The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-11-27
THE DINGLEY BILL

Until congress meets on the first Mon
day in December. and the Republican
members thereof hold caucus to de
termine on a line OF policy, IL viii b
impossible to forecast what action.
any. win be taken regarding the reye
nue.. or the passage of any tariff meas
ure. The view was advanced a few
days ago that the Dingiey bill would
be taken up and passed by the senate
and Senator Sherman added the weight
of his name to the proposition. This
has now brought out objections to such
a procedure. While there is a necessity
for an increase in the revenue at as
early day as practicable, the disposi-
ton is not to put upon the statute
books another tariff law as a merely
temporary measure, which is certain
to be unsatisfactory, and for The regeal
Of which there viii be an urgent de
mand as soon as it is passed.
The Dingley bill was a temporary
measure-a makeshift. 1t was hoped
that il might be passed in spite of the
fact that there was Democratic ma
jority in the senate, merely for the pur-
pose of getting more revenue. 1t is not
at all satisfactory to its trainers, as
far as its principles and methods are
concerned. and is not so now to any
Republican. This being the case. the.
feeling among many is that it is inju-
dicious from a party standpoint, to
pass it.
The chief objection TO the bill. from
the standpoint of the Republicans, is
that it collects its revenues by the ad
valorem method. instead Of by specific
duties, and invites a continuation Of
the frauds upon the revenue system
which it is believed are being now
practiced under the present law The
bill, ii will be remembered, increases
the present rates of duty on most ar
ticles Is per cent This leaves the ad
valorem system Of the present law in
full force under which the customs
authorities believe that immense frauds
are being carried forward. by under
valuing the articles imported. 1t is es-
timated that the government is losing
from twenty-five to thirty-ive millions
year in its revenues through under
valuations, which it is impossible to
detect without very great increase
In the custom house forces.
Then, too, there are other portions Of
the bill which are equally unsatisfac-
tory to the customs authorities The
wooIen schedule is based upon a per
eentage of the Mckinley law rates, plus
another percentage Of the Wilson law
rates. In the lumber schedule both
tariff acts are referred to. and the ar
ticles named in a certain section of one
are made subject to the rates named
in certain sections of the other
1t is felt that the enactment of this
law, when Republican administration
and Republican congress are only nine
ty days away, and whose presence on
the statsute books would reduce the op-
Tortunity Of a general revision Of the
tariff ulde: Republican control, is in
advisable. The revenues of the govern
ment are, to be sure, running below the
expenditures, but the surplus in the
treasury from the last sale Of bonds,
is ample to meet that shortage for sew
eral months, unless the treasury is
threatened with another gold raid,
which seems improbable in view Of
the quantity of that metal which is
now emerging from its hiding places
and pouring into the treasury.
1t is probable, too, that the revenues
Of the government will increase with
in the next sixty days. The business
depression Of the past few months,
coupled with the uncertainty as to the
result Of the election, prevented i'm
portations in considerable quantities,
and the stocks in warehouses are low.
The Improvement in business the
country over will increase fmpOrtations,
and add to the customs receipts, while
importers will also rush in quantities
of foreign goods on which they suppose
that a Republican tariff will raise the
duties, thus still further increasing the
revenues.
These considerations alone seem like
Iy to lead the Republican managers to
abandon the Dingley bill, or at least
to make no effort to pass it in its pres
ent form. 1t is not improbable that an
effort may be made to radically amend
it in the senate, by practically substi-
tuting a bill based upon specific rates Of
duty, and levying the tariff from the
protective standpoint Of the Republic
can view; but whether this can be car