New-York tribune., 1897-01-21
PRICE THREE CENTS.
KNOTTY PROBLEM TO FACE.
HOW TO PREVENT THE FLOODING OF
THE MARKETS WITH IMPORTS
THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE STUDYING
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. WHICH
HAVE BEEN sUBMITTED-wHAT THE
COMMITTEE NOW CONSIDERS
PRACTICABLE.
fBY TELEGRAPH To THE TR,BrSE.1
PRACTICABLE,

PRACTICABLE.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE rR,srNE1
Washington. jan 2O-How to prevent the
flooding of the markets Of the United States with
enormous quantities OF imported merchandise
under existing rates OF duty in anticipation OF
advance Of rates by the LVth Congress Is
a problem to which members OF the Committee
on Ways and Means and everybody else inter-
esfed in the subject Of tariff legislation are de-
voting much thought and careful 'study these
days. On a satisfactory and successful solution
OF this grave and difficult problem great deal
depends. There Is pressing. imperative de-
mand for more revenue from customs to re-
plenish the National Treasury. At the present
rate. and II existing conditions continue twelve
fourteen months longer the fictitious sur
plus in the Treasury. consisting or a
remnant OF the money borrowed by the present
Administration. will be exhausted and the new
Administrat ton will be faced by the disagreeabe
necessity Of borrowing more money TO supply
deficiencies Of revenue and protect the coin re-
serve.
This is an aspect Of the case which no man.
whether he favors n protective tariff or not. can
reasonably afford to ignore disregard. and not
many Democrats can be found In the House of
Representatives who seem inclined to do either.
Least of all do they appear disposed to lay any
obstacle In the way Of those who are trying to
discover or invent some plan to prevent excessive
importations on the Of the enactment Of a
new tariff law. all the profits Of which would be
reaped and enjoyed by importers and foreign
manufacturers and mainly by the latter Such
flood Of importatons would naturally and In
evitably postpone for a considerable period the
day Of relief for the Treasury. as we'll as for
those domestic industries which are langushing
under existing law.
SOME REMEDIES PROPOSED.
II Is easy enough to state the problem which
thus confronts statesmen in Congress and de-
scribe the evil consequences which would follow
a failure to solve it, How to solve It is another
question. There is no doubt that members OF
the Committee on Ways and Means have a.
ready virtually reached an agreement as to one
of the means to b employed To preventive
enormous mportations usual on the eve Of an
increase Of duties. thereby keeping the domestic
market supplied for indefinite period with
goods imported at lower duties 10 the exclusion
Of all other goods. whether Of foreign or domes-
tic manufacture and production. The plan re-
ferred to, which has been mentioned In these
dispatches. provides for the imposition Of the
new rates of duty on all imported merchandise
in the United States that has not been with
have not been paid. prior to the day the new
law takes effect. as well as all duiabe merchan-
disc entered on and after that day Whether
this would apply to wool. lumber and other arti-
cles now on the free list. which might not have
been withdrawn for consumption and which will
have been made dutiable by the new act. Is a
question 1t would probably be quickly settled.
however beforehand by the withdrawal from
warehouse OF all free goods before the law could
go into operation.
Another preventive remedy was suggested to
the Committee on Ways and Means in behalf of
the wool-growers. 1t was the passage OF q law
providing that all goods imported on and
after the date Of its enactment the duties i'm
posed by existing law should be collected. and
that every importer and consgnee importing
such goods should give satisfactory and suhi-
cient bond for the payment Of the difference be-
tween the amount at the existing rates ana tho
amount required by any rates subsequently
fixed by the LVth Congress prior TO the expira-
ton of the first session thereof.
This suggestion was regarded impracticabe
bv members Of the committee. for several rea-
sons One was that Congress did not possess the
authority 10 compel importer or consignee
who imported goods for immediate consumption
and paid the duties thereon at the rates pre-
scribed by law at the time Of importation TO give
a bond for the payment Of additional duties
which II might at some future date impose on
similar imported merchandise. The result would
be that the amount OF goods warehoused would
he INSIGNIFICANT and the public revenue would
receive little or no benefit from the proposed en-
actment
CHAIRMAN DINGLEYS VIEWS.
This view OF the matter was presented by
Chairman Dngley in conversation with a Trib-
une correspondent yesterday. as also was an
other practical objection which must receive
great weight. 1t IS the probable attitude Of the
Senate toward sucn a provision. Among other
things he said: IF a man who imports goods.
either as consgnee or purchaser. and enters
them for immediate consumption. goes to the
Custom House and tenders the amount OF duty
reouired by law at the date OF entry. what
ground can the Collector OF Customs refuse 10
lease the goods unless the importer or consgnee
furnishes a bond 10 pay any additional duties
which may be assessed under a law which Con-
yress was to enact at some future date? Another
thing must also be considered. even admitting
that the remedy suggested is a practicable one.
and that is the attitude and disposition of the
Senate When Judge Lawrence submitted the
suggestion TO the committee Senator Carter, OF
who was sitting near me. quietly re-
marked that II such proposition should be sent
to the Senate 1t might possibly come TO vote
some time in October. but certainly not earlier
han that"
Judge Lawrence's suggestion was Immediately
pronounced impracticabe by the practical busi-
ness men-merchants and importers we'll as
We're present when IL was
offered. Among other objections mentioned by
them was the fact that ii would he impossible
for any merchant importer or manufacturer 10
fix in advance a scale Of prices for his goods.
md that such a scale had to be framed long in ad-
vance Of actual sales In nearly II not quite every
branch OF trade. Ii was also urged that IL such
A contingent provision dependent on the future
action OF Congress should be enacted. the for
.ign manufacturer would not pay any portion
Df the additional duty. all Of which would fall
upon the importer. Whether he would be able
To recoup himself by raising the prices Of his
goods to jobbers and dealers would depend alto
sether upon his ability To guess what the add-
-.litat IL In na