The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-04-22
THEY WILL STAND TOGETHER For
IMPORTANT WOOL sCHED-
ULE CHANGES.
70 CLOSE LOOP HOLES FOR EVASION
That Phey AIIege Abound in the
DingIey BiII-The Principal
Change Desired Is on
Third-Class Wool


tors, after several conferences. have
reached an agreement to stand together
for important changes in the wool SEIZED
ule of the Dingley bill. The senators
most prominently identified with the
movement are Senators Mantle, Carter
Shoup, Warren and Burrows. They
have not only agreed upon line of
amendments, but have decided to insist
on their inclusion in the bill The meet
ings held have also been attended by
many prominent wool growers.
The proposed amendments are directed
mainly to closing the many loop holes
for evasion and fraud which wool men
allege abound in the Dingley bill and
were also found in the Mckinley law
An amendment was agreed upon provid-
ing that an additional duty of cents per
pound shall be levied on skirted woods as
imported in 1890 and prior to that time.
The principal change, however, to be
proposed is upon wool and camel's hair
of the third-clnss.
The Dingley bill proposes an ad va
loren duty of 81 and 80 per cent re-
spectively upon woods of this class valued
under and over Is cents per pound. 1t
is proposed now to strike out the Dingey
bill clauses relating to third-class woods
and to insert instead the following:
"On wool of the third-class and cam
els hair of the thrd-class, the value
whereof shall be 8 cents or less per
pound in the general markets of the Unit
ed States, the duty shall be 5 cents per
pound, and on all woods or hair of this
class the value whereof shall exceed 8
cents per pound in the general markets
OF the United States. there shall be an
additional duty of IL of 1 per cent per
pound for each increase of 1 cent per
pound in the value thereof"
it IS claimed for this latter amendment.
which is the most important of all the
amendments proposed, that it will large
~ prevent the frauds which it is alleged
were perpetrated under the ad valorem
duties of the Mckinley law, by reason of |
winch, 1t is asserted, hundreds of millions |
or pounds of wool used in the manufac- |
ture OF clothing, which properly belonged |
III the nrst-class, were imported at third |
class rates on the representation that |
tney were to be used in the manufacture
OF carpets. The clause in the proposed |
amendment relating to third-class woods,
designating the general markets of the
othltS rs HNlIH tne value OF I'M
ported woods, Is regarded as very import
mt, and if this amendment IN admitted
it will practically destroy the opportuai.
y OF under valuation, which now exists
through the practice of fixing the prices
u. these imported woods in foreign coun-
tries.
Other precautions will also be urged to
This end such as defining the meaning
Of classitications so as to prevent results
such as have hitherto been caused. For
instance, the words .''Angora. Adrian
lple, Bagdad," etc, will be defined as in
iicating class of wool regardless of the
special district in which grown.
Senator Mantle. who introduced the
memorial of the National Wool Growers
association, says the amendments do not
nearly cover the demands made by the
association, but. in his own opinion. will
ne vast Improvement upon the bill as
t passed the house of representatives. II
viii remain with the western senator's
he says, to say whether or not the pro-
,osed amendment shall become a part of
he new tariff law or whether the de-
hands of the wool manufacturers as an
died to wool shall outweigh those of the
WOOL growers themselves.