New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-23
TARIFF PROGRESS.

The progress made with the Tariff bill has
been very gratifying. even when it Is recognized
that nearly all items likely TO cause much debate
or delay were on Monday deferred. Progress
is usually much more rapid with the last hair
of n bill than with the first half. Moreover
most Of the points which have been deferred APP
near 10 have been settled by compromise, 80
that discussion of them I'm the Senate may be
mainly for advertising purposes. The Senate
should be able TO reach n final vote on the bill
this week. if the persons who are engaged in
modifying estimates from day 10 day accord
ing to action taken, have them ready to faclll-
tate decision regarding the sufilciency of the
measure for revenue. In view of the sacrifice
of several millions revenue by action on burlaps
and some other points, the bill as modified thus
far may run closer TO the limit of necessity than
is desirable, and If so, more delay may result on
the internal revenue clauses.
While the Senate has sustained the committee
on nearly all its amendments, the committee
itself has from time to time considerably modl-
fed its proposals, generally tending toward rates
nearer those adopted by the House This Is es-
pecially true of the wool and woOllens schedule,
the duties on all woolen cloths being dependent
mon the rates on wool The Senate committee
first proposed cents instead OF II on wool OF
the first class, but now proposes 10 cents; IT
first proposed cents instead of II on the sec
ond class, but now proposes II cents, thus COM
ING close to the House rate on both classes.
On thrd-class wool the specific duties proposed
are 4 cents per pound on all costing less than
10 cents whereas the House had voted an ad
valorem duty Of 81 per cent, which was also
the Mckinley duty on wool costing below IL
cents But the chronic vice of ad valOrem du-
ties clearly appeared in experience under the
acts Of 1890 and the committee sought TO avoid
undervauations and proposed on low-grade
wool a duty averaging higher than that Of the
| House bill. On thrd-class wool costing over
| 10 cents, It proposed duty Of Z cents which is
probably not far from the al valorem rate of 80
per cent in the Mckinley and the House BILL
though much more effective because specific.
| If 1t were possible entirely to exclude third
| class wool from use in the manufacture Of CLOTH
and thus from competition with the wool grown
| in this country there would be no excuse for n
| dutv so high as cents on the lower grades
used only for carpet manufacture, and this was
the point Of the amendment suggested by Sena-
tor QUAY. The practical difficulty Of preventing
the use Of wool in any kind of manufacture after
y has once gone ont Of bonded warehouse is
90 serious that II accounts for most Of the OppO-
! sltion which the suggestion has met though
| there are doubtless some Western people who
| imagine that cheap carpet wool could be grown
in this country in great quantities II there were
! only proper protection. The fact Is that the
| labor and land requir for growing wool at
| all in this country can be far more probably
| employed in raising the finer and more valuable
| kinds SO that under conditions likely to exist