Evening star., 1897-03-13
Ways and Means Committee Still
at Work on the Bill.
IT'S CHARACTER is NOW ESTABLISHED
VIII Be More of a Revenue Pro-
ducer Than the Mckinley Act.
SOME OF THE CHANG ES

The republican members of the ways and
means committee have been in session to-
day. and expect to he at work until late
this evening on the tariff bilr They are
making a final revision of the measure.
end taking definite action on those sched-
ules as to which their action in passing
through the bill will center. Until they
have concluded their wor. this evening
and send the final draft of the bill to the
change, but the character Of the Measure
is established and it is not expected tha;
the changes to be made will be either nu-
merouS or of great general Importance. 1t
is calculated that the bill will be much
more of a revenue producer than was the
Mckinley bill. Where the rates il the
Mckinley bill were at the best revenue
point, they have been retained, and the
charges from the general plan of the Nc
kinley bill have been of a character to
promise greater revenue from those items
than the Mckinley bill supplied.
The reciprocity feature is so construc. ID
as 10 guard against any serious loss of rev.
enue through its operations. while offerins,
such advantag ges as it is thought will in
duce certain countries to enter upon reci-
proclty treaties with the United States.
The internal revenue taxes on spirits, etc,
and the customs duties on spirits, wines
and beverages are substantially as in the
Wilson bill. The free list is smaller tnan
it was even in the Mckinley bill items
that promise to be revenue producers
having been given a rate calculated to
produce the most revenue possible No
bounty is provided for sugar.
The Wooden Schedule.
After long contention over the wooden
schedule, the rates in the Mckinley bill
We're adopted, the only changes being IN
the classification.
In paragraph 3I5 the word "Angora'' is
Inserted, and in paragraph 376 the words
Egypt, Morocco, China and lambs WOOL"
and Casa Branca and fine skin woois or
butchers wools.'' are inserted
In paragraph :,S; the word '.Angora'' is
also inserted. The word Egypt is str:ck-
en- out of paragraph :;IS These changes
r.ake China, lambs wool and wool from
Egypt, Morocco, Casa Branca and fine
skin woods, or butchers wool. dutia BILE in
class at ii cents pound, Instead of be-
ing in class B.. dutiable at from 81 to 30
Per cent ad valorem.
Wools of class l, including those men
toned are dutable under this change at
II cents a pound. Those woods are gen
orally known as clothing woods. Woods of
class are 1utiable at II cents pound.
Those are woods generally known as comb
ing wools
While woods of the third class COM
monty known as carpet woods, will pay 81
per cent ad valorem when less :han Il
cents per pound in value, and 30 per cent
ad valorem when over that.
Duty on Sugar.
The sugar schedule has already been Civ
Ell. the rate of duty on sugar being 01G25
on 9G degrees of saccharine strength by
polarisCcpic test. That is l J-S cents per
pound. AT % degrees or below the rate will
be l cent per pound, and above that 3-l00
of a cent for each additional! degree.
The differential for the refiners is one
eighth of cent a pound. And sugar viii
be used fer reciprocity purposes 10 the .x-
tent of reduction of 121. cents 100 pounds
The earth and earthenware schedule is
practically the same as the Mckinley law
The rates on tobacco have been increased
somewhat over the Mckinley law.
The Reciprocity Feature.
The President will be empowered by the
bill to enter into treaties by which the
duties will be ma terially lowered on i'm
portations of these goods from countries
which make concessions to American ca tile
and other products There will be no reci-
procity which involves placing any i'm
portart classes of imports on the free list
nor any authority given the executive to
raise duties against imports from countries
Whlca refuse to enter into reciprocity
treaties.
The reduction in the duty on sugar by
reciprocity will be one-eighth of cent a
pound, 50 that sugar coming from coun-
~ iSs "iiSu Nidhe reciprocity treaties with
the United States will he entered at H.
cents pound. While the reduction seems
small, difference of 122 cents per 1OU
pounds IL d material one to sugar import
ers Most of the goods in the list given
above which are imported into the United
states come from Germany and France.
and 1t is the expectation of the committee
that reciprocity on champagne, silks and
gloves will prove an inducement to these
countries to abandon their policy of dis
crlmination against American beef and
pork.
The hopes of the new Canadian admin
lstration for closer reciprocal relations
with the United States will be defeated by
the Dfngley bill. The liberal party, under
Laurier's leadership, has made closes COM
Hercial affiliations with the United States
one or Its foremost policies, and one of
the first acts of the administration was to
SEND Messrs. Cartwright and Davies to
washington as commissioners to pave the
way for reciprocity. Their mission has
proven fruitless one, because they de-
sired to open the markets of this country
to the farm products of Canada In their
interviews with Chairman Dingley and
other members of the committee they were
told, IN diplomatic terms, but emphatic ally.
that the design of the new tariff bill would
be to preserve the markets of the United
States to it's farmers by adequate protee-
tive duties on all farm products.