Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-07-23
TARIFF BILL COMPLETED.
Victory for the House OH the
Sugar Schedule.

81 Rate on Lumber stands.
The conferees on the tariff reached an
agreement Saturday The Senate con
ferees were forced to give way on most of
the principal points of contention, and the
bill as it goes to the President will be much
nearer the Dingley bill than the Senate
bill. The chief fight was on the sugar
schedule.
When the announcement of an agree
ment was first made the indications were
that the Senate had surrendered every
| thing in the sugar schedule to the House.
No one in possession of all the facts could
see how it could be otherwise when it was
known that the House differential of one
eighth of cent had been accepted and
the Senate provision for throwing off one
tenth of cent in low-grade sugars receded
| from.
"You will discover" said Senator AL
drich, in discussing the matter among his
colleagues, "that the Senate saves some
thing, after ALL and that it is not COM
plete surrender on our part"
The wording of the sugar paragraph was
as follows, and shows that he was right:
Sugars not above No. 10, Dutch stan
dard in color, tank bottoms, syrups of cane
Juice, melada, concentrated melada, con-
crete and concentrated molasses, testing by
the polarscope not above 70 degrees,
| 05-100 of one cent per pound, and for
every additional degree shown by the po-
| larscope test three and one-half one hun
dredths of one cent per pound additional
and fractions of degree in proportions
and on sugar above No. 10, Dutch stan
dard, in color, and on all sugar that has
gone through a process of refining, 125-
1000 of one cent per pound additional"
1t will be observed that the modification
of the sugar schedule still leaves the rate
on pure sugar, testing 100 degrees, 1.05
cents per pound which was the Senate
rate. The differential on refined sugar is,
| however, one-eight cent per pound, while
the Senate differential was one-fifth.
The House also secured the elimination
of the one-tenth cent reduction allowed
on jaggery and other low grades, testing
below 81 by the polariscope. 1t is claimed
that the increase on the higher grades of
sugar which will result from the increase
of the polariscope graduation allowance will
add materially to the protection to the beet
sugar industry. The reiners necessarily
receive incidental benefit.
The reciprocity clause has been trans
| formed into a modification of both the
Senate and House schedules-that is, the
number of articles which can be used as
bases for reciprocity agreements has been
| increased, but the Presidents discretion
as to the rates and the ratification of
treaties by the Senate, whice was the main
feature of the Senate provision, has been
rejected. Some retaliatory measures are
included.
One OF the biggest victories won by the
House was in the restoration to the duti-
able list of burlaps, jute and jute bagging,
cotton bagging, gunny sacks, floor mat
ting and cotton ties, which the Senate
placed on the free list. While restored to
the dutiabe list, however, the rates are
lower than they have ever been on this
class of articles.
Another victory of the House was the
elimination of the Senate stamp tax on
bonds and stocks. 1t was decided that the
machinery of collection was too cumber-
some.
Raw cotton is restored to the free list as
originally fixed by the House. The Sen
ate, with the aid of some of the Demo
cratic senators, made cotton dutiable at
20 per cent.
The House yielded promptly and grace
fully upon the linen duties, which were so
greatly advanced by the Senate.
Paintings and statuary finally go back
upon the dutiable list, in spite of the fight
for free art which has so long been waged
by the artists of America. Books printed
in foreign languages continue on the free
list.
Following are among the more import
ant changes made in other schedules:
Hides-Ffteen per cent ad valorem, in
place of the 20 per cent fixed by the Sen
ate. The House of Representatives made
a strong fight to have hides restored to the
fraa lief hint tbav uara poTnOalla1 n sinh
init to the untiring demand of the Senate.
Wool-First class. IL cents per pound
second class, II cents per pound; third
class, cents on that below II cents per
pound in value and cents on that above
II cents in value. These rates on third
class woods were the result of an agree
ment between the wool growers and the
carpet manufacturers.
Lead ore-14 cents per pound.
Pig lead-2t cents, the Senate rates.
Iron ore, as fixed by the Senate.
Coal-Bituminous, 60 cents per ton.
Tobacco-The conference accepted the
Senate rate and language on wrapper and
filler tobacco, except that the rate on wrap
per tobacco was made S1.S5 per pound in
stead of $1.75. The House rate on i'm
ported cigars, cigarettes, etc, to $3.50 per
pound and % per cent ad valorem was re-
stored. ne CeIdJb llldue Jle TdJe ~ PEI
pound and % per cent ad valorem. There
were no other changes in the schedule on
imported tobacco.
Cyanide of potassium-12f per cent
This is the Senate rate, the House rate be-
. ing % cents. The reduction was demand
I ed by the gold miners of the West, cyanide
> being largely used in the reduction of ores
, Boric acid cents per pound, the Sen
ate rate The Senate rate on borax wai
also sustained, as was that on soda ash, tn,
: rate being three-eighths of a cent PEE
5 pound
Y The Senate rates on all fruits are retain
5 ed, including cent per pound on oranges
= lemons, lines, etc.
[ On walnuts the House rates of 3 cent
{ per pound was restored, the Senate havin!
3 lowered this rate to y cents.
\ White pine lumber was restored to tn
s House classification, and the House rate o
s 81 per 1000 feet instead of the Senate rat
of 81.
The tariff bill was reported to the Hous
by the conference committee Monda
? morning, and was adopted at 12;l5 O. clocl
Tuesday morning, by vote of 1S5 to lis
An effort was made by the Democrats t
have three days set apart for the debate
but the majority would not consent, an