The San Francisco call., 1897-02-05
Important Change Excludes
Importation of Mexican
Cattle.
California Fruit and Wine In.
terests Will Be Fully
Considered.
Members of the Ways and Means
Committee Feel Gratfi,d at
the Progress Made.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 4.-The
work of framing the new tariff law has
been well advanced by the Republican
mem bers of the Ways and Means Com nit
| tee and the United Associated Presses is
to-day ena bled to report progress with the
Leading schedules. The last of the formal
hearings OF interested parties was given on
January IL, so that only little more than
three weeks has passed. The chemical
schedule, which comes first on the list,
the glass schedule. the metal schedule and
the cotton schedule have all been put in
tentative form with some controverted
questions still open, and the agricultural
schedule was nearly concluded to-day.
The wine and spirit schedules in the Nc
Kinley bill have been adopted without the
change OF a line.
The most important change is on live
cattle, which is covered by blanket pro-
vision of the existing law for all live ami
mails at 20 per cent ad valorem. The rate
under the new law will be S5 per head on
cattle more than a year old and 25 per
cent ad valorem on cattle valued above
$50. This is thought to establish more
equitable rate than the Mckinley law,
which imposed $40 per head on all cattle
more than year old without regard to
value, and is regarded as sufficiently pro-
tective against the importation of Mexi-
can cattle.
The rate on barley is the Mckinley rate
of 30 cents per bushel, which was de-
manded by the American barey-growers.
Hay is put at 81 per ton, the same as in
the Mckinley law. and hops tbs cents per
pound, which is also an extract from the
Mckinley law.
Vegetables all 60 back to the Mckinley
rates, potatoes being put at 25 cents per
bushel, and faxseed at 80 cents per bushel.
Other items upon which Mckinley rates
are restored are salt at II cents per 100
pounds in packages. and cents when in
bulk, starch cents per pound, salt meat
extras 3.5cents per pound, milk cents per
gallon and poultry 20 per cent.
Eggs go back 10 cents per dozen and
berries to the old Mckinley rate.
Oranges and lemons will be adjusted in
a manner to meet the wishes of the Cali
fornia uit-growers. The rates have not
yet been absolutely fixed. but will involve
different classification from that of the
Mckinley law.
Under the chemical schedule, soap made
of caustic soda and kindred chemicals re-
mains at the rate fixed in the Wilson law,
which is considered sufficiently pro-
tective.
The principal oils are left at existing
rates, except in the case of hnseed and
flaxseed oil, where an advance was re-
quired because of the restora ton of the
Mckinley duties on raw materials.
Refined borax is advanced from 2 cents
to 8 cents per pound, which is somewhat
under the Mckinley rate. Boracic acid
remains at 80 cents per pound, the rate
fixed by the existing law. while borate of
lime is increased to cents per pound.
There are only slight changes In dye
stuffs and their elements. Lead, in ores,
is fixed at cent per pound, pig lead at 2
cents and white lead and lead acetate at
2X per cent These rates are considerably
less than those of the Mckinley law
Castor oil is left at 35 cents per gallon, tie
rate fixed under existing laws. The cot
ton schedule has not yet been quite COM
pIeted. but there will be few changes. ex-
cept on the fine yarns and costly fab brics.
The schedule was satisfactory in it's con-
struction to many of the manufacturers
when it was put in its present form and
they are asking only minor chan es
Wines and spirits will be made satisfac-
tory, if possible to the California grape
growers and manufacturers, hut, as indi-
Gated, this can be accomplished by the
restoration of the Mckinley rates.
The iron and steel schedule, like cot
tons, was left in fairly satisfactory con-
dition to the manufacturers by the present
law, and they will not be changed except
upon a few special articles like tin plate
and cotton ties, and some of the makes of
tube steel. There may be some more
| changes in surgical instruments and tools,
but the advances will not be large.
The duty on steel rails has not been
fixed, and the committee will endeavor to
obtain some fur ther data before adopt
ing it.
The earthenware schedule Is also incom-
plete but will be put upon firm protec-
tive basis.
The rates on decorated china were put
exceptionally low in the present law, be-
cause of irritation between the manufac-
turers and their employees. The new
rates will be specific so far as practicable,
and plate glass will be subjected to ad-
vances. Glass above "a by 30 inches.
and not exceeding "a by 60 inches, will
be left at the present rate of 221l cents
square foot. The next higher size will
also rema in at the present rate of 50 cents
per foot. The smaller sizes of plate glass
are advanced from 8 TO cents per foot
when not exceeding is by "a inches and
from to II cents per foot when not ex-
| ceeding "a by 80 inches square.
The committee have talked over few
other schedules, but have not yet reached
| definite results. They are awaiting the
| nesting of wool growers and manufac-
turers week after next before deciding on
| the rates for these articles.
A rate of cents per pound upon all
classes of wool has been suggested as a
probable compromise on the raw product
The progress made indicates that they
will have the bill we'll in hand before
| March 4.
+ Leading members to-day express great
satisfaction at the progress already made,
which covers nearly half of the printed
text of the schedule.
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