The record-union., 1897-03-16
Representative DinsIey, Chairman Of the
Ways and Means Committee,
Furnishes the Public a Synopsis Of the
Measure.
Says the Bill, Whose Purpose is to
Raise Additional Revenue and En-
courage Industries i'm the United
enue, on the Basis of Last Years
lmportations, $112,OOO,OOO.

lmportations, $ll2,OOO,O
WASHINGTON, March 15.-Chair-
man Dingley of the Ways and Means
Committee, in response to request
that he furnish a synopsis of the new
tariff bill presented by him to-day,
made the following statement:
THE bill has two purposes, namely,
to raise additional revenue and to en-
courage the industries of the United
States.
"On the basis Of the importations for
the last fiscal year the bill would in
crease the revenue about S112,00O,OOO,
divided among the several schedules
roughly, as follows: Chemicals, 30
500, 900; crockery and glassware, 81
600, 900; metals, $4000,000; wood, 81
$50, 900; sugar, S21, 100000; tobacco,
81, 900 900; agricultural, S6,3oo,OoO;
liquors, 81, 800, 600; cottons, S1,1OO,O00;
iute, linen and hemp, $7,S0O,OO0; woods,
ST, 100000; manufactures of woods,
$27, 10000 silks, 81 100000; pulp and
paper, $4,000; sundries, S6,2OO,0oO.
This estimate is on the supposition
would be the same the next fiscal year
as in the fiscal year ended last June.
Eut as the imports of wool were three
times as great, and those of wool man
ufactures more than twice as great IN
pounds as in 1898, the committee as
sumes that the excessive importation
would be largely reduced by the pro-
posed bill, although the fact that our
domestic production of wool has di-
minished 5000, 900 pounds since 1893,
will necessitate the importation OF
much more wool now than in the lat
ter year Assuming that the impor-
tation of wool will fall off at least one
third from those of 1885, on account of
anticipatory imports to avoid duties,
we place the increased revenue from
this source at S11000,000. Anticipat-
ing also that the imports of Woo!enS
will fall off nearly five per cent. from
the enormous imports of 1896, we esti-
mate the increased revenues from this
source under the proposed rates at
about $14,0O0,OO0.
From sugar we anticipate $50 100000
additional revenues. Anticipating a
considerable falling off of imports of
Havana tobacco, because of the revo-
luton in Cuba, we reduce the estimates
of additional revenue to be derived
from the tobacco schedule to $4,000
600
1.-The remaining schedules would af-
ford a revenue of about S39,5OO,OOO,
on the basis of the imports of 1896, but
as there will probably be diminished
imports at some points, although the
gradual restoration of business activ-
ity would offset this by increasing the
consumption of imported luxuries, we
reduce the estimate on these to $751;
900, 900 These would aggregate an
additional revenue of $50 100000 the
first year.
"A further reduction of five or ten
millions for contingencies would leave
SIC, 900, 900 to $75,O00,0 900 as the prob
able increased revenue from this bill
the first year, which would undoubted-
ly rise to $1OO0OO,0OO the second year.
These estimates are below rather
than above the probable result unless
considerable delay in the enactment of
the bill should greatly enlarge the OPP
portunity for import of articles on
which duties are to be raised-particu
larly wool and woolens for speculative
purposes. Undoubtedly any delay be-
yond the LIST of May in placing the bill
on the statute book would result in
large losses of revenue.
This increase of revenue is secured
by the transferring of wool, lumber,
crude opium, paintings, statuary, straw
ornaments straw mattingS, burlaps
and various other articles from the free
list of the present law to the dutiable
list by increasing the duty on wooiens
to compensate the latter for the duty
placed on wool: by raising the duty on
sugar about three-quarters of a cent
per pound, in order to encourage the
production of sugar in this country,
which it is believed can be done, and
thus give our farmers a new crop
which we now import mainly from
abroad, by increasing the duty on ag-
ricultural products affected by Cana
dian competition, and of fine cotton
goods, some advance in the manufact-
ures of iron and steel, jute, flax and
hemp, in order to encourage these and
other industries here and especially by
increasing duties on such luxuries as
liquors, tobacco silks, etc.
LAS a rule, the rates of duties pro-
posed are between the rates of the
tariff of 1890 and the tariff of 1894 in
such reduction of rates from the for
mer law preserving the protective prin-
ciple as is made possible by changed
conditions.
1.-The iron and steel schedule is
changed very little from the schedule
in the tariff of 1894, the changes being
entirely in more advanced articles.
The same is true of the cotton schedule
I'm the agricultural, wool, glass and
earthenware schedules alone are the
duties of the Act of 1890 fully restored
as a rule, and in a few cases increased
with the view of amply protecting and
encouraging our farming interests by
every possible point.
while the duty on clothing wool is
larger in proportion to foreign value
than on manufactured articles, it is
thought desirable for the public inter
est and for agriculture that we should
produce this prime necessity for our
selves. The duty on carpet woods, as
we'll as upon many other articles, is
imposed mainly for revenue The irri-
tation caused by few woods heretofore
classed as carpet woods being used for