumber as was placed on the free
list by the act Of 1890. without the slight
est justification, Is restored to the dutiable