The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-05-11
THE TARIFF BILL WAR.
Why the Rates of Duty Cannot
Suit All.
AIR FULL OF BARKs AND GRowLs.

AIR FULL OF BARKS AND GROWLS.
But Despite tho Complaints Bill VIII
Pass After Long Fight-The Proposed
Duty on Salt Herring and Maokerel.
Threats of Retaliation.
WASHINGTON. May 1O-[Spccial. lEWo
do not hear much in Washington these
days except tariff talk. Everybody is dis
cussing the senate revision of the bill and
comparing it with tho house measure.
Wherever ono goes no hears talk of the
finance committee bill, the Dingley bill,
the Wilson bill, the Mckinley bill, the
Mills bill and Of rates and schedules, nd
valorem and specific, till ones head has a
tendency to ache. There never yet,was a
tariff bill that suited everybody. If ono
were to judge by the expressions heard
about tho corridors of tho hotels and whero
statesmen most do congregate, tho present
tariff bill does not suit any one. or course
this Is not strictly true. There are plenty
of people satisfied with it. They, as a rule,
are gentlemen who have interest in only
ore or two things, and the rates upon
these few things happen to DO fixed Just
right. But senators whose constituents
are interested in n wide range of produc-
ton or manufacture find themselves in
very hot water.
Selfish Interests.
If one wants proof of the accuracy of the
somewhat famous saying of famous man
that the tariff is n local question, all he
has to do is to como to Washington and
spend day or two among the statesmen
who arc discussing tho current measure
The air is filled with sulphurous remarks.
Inquire what lies behind all the complain
ing and growing, and in nine cases out of
ten you will find that it is because the
rates of duty arc not satisfactory upon
some article produced in this city or that
county or perohancc in como state or region.
The senator from one part of the country
may DO elated over the duty fixed on wool,
for instance, while n senator from another
state may BIO predicting that the country
will go to tho dominion bowwows IL that
wool rate Is not put up or down, as the
case may be. This is explained by tho fact
that tho constituents OF ono senator raise
wool to sell while the constituents of the
other buy wool to use in their mills. SOFT
goes. 1t would BIO exceedingly difficult to
lind any principle that runs through tho
warp and wool of the whole business of
tariff making. 1t seems rather to be n
maze of conflicting sclhshncsscs and inter
csts, dependent in every case upon the
point of Wow.
You can always tell what man Is going
to say about q given rate of duty by in.
quiring tho locality whence he comes.
heard an old senator who has had n
deal of experience in tariff making say tho
other day there never would DO a tariff
ont nfn nffNrsx AN ,l,0.I.
States was subdivided into little lots about
500 feet square and rate of duty made to
suit the inhabitants of each lot.
Pulling and Hauling.
But there Is tariff bill, and despite
the growing and kicking and pulling and
hauling it is going to BIO passed some time
or other. just when, no one is able to shy,
but should guess about the middle of
July. Tho senate will take up the bill on
the 18th inst, and as there is no apparent
disposition to delny it u couple of months
should sec it pretty we'll out of tho way.
There is no telling, however, how long u
senate debate will last, for, ms q member
of the house put it to me today, "They
haven't any flvo minute rulo over there,
but instead rule which permits man 10
talk five days on tho crossing of u t.
n most interesting study is that of the
manner in which the tariff enters into tho
details of trade and consumption affecting
the trade and consumption of nearly all
the articles used by our people. 1t is this
which makes general tariff revision
such tremendously important matter to
our country and which cycitos such great
interest in all tho details of tho work in
committee and congress- An illustration
of this may bo found in visit which Il
lnrf fslk, 90 H.
New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Chi
cago madc to Washington whilc the tariff
bill was under consideration in tho finance
committee of the senate Their business
was to protest against tho proposed in
crease in tho duty on salt herring and salt
mackcrcl. They pointed out that herring
is staple article of food for the Danes,
Norwcgans, Poles, Russians and Swctlcs
who form large part of tho population of
the northwestern states. In view of the
fact that no herring TINT could take the
place Of tho imported fish are caught this
side of Holland ard Norway, it was con
tended that il would not be fair 10 increase
tho cost of herring TO the poor people who
use it on their tables. There is no Amer
icSn herring industry TO speak of, and
consequently protection is not needed.
Threats of Retaliation.
these visitors called tho attention CT the
tariff makers 10 the interesting fact that
the only countries in Europe of which wo
buy i!sh are Norway and Holland These
are, by an odd coincidence, the only coun.
tries on the continent of Europe Which
admit our pork, beef and flour without
tariff CT Other restrictions Norway and
Holland have protested against the in.
crease OF our duties against thcir fish and
threaten to rctaliato by taxing our pork
IL Is said only two votes arc lacking in the
Norwegian parliament to carry an attack