The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-01-02
MORE REVENUE.
sDingley's, Bill Passes the House
with Votes to Spare.
Report Of tho Ways and Means Commit
;& tee-A Short Debate - Voted on
Party Lines, 2O5 to 8l-The
4 ~, Bond Measure.

4 Washington, Dec. 27.-The house
Thursday responded to the appeal OF
the president by passing a tariff bill,
the operation of which is limited TO
two AMI half years, and which is de-
signed to raise $40.o00,000 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 Dill
except Hartman (Mont.), who did not
vote, and the democrats and populihts
against it, save Newlands (pop.. New,
who voted in favor of the measure.
The especial order under which the
bill was brought to u 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 opportn-
nifty o: Offering amendments of any
kind.
Immediately after the reading of the
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.
Tho Committees Report.
In presenting the. bill to the house
Mr.. Dingley made the following report
of the ways and means committed:
1.-THE committee on ways and means to
whom was referred 80 much of the prest-
dents annual message and so much OF
the annual 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 con-
gress IN q direction calculated to bring
relief, report, that the committee appreei-
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 q half and says that III the con-
sequences Of suck chronic deficiency were
only the necessity of borrowing money
to meet current expenses In time OF peate.
even this would afford abundant reason
for incl easing the revenue. But the con-
sequences are more wide reaching than
that unsufficicncy of revenue has made It
necessary to use the redeemed United
States legal tender notes 10 pay current
expenditures, and thus to" supply addl-
tional means to draw gold from tho green
back redemption fund-in short, to create
the endless chain of which the secre-
.tary Of the treasury complains and which
has made it necessary to sell issue after
issue Of bonds to replenish the reserve.
Want to Increase Revenues 04O,OOO,OOO.
Your committee believes that it Is the
duty Of the house Of representatives to
which body the constitution commits the
Inauguration Of revenue bills, to frame and
pass q measure that will yield not far
from $40, 00O. O00-sutacient 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 sucn ieg's-
lation on the statute books to meet the re-
:, 5p0nstbnity In theirSown way. And the
. president,s SPECIAL message, setting forth
so pointedly the seriousness Of the situa-
ton and the necessity for the prornptese
action only emphasizes the duty OF the
Your, committee have not undertaken
a general revision Of the tariff on protec-
ton lines. as a majority hope can be done
in 1S97-99 not only because they know that
chance Of becoming a 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 simple
measure increasing all duties of the dutia-
BILE list. and taking from the free list Of the
present tariff a few articles that were always
on the dutiable list until August q, 1884, and
which have always been important revenue
producers, and limiting the operation Of
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
require at home instead Of abroad viii 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 ILL
crease of Is per cent Of existing duties on
Ill the schedules but two. which Is an
addition of less than eight per cent. to the
average advalorcm rate - giving about
$15,C00,O0c revenue from that source: yet
more than SIS 000. 900 Of the $40. 000. 900 which
is estimated this bill will add to our an
nual revenue, will come mainly from wool.
and given a moderate duty, and
from manufactures Of wool. which are
given compensatory duty equivalent to
tho duty.of wool (Which is always neces->
sary when a duty is placed on wooD in
order to give the wool s. over the benefit.
woolens at home.
1.-THE bill reported by our committee pro-
poses to make the duty on imported cloth
ing wool 60 per cent. Of the duty imposed
by the act OF 1880, which would give IN
equivalent Of Clio Of cent per pound
on unwashed wool. or about 40 per cent.
ad valorem. Thi. reduction from the duty
Of the act of 1890 has been made because
the restoration Of theft duty in that
act might seem to be too great change
from the present law to those whose CO.
operation it 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 spc-
cihc duty equivalent to the duty on WOOL
''The duty on carpet woods is left at the
81 per centum ad valorem where it was
placed in 1890. This ~ 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
list, but with duty of only 60 per cent.
Of the duties provided by the act of 1890
giving IN equivalent of only about Is per
cent. Such q reduction from the low
rates of 1890 IL justified only on the ground
that the object Of your committee has
been to frame q bill mainly on revenue
grounds. in the hope that it would secure
the approval, of those in official place
whose cooperation Is essential to legisla-
ton and who may be supposed to eeel that !
iv,o oSS crnY a exists the public