The record-union., 1897-08-31
THAT DISCRIMINATING DUTY.

We are unwilling to believe the story
afloat in New York that Speaker Reed
expressed his surprise to find clause
in the new tariff bill providing for
discriminating duty of 10 per cent up
on goods imported through Canada in
foreign ships. The Speaker is said to
have declared that the clause slipped
In without due consideration and prob
ably without knowledge of a majority
of the members of Congress.
We do not believe he made any such
remark, for the records show that this
very provision was long and laboriously
considered in committee, was openly
debated on the floor of both houses,
and was enacted with full knowledge
of its effect In other words. it was
fectly clear purpose. 1t was enacted
in hostility to the bonding privilege,
and because of the growing belief that
the commercial treaties regarding the
coming of goods in bond through for
eign territory, and the carriage of
goods for the United States into Can
ada not on British bottoms, should be
modified.
But this cannot be done in a hurry.
It will take a long time and it may
be doubted if the modification desired
can be wholly secured. But the dis
eliminating duty in some respects COM
pensates, and is a way towards the
end without impairing the treaties re-
ferred to- It will be recalled that the
fifth plank in the National Republican
platform adopted at st. Louis calls for
the setting up of "a policy of discrim-
mating duties for the upbuilding of our
merchant marine and the protection of
our shipping in the carrying trade, so
that American ships-the product of
American labor employed in American
snip yards, sailing under the stars and
stripes, and manned differed and
owned by Americans-may regain the
carrying of our foreign commerce"
To that plank the Republican party
was pledged, and so was Mr. McKin-
-
was introduced in Congress last
spring, but it could not be passed with
out affecting the commercial treaties,
some twenty odd in number, and
hence nothing has yet been done in the
matter except to put in the 10 per
cent. clause of the Dingley bill re-
ferred to in the outset. There was
discriminating duty clause of this char
acter in the Democratic Wilson bill.
Tt was then Section Il. That section
was modified to read as we give it
below, the notifications being inelosed
In brackets, and the other text being
just as it appeared in the Wilson bill
Section II [22]. That a discriminating
duty of 10 per centum ad valorem, in
addition to the duties imposed by law,
shall be levied, collected and paid, on
all goods, wares and merchandise which
shall be imported in vessels not of
the United States Tor which being the
production or manufacture of any for
eign country not contiguous TO the
United States, shall come into the Uni
ted States from such contiguous coun-
l.
shall not apply to goods, wares lori
merchandise which shall be imported
I'm vessels not of the United States en-
titled TAT the time of such importa-
tionl by treaty Tor conventionl-(the
Wilson bill read "or any Act of Con-
gress ito be entered in the ports Of
the United States on payment of the
same duties as shall then be payable
on goods, wares and merchandise i'm
ported in vessels Of the United States
Tnor to such foreign products or man.
.llfactures as shall be imported from
such contiguous countries in the usual
course of strictly retail tradel.
We have thus presented the Wilson
law. the Democratic measure, and in
brackets the additions to it and changes
made by the Dingley bill the only
change of words being indicated in
the Enclosure between dashes. and this
combination of Wilson and Dingley bill
is now the law. It will be seen that
to goods entitled ''by treaty" TO enter
the law does not apply. But the VIII
son law included also in the exception
goods entitled to be entered by any
Act Of Congress- These words the