The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-03-11
MAKING A TARIFF.
WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
WORKING ON NEW BILL
The Farmers Interests Being Care
fn1ly Studied.

Special correspondence:
Washington, February, 1897.
The Ways and Means Committee is
pushing the work of the new tariff Dill
as rapidly as possible. One of the most
distinguished members of the committee,
speaking of the difficulties in the way OF
framing satisfactorily a tariff bill and
the length of time necessary for it. SAID
to your correspondent:
eff any man, no matter how we'll posted.
will attempt to determine for himself
what ought to be the duty on pyroligneous
acid, and then multiply the time occupied
in that attempt by the thousands of items
in tariff measure, he will get something
of an idea of the time and labor required
to complete it.
This suggestion indicates in some de-
gree the amount of labor required to COM
plete bill of this kind and the amount OF
labor which the Ways and Means Com
mittee is putting on this new measure.
The two weeks of hearings which they
gave were a small fragment of the amount
of labor necessary for the framing of the
bill The statements made before them
orally during the fortnight during which
they were hearing arguments were small
proportion only of the material pressed
upon them by the friends of the various
industries and especially by the friends
of the farmers. Hundreds upon hundreds
of written manuscripts and thousands up
on thousands of letters have reached the
committee and it's members with refer
ence to the various schedules of the tariff
bill. No class of citizens has shown
greater interest in the tariff than the
farmer, and it may be set down as certain
that no class of citizens will get more
careful and faithful attention in the fra n
ing of the bill than those same farmers.
Every question relating to their industries
and interests is considered. Many of the
important items relating to their indus
tries have been acted upon already, and
in all of these the new rates fixed have
been such as to give a satisfactory pro-
lection. While the figure which has been
fixed upon cattle is not quite as high as
that of the Mckinley law, it is believed to
be ample to thoroughly protect the stock
raisers of the United States against the
competition of Mexico and Canada, which
were the only countries sending in live
stock in competition with our own. On
some agricultural products the rates of
the Mckinley act have been restored. The
prosperity of the agriculturist under that
law was SO strongly marked, and its pop
ularity with the farmers was so great that
the committee has cheerfully acted upon
the recommendation of representatives of
the agricultural interests and restored the
Mckinley law in very large proportion
of cases. One subject which has given
them great deal of difficulty is that of
wool. The Wool Growers Association
has requested a rate of II cents per pound
on first and second-class woods, with an
addition of cents per pound for skirted
Australian woods, which is very consid-
erably in excess of the rates of the Nc
Kinley law, and also something higher
than those suggested by the wooden manu-
facturers. The members of the commit
tee are somewhat embarrassed by what
they consider an extreme demand on the
part of the Wool Growers Association.
for they feel that if they make the rates
OF duty on wool excessive it will result
IN such an increase in the price of wooden
goods as to grow unsatisfactory and re-
suit dlsadvantageously to the people of
the country as well as unpopular in it's
effect on the public mind The wooden
manufacturers have recommended a rate
OF 5 cents per pound on woolens valued at
10 cents per pound or less, and it is prob
able that the committee will find some
golden mean between these two requests
OF the wool growers and manufacturers.
On the question of reciprocity. nothing
has as yet been determined. There is
disposition on the part of the committee
to provide reciprocity clause, but they
are finding difficulty in this because of the
fact that they do not expect to put sugar
on the free list, as was the case under
the Mckinley law. 1t will be remembered
that reciprocity was made easy under
the Mckinley law because that act placed
sugar on the free list, but gave to the
President the right to demand an euuaI
concession in the duties levied on our
goods by those countries wanting our
sugar to come in their ports free of duty
The fact, however, that the law which ia
now being framed is not to put sugar on
the free list renders it more difficult to
make reciprocity feature of the new law
Yet it is expected that the bill will. when
completed, contain such provisions as will
make 1t practicable to again put info on.
Grafton certain reciprocity ARRANGEMENTS
which proved so extremely valuable ond
added so much to our exports in certain
directions during the operations of the
Mckinley act. No subject has moro in
terested the farmers than that Of roo;r
rocity, and while the details of the hi,
have in this line been completed. they NOV
rest assured that their interests will ho
guarded in these as in other lines of +ho
bill. ''e
The sugar question is one which is sill,
troubling the committee. While there wo.
q recommendation on the part of certain
sugar producers in favor of a bonntv on
beef and cane sugar, it is scarco,v
probable, judging from present ind;.
cations, that this will be comnl;ad
with. There will be, however =
sufficient protective rate of dutv on
sugar to encourage the beet growers 81
the upper Mississippi valley and Pac;fo
coast, as well as the cane producers of the
Southern States.
1t is probable that the new bill will M,
be given to the public until the special sos.
sion of Congress is called 1t is now nm
derstood that that session will begin on .,
about March 15. The committee exno,,s
to have the bill ready by that time. and !,
is understood that about two weeks of dis.
cussion will be considered sufficient in ths
House. OF the passage of the bill there
there of course is no doubt, for the House
IN L.. hIscor