The Portland daily press., 1897-03-31

ls9U, 1t made an exhaustive investiga-
tion to determine whether or not duty
on hides would benefit the farmers Of
the United States. The committee found
the following facts:
. THAT the great body of hides used
IN this country were produced as by
product and the price was made here.
AS to goat skins and large num-
Der OF other skins for tanning, We found
that we did not have them, and that they
must be imported.
"3-Tbat the importations of thick
hides, except in few special cases, were
dry hides, for sole leather and largely
uhed for export because Of our cheap
tanning materials thus enabling us to
reach foreign markets with the product
From these facts we concluded that
under the special conditions obtaining,
NO adl an5age would accrue to the farm
erifrom re-imposing a duty, and that
disadvantage would be felt by those en-
gagged in the export leather trade. 1t
was believed that duty on hides would
shut of. this export trade and prevent the
tanning. OF hides here and drive it into
Canada. In view of these facts, the
final conclusion of the committee was
against imposinR,a duty.
Mr.. Livingstone, Democrat OF Georgia,
criticised the committee for failing to
includel In the bill "To raise revenue
and to protect American industries. a
duty on hides. A ten per cent ad va
lorem duty on hide imported last year
would have produced 81, 400, 900, and
tax Of ! cent a pound on goat skins
would have produced $500, 900.
Mr.. Cowherd, Democrat of Missouri,
declared that the tariff on Mexican cat
tle was blow at the farmers and the
wool schedule also. In reply Mr.. Dolliver
had read letter from Norman Gibbs
of Nit. Vernon, Mo-, president of the
Short Horn association, asking duty
tlemen OF that section. The committee
amendment permitting free entry in
works of art Of exhibition by public as
sooiations was proposed by Chairman
Dingley, whereupon Mr.. smith, Demo-
GRAFT of Arizona, talked about the cattle
schedule. asserting that the rates amount
ed to 1876 per cent ad valorem so far as
they concerned his territory.
In rebuttal of MIR. Delivers letter.
Mr.. Wheeler read a letter from Hon.
Norman j. Coleman of ST. Louis, the
tirst secretary of agriculture. In the
course of this discussion Mr.. Simpson.
Populist Of Kansas, attempted to SCORE
a point on the chairman of the ways and
means committee by reading in oonnec-
tion with the alleged policy of exclusion
of Mexico contained in the bill, the pro-
vision allowing the lumber cut on the
st. Croix river in Maine and sawed in
New Brunswick to be admitted free Of
duty. This was he said, reciprouity for
the benefit of Maine, but when 1t came
to Mexico 1t was different. 1t depended
upon whose.ox was gored.
Mr.. Dingley explained that this provis-
ion was made necessary by the treaty Of
foh dod hot he mt
of the st. John river was in Canada.
Since that time the lumber grown on the
upper part of the st. John river had been
fioated down the river, sawed and re-
imported iato the United States. MIR.
Brucker, Democrat of Michigan, de-
nounced the duty of eo on lumber as
70 bbery. The lumber barons were per-
mitted to 60 into Canada and have their
lumber sawed by the cheap labor there.
It was free trade in labor and protection
for the manufactures. The amendment
pending was adopted, also another per-
mittingss free books, scientific apparatus,
| maps and charts, not produced in this
country imported for educational OF
scientific purposes and not for sale: also
amendment increasing the rates on
horses and mules to those OF the act of
1850. Mr.. Hall, Populist of Colorado,
said that he had been in the lu nber busi-
ness for 30 years and he challenged any
one to show that the consumer had ever
paid dollar owing to the tariff on lum-
ber.
Leather shoe laoes less than 6e inches
in length were placed on the dutiable
list at 80 cents per gross paid in 40 per
cent ad valorsm, and over 66 inches,
coo and 25 per cent I'D valorem.
MIR. Davis, Democrat of Florida, sub
mitted an argument against the duty
on pineapples from cents each to Sc
per thousand.
MIR. Mahaney contended that pine
apples were one of the luxurieS within
the. reach OF the poor and should not be
inci eased in price for the benefit Of few
growers.
"Why not increase the duty and reduce
the price; that is a Republican stock
argument" interposed Mr.. Carmack,
Democrat of Tennessee.
The duty on mica was increased from
8 cents per ponnd and Is per cent ad
sions of one square inch or less, and 2
Gems additional for each square inch af-
ter a maximum OF 90 cents per pound
Mr.. Wheeler, Democrat of Alabama,
read letter from II prominent Repub-
! lican of Philadelphia" characteriZlng the
Dingley bill as "a selfish, wicked meas
ure. -
Mr.. MoMillin said, relative to the pro-
posed change of duty ON mica that it
would make the higher grades dutiable
at 300 per cent.
Mr.. Grnsvenor said experts had testified
that the rates in the amendment would
NOT exceed IS per cent. This completed
the committee amendments.
Mr.. Dinaley. in reply to a question,
said; that nine-tenths Of the amendments
offered by the committee yesterday and
today had been suggested by members
and offered after inv. sti cation.
Mr. MoMillin requested that the COM
mittee proceed to consideration of the
sugar schedule. The clerk then resumed
the reading of the bill where he stopped
On Saturday. Mr.. Lentz, Democrat of
Ohio was the firt to interrupt the read
ing of the bill. He pr sented a number
of protests from bitumiuous ceal min
ers against the restoration of IS cents
a ton duty whicn he said was in the
interest OF the anthracite coal
pool of the east. Mr.. Genor,
Republican of Michigan. in reply. said
Mr. Lentz's remarks demonstrated his
ignorance. He said that the suggestion
against the restoration of the duty On
coal had como only after the bill had
been reported to the House. He said they