The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-12-31
THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMIT
TEE BEGAN HEARING AltOl-
MENTS YESTERDAY.
CHEMICALS, SPIRITS md WINES
Wore the Schedules Taken Up-Ad va
loren Duties Preferred TO Speclllc'
Ouinine Manufacturers Wish to
Get Off the Free List,

which the ways and means conlhi'tet VI
,,ba house will give to the representative
,e tho vorions industries interested III inc
,ronoration of the new tarilf DILL pes'n
IN tho room of the committee at the capi'o'
,odov and will continue daily untii ohau,
,rv II. Much interest was liiaiiile'''u
.ho room was constantly thronged
with delegations and the representatives.
Of various interests.
Owing to the brief time allotted for near
ings and the desire of the committee' as
o>nroesod hy Chairman Dingley, to avon
unnecessary repetitions, many OIL 'no'e
who appeared simply filed their briefs anu
made no oral arguments.
Mr.. Dingley expressed the opinion ,iia'
,ro nroeantotion of condensed briefs
would answer the purpose or the com,
,pittce better than argument and advised
tho fling of such briefs if possible. lie
announced that briefs would be receiver
until January ii. t,ors
Only seven of the seventeen mempers
.,f the committee were present eouus,
Messrs. Dingley of Maine, Payne OF new
York Evans of Kentucky, Dalzeil OF
Pennsylvania. and Johnson OF Norm
Dakota, republicans, and Messrs, McMh-
lin of Tennessee and Wheeler Oh Ala-
bama, democrats.
The schedules on which hearings was
accorded today were those reiatihs 10
chemicals, spirits and wines. there were
no particular incidents today. WitIout
exception all asked for an increase OF duty
an tho norticular product in which they
we're Interested Almost all of those VINO
were heard in behalf of changes, urged
changing from nd valorem to specihc
..lutics.
DETAILS OF THE HEARING.
Washington, Dee. 2S-Thc tariff hear
ing before the ways and means committee
began at the capitol promptly at ~ o CLOCK
today. according to the puDllsheu pro-
syram. There were several large delesa
tions i'm attendance and much interest
was displayed. The morning was devol-
ed to the chemical schedule and the after
noon to wines and liquors. Chairman
Dinglcy made Il preliminary statement
as to the hearings which will be held each
lay from 10 to with II recess from lz:oO
10 1 20. He said the committee decided
10 avoid repettions as far rs possible anu
Xyould prefer. where convenient, to re-
lceiyc condensed briefs rather than 0ral
arguments. Thomas II. Harrison of Phil
adelphia. representing the Manufacturing
Chemists association of that city, frst
made n brief statement to the committee
TO pave the way for brief when VIII
Inc submitted by that association later III
yhe week. In general way, he sald the
manufacturing chemists would ask TOT
moderation in schedules. and as lar as
IL, nd
spccific duties. He called attention TO the
fact that S15O,OOO,000 were invested IN
the manufacture of chemicals and that
The product annually Appropriated the
same sum.
Those whom he represented, he sald,
asked no fayOrs; they only desired JUS
tice. They were now being crushed pc
tween the textile manufacturers ana In,
portcrs. He said that some data would
also he submitted relative to the competi-
Tion they had to meet from emma anu
Japan. :. J.,
James Hartford of New York, in be-
half of the chemical section OF the New
York Board of Trade and Iransporta-
ton, argued in favor of general change
from ad yalorem to specific duties on
drugs.
Frederick Jacobs of San Francisco read
a statement in behalf of the native wine
growers of the Pacific coast, asking the
restoration of the Mckinley rates of %
cents per gallon on all dry wines in place
of the present rate of 30 cents and OF
81 80 n gallon on spirits. lie said that IL
was desirable to create q taste for hlgh
Gags native wines. There was an existing
presumption in behalf of wines bearing
foreign labels, whereas those were often
inferior to native goods. The native
growers opposed any reciprocity arrange.
ment, as wines We're always source OF
revenue wherever produced and were al
ways taxed at high rates, because there
could he no guarantee that wines I'M
ported from any country had been produc-
ed in the country. Under the 80 cent
rate American producers would be able to
cultivate every variety of wines and to
age their goods.
Mr.. ]. A. Bean of New York repre-
sentative of linseed oil manufacturers
said that those whom he represented
would be satisfied with continuance OF
the present rates of 20 cents a gallon or
the oil and 20 cents n bushel on seed
While q greater tariff would help then
they deemed it unwisc to agitate the Ques
ton and unsettle business. The price
of oil at present is 30 cents, he said, about
one-thrd of the rate five years ago, ant
me lowest prices WHICH Hau tNti pic
Gailcd.
DR.. Schaeffcr of New Haven, Conn, ;
manufacturer of caffeine. who said h
was the first to manufacture the produc
and had been producing it about one year
asked an increase of duty, which is nov
% per cent. He employed ten men. Hi
product was used in the manufacture o
bromo- caffeine and other medicines o
that class. He asked for specific dut.
of 81 per pound.
Thomas NJ. Cuthbert of New York, rep
rcsentng the New York Quinine an,
Chemical works, appeared to ask Il resto
ration of the duty of 20 per cent ad va
loren, which existed prior to the act o
1890, or its equivalent specific duty.
Quininc is now on the free list. IL
said the effect of the tariff reduction ha
been most disastrous to the American
manufacturers and unless something wa
lone he would have to so out of business
The price had been reduced since 1877
from 500 pound to % ID cents. Tn
manufacturer needed the old duty of .
per cent ad valorem or its specific eQuival
ent OF > cents an ounce.
Mr.. McMillin asked if, before bromC
quininc had been placed on the free list
Powers & Weightman and two or tire
other firms had not monopolized the busi
ness in the United States. Mr.. A. II
Jones, speaking for Powers Il Weight
man, said that firm had been the first t
manufacture the article in the Unite
States. Consequently had controlled tn