The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-05
RATES DECIDED Upon.
Draft Of New Schedule Completed by
Ways and Means Committee.
Practically a Re-Enactment
Of Mckinley Tariff.


Retained
Washington. Feb. 6.-The ways and
means committee of the house has
practically completed it's labor on the
new tariff bill which Is to be presented to
the special session Of congress.
Four schedules have now Been fairly
completed, the chemical. agriculture
wines and spirits. and earthen and glass
ware schedules. All of the rates which
have been decided upon are subject to
change before the committee finishes the
bill, but most OF them probably will re-
main as they have been fixed In the first
draft of the bill. Yesterdays meeting
was the most important of the series.
for IL resulted in the framing Of the
agricultural schedule, which was made
a re-enactment of the Mckinley law,
with few changes, except on unimportant
products. The most important step in
connection With this schedule was the
establishment of rates OF SIS head on
cattle more than l year old and Of %
per cent ad valorem on cattle valued at
more than $40 q head. The Mckinley
rate: on other live stock, including the
rate of 81 on cattle Of year old or less,
are restored. The Wilson rates were 20
peT cent ad valorem on live stock, and
wldfe the new duty of IS on cattle does
not reach the Mckinley figures Of $40 on
cattle more than year old 1t is expected
that, with the ad valorem on the more
valuable grades, 1t will prove adequate
to shut out Mexican cattle. 1t is against
the Mexican stock that the increase Ia
particularly directed on the representa-
tons of western cattle men that their
business had been ruined by the irnpor.
tations from Mexico under the Wilson
law.
Much interest centered upon barley,
which the committee puts back to the
Mckinley duty Of cents a bushel be.
cause the farmers contended that the
Wilson tariff had turned over the mar.
ket into the hands OF the Canadians.
while the maltsters who have been using
Canadian barley have made a hard
fight against any increase. The McKin-
ley rates have been restored on fruits
and berries, mainly for the benefit of the
fruit growers Of the Pacific coast.
Among the products in the agricul.
tural schedule which are returned to the
Mckinley rates are breadstuffs, and rice
tor beans and flax seed, meats and meat
products. eggs and poultry. vegetables
and salt. The demand Of the farmers
for the Mckinley rate Of "a a ton on hay
instead of the Wilson rate 81, was
granted. Chicory is placed at 1 cent q
pound in accordance with the requests
of the growers in the central states, who
believe that they can capture the home
xxyft
oranges have not been fixed, but the
committee has decided to change the
classification and make the rates higher
than those OF the Mckinley bill for the
benefit of the California interests.
In the chemical schedule many of the
Wilson rates Will be retained. The vii.
son duties on soaps and on sodas and
kindred chemicals which are the raw
materials of soap are left unchanged
The present rates on oils. including
castor oil, also will be retained, except
where changes are made necessary by
the restoration of duties on the raw ma
terials which enter into them as in the
case of linseed oils. There will be but
slight changes in the rates on paints
and dyestuffs and their constituent ele-
ments. The duties on borate of lime will
cents; boracic acid 3 cents. which are
compromises between the Mckinley and
Wilson rates. The duties on lead in ores
is placed at cent a pound, on pig lead
cents, on white lead and lead acetates
2A cents.
The committee has decided to retain
the Wilson rates on wines and spirits
throughout the wine and spirit schedule.
~ l,,I> yIylI
orally higher in it's rates than in the
Mckinley act.
The committee has devoted some tim.
to the consideration Of manufactures of
iron and steel and to cotton manufac.
lures. but has not perfected these
schedules. In the cotton schedule there
will be few changes from the present
law except in rates on fine yarns and the
most costly fabrics. The changes in
the iron and steel schedule will be limited
to a few specialties like cotton ties, on
which Mckinley duties will be re-en-
acted, on tin plate, which has not beer
settled, and some forms Of tube steel and
surgical instruments.
No other schedule has given the COM
mittee so much trouble as the one which
includes earths. earthenware and glass.
ware. 1t has been claimed by all the
pottery and glass interests that the
Wilson law has proven disastrous to
their interests, and that no system of
ad valorem levies could properly pro-
tect them. Accordingly the committee
has determined to adjust the items of
the schedule to such specific duties as
will be equal to the duties of the McKin-
ley law, most OF which were ad valorem.
On account of the decorative features Of
such wares. which often are the chief
element in their value. Y is particularly
difficult to adjust satisfactory specific
rates.
Plate glass has been arranged as fol-
lows
Under 16x24 inches, 8 cents per square
foot (present rate 81; above 16x24, and
not exceeding 24x30. IL cents (present
rate 81; above 24x30 and not exceeding
24x6o, the present rate OF 221h cents; all
a