The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1897-01-01
lew REVISION OF TARIFF
WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE BE.
GAN IT'S HEARINGS.
Several Large Delegations Were In
Attendance, md Much Interest
Was Displayed.

Washington, Dec. 2S.-The tariff hear
ings before the ways and means commit
tee began at 10 o'clock today. There were
several large delegations in attendance
and much interest was displayed. Tht
morning was devoted to the chemica
schedule and the afternoon to wines ano
liquors.
Chairman Dingley made Il preliminary
statement as to the hearings, which will
be held each day from 10 to 4, with a re-
cess from 1890 to 1870. He said the COM
mittee desired to avoid repetitions, and
would prefer, wherever convenient, to re-
ceive condensed briefs rather than ora
arguments.
Thomas f. Harrington of Philadelphia,
representing the Manufacturing Chem
lists association of that city, made a
brief statement to pave the way for a
brief to be submitted to that association.
In a general way he said the chemists
would ask for a moderation in schedules,
and, as far as possible, a change from
ad valorem to specific duties. Those in
terests he represented asked no favors,
anu oHly ueSlIcu JUSTICE. lHey were now
being crushed between the textile manu-
facturers and importers. He said data
would be submitted relative to the COM
petition they had to meet from China and
Japan.
Mr.. Krebs of San Francisco submitted
a formal argument for a change of the
schedule in the act of 1894 relating to DO.
rates and borax. The present law pro-
vides for a duty of 2 cents a pound on
baracic acid and 2 cents on elm bo-
rax. This duty, he argued, did not full
fill the revenue expectations of the gov
or the producers. He argued for
a new classification of the compounds Of
boraX to prevent avoidance and evasion of
duty, with slightly higher rates. He pre-
sented the following schedule: Borate of
soda, 3 cents; borate of lime, containing
not more than A per cent Of anhydrous
boracic acid, 8 cents; borate of lime, con
tanning more than "A per cent, 4 cents;
anhydrous borax, 5 cents; horacic acid.
5 cents; %anbydrous boracic acid, 6 Genus.
In answer to a question, Krebs express
ed the opinion that the schedule he PRO-
posed would produce as much revenue as
the present schedule and afford much
DStSSA I III ~ :. l. AdCIlIIIly
all the 20, 900, 900 pounds Of borax and its
compounds used in this country, he
thought, could be produced here.
James Mcguire Of New York asked that
hydrate alumina should pay duty only
on the alumina contained In the product.
Frank Jacob of San Francisco read a
statement in behalf of the native wine
rower Of the Pacific coast asking that
the Mckinley rate Of so cents per gallon
be restored, in place of so cents, on all
dry wines, and 81. so per gallon on spirits.
He said 1t was desirable to create a taste /
for high class native wines. There was
an existing presumption in behalf of |
wines bearing foreign labels, whereas |
these were inferior to native goods. The
native growers opposed any reciprocity |
arrangements, as wines were always a
source of revenue, wherever produced, |
and were always taxed high rates. Also,
because there could be no guarantee that
wines imported from any country had
been produced in that country. Under Il |
cent rate the American producers would
be able to cultivate better varieties of
wines and to age their goods. jacob was
accompanied by Edward Frawenfeld of
the California Wine association and p, l.. |
Roget, manager of the Leland Stanford
w. H. Cbilds of New York and ]. 7. |
Schoeltkoepf of Buffalo, N. Y, argued in
of increasing the duties on coal tar
dyes from 25 per cent to IS per cent ad
with a clearer classification of
the schedule.
j. S. Page of New York, representing
- - .a:1 = -.
duties were ample, but if duties on chem
ica1s were increased they desired a rela-
tive increase on colors.
II. c. Stewart of Philadelphia appeared
in behalf of a duty on copperas, ochery
earths and all oxides of iron used in the
manufacture Of paints, which, under the
present law, are admitted free. He read
from several paint manufacture
ers, testifying to the depression of the
owing to foreign competition, |
since the enactment of the present law.
James Hartford of New York, on behalf
of the chemical section of the New York
board of trade and transportation, argued
In favor of a general change from ad va
loren to specific duties on drugs.
Samuel Merse of Newark, N. j., argued
for a restoration of the Mckinley law du-
on ultramarine and analine dyes.
w. w. Skiddy of New York, represent
ing logwood and other dye stuffs, argued
for the change from I'D valorem to spe-
ciic rates, and also some raise in the
The drug millers of the United States
were represented by George Hitler of
New York, who presented a substitute for
paragraph 1872 of the schedule of the Viii
son law making the duty 8 cents a pound
on powdered drugs, the same rate now |
paid on powdered spice. Mr.. Hitler pre-
a comparative statement of the |
cost of production at home and abroad, |
showing an advantage of $50 cents in |
of the foreign manufacturer. In
the present law the duties are 10 per cent |
ad valorem, and the manufacturers rep !
commended a change to specific duties
wherever possible. The tariff, Mr.. HITLER
said, should cover the difference between
the cost of grinding or powdering abroad |
and in the United States, but it was de- |
by questions that the cost of
grinding in the United States is 2 cents