New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-25
PROGRESS WITH THE TARIFF.


The wool duties have delayed the Tariff bill
some time, but passed the Senate In very much
more satisfactory shape than 1t came from the
Senate committee. In one respect at least II
IS now decidedly preferable to the schedule as II
passed the House, for the substitution OF specihc
instead Of ad valorem duties on third-class wool
is the only way to put an end TO undervaluauons
which have robbed the Treasury OF Huch
revenue and subjected more honest manu-
facturers to an unfair disadvantage IN conPari'
son with others less honest Tens or arguments
pamphlets and speeches have been printed ABOUT
the wool schedule, embracing OIL ooth sides any
Quantity Of stiff assertions but II seems 10 nave
been overlooked that the recent impor'auons
free Of duty indicate how duties were Formerly
evaded. Last year only 96,6OO'OOo POUNDS ol
thrd-class wool, professedly for carpet manu-
facture. were imported, and In all the rush Oh
preparation for expected duties only SI,'lS'o-o
pounds have been imported during ten months
ending with April this year, though or Class l
| nearly 1856 900 pounds have been imported IN
the ten months and 100000 pounds III the
last fiscal year. Being able to import po'h
kinds without duty, the carpet mills nave not
required as much as 1OO,OO0'C0O pounds anu Ill
fact they actually consumed IN 1871, according
TO the census, less than 100000 pounds. But
! in 1893. when there were specific duties on other
classes. but only ad valorem on thrd-class WOOL
the imports Of third class were l2o,ooo'ooo
pounds, obviously much more than the carpet
mills used A great quantity OF professedly
Garnet wool was brought In for the purpose OF
cloth manufacture and in 1893 no more 'hah
| 36 600 600 pounds Of Glass 1, or clothing WOOL
was imported,
II Is to put stop to this heavy importation OF
| so-called carpet wool at low rates ana WIN au
yalorem duties greatly undervalued Ior use III
| clothing manufacture, TO the exclusion OF 40
| nestle WOOL that the specinc duties nave
| been imposed. The Senate refused py much
| more than party vote, 50 TO IT, 10 striAe
ont the raw wool duty. and refused, Al 10
| 10. to prefer the nd valorem duties proposed
bv the House, Messrs. Quay and fchrose Young
| for the motion, but Messrs. Heitfeld McEnerv'
| Rawlins. Roach, Tillman, Turner ana Nhle'
seven Democrats, and five Populists ana silver
men voting with The Republicans against II. Inc
| duties were then fixed at cents on lnlru-ciass
wool costing less than 10 cents, ana cents oh
wool Of higher cost. The statistics 90 not SHOW
| what proportion Of thirdclass wool falls pelo"
| the dividing line Of cost. But some ldea may
be gained from the average cost OF QUANTITIES
! received from different countries. 1he 'hru
class wool coming from Great Britain over
SO, 600 pounds, averaged more than 10 Genus
and 100000 pounds from France ABOUT the
same: the small quantity from Germany ana the
importatons from other countries IN Europe
| averaged about II cents. The S,iUU,oVo pouhus
! from South America averaged about y cents, anu
wool from other Asiatic countries than emma
about 10 cents for 100000 pounds, whiie OH
| II 500 600 pounds from China the average was
not ~ cents.
The duty ON this Asatic wool will be relatively
heavy. and will probably exclude part OF II from
| Importation On the Australian wool, which
| comes mostly through Great Britain ana on
rho Continental wool the duty Will not be
| ro,otirolv heavier than under the Mckinney act
| Int be,nq speciic II cannot so easily be evaded
| nv fraudulent invoices. The persistent nght
made by carpet manufacturers for ad Nalsreih
du+,oc on,v ON third-class wool has probably I'M
nressed the Senate with the opinion that IL IL
precisely on wool of that class that specihc
| dutv IS most needed Much has been said ABOUT
| destroying the Garnet manufacture that IS too
absurd for serious attention. Win the ou'les
,mposcd on carpets the manufacture VIII con-
tinue 10 control the hOme market as IL dlu unuei
| the Mckinley law. Nor IS there much sense III
the claim that an addition Of cents-per pound
on the cheaper carpet WOOL or I cents on posi-
bly the larger part imported. will outrageousiy
tax consumers 1t has been shown already mat
the entire duty paid on third-class wool III 1875
when large quantities for clothing purposes
were imported as carpet wool, amounted TO only
Sc SOOO 600 not per cent of the value OF Inc
| nrod,,ct An addition no greater than that 10
the cost Of carpets manufactured in this country
will not be seriously felt.
! With the wool schedule practically out OF the
way. q caucus should decide readily upon
the other important features which remain I'M
settled According to reports, the reciprocity
nroblem is the most difficult though until the
revenue producing power Of the senate Dill can
be closely estimated it may not be easy 10 de-
eide ms 10 the internal revenue clauses But II
seems TO be the settled preference of the House
70 omit them entirely, increasing the duties on
,nnorted goods If necessary, and that course is
not unlikely 10 be preferred by Republican Sen
! atOrs also.