The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-04-14

Say Because They Are Too Busy.
WASHINGTON, April Ia. Special The
| long deliberations of the finance committee
| OF the senate over the Dingley tariff bill do
not give much encouragement &c those
who had hoped the upper branch Of con
| gress would pass that measure before the
| LIST Of June IL is now certain that the re.
vised bill will not be ready for reporting
TO the senate before the lst Of May All
the remainder of this month will be con.
sumed by the senate committee in going
over the various schedules and IN revising
the rates of duty While the finance com.
mittee tries 10 conduct It's work in secrecy
IL is known that the wool schedule is the
one likely TO give The most trouble The
problem which the finance committee has
to solve is how to reduce the wooden rates
sufficiently TO meet the wishes of the large
number of men in the senate who are dis
satisfied with the rates In the Dingley bill
without alternating the support OF the spe-
cial friends of high wooden duties The
understanding about the senate chamber
is that the western senator's, those hail
ing from states in which the fiocks were
depleted under the free wool of the Wilson
German law, have determined to stand
ont TO the very last for the Dingley or Nc
Kinley rates, for the rates In the house bill
are the Mckinley rates over again, save
that they are in part expressed specifically
instead Of all in adj valorem terms
Trying to Cut Down Rates.
There are other schedules in which the
finance committee is trying TO cut down
the rates as fixed by the house On the
whole the effect of the senate's revision
will doubtless be a much more conserva-
tive bill than that which passed the house
IL Is gossiped about the capitol that the
net reduction will amount to as much as
per cent on the whole list of importa tions
But so far this is mere guesswork. At
any rate, we have now this peculiar condi-
ton of affairs:
Three years ago the house passed tariff
bill, and the senate, though politically in
sympathy with the majority of the house.
set to work TO raise the rates, or the aver
age rates in that act. The senate took its
time to the task, and as will he remember
ed was good deal growlei at throughout
the country for doing so. The Democratic
party, then in power in both senate and
house, WAS much torn up over the alleged
and principles. The defense of the Demo
cratic leaders in the senate was that unless
they raised the rates of duty as fixed by
the house there would be insufficient reve-
nue. for the needs OF the government Sub
sequcnt events appeared to vindicate them
in this contention The law did not pro
duce enough revenue for the needs of the
government. even with the sehates |
changes. II the upper branch had accepted |
the bill as II came from the house. the de !
felt would have been an enormous one
A Check Upon the House.
Now the senate is again actin: IA n
check or governor upon the house hut IN |
the other direction. I he upper branch |
now proposes TO reduce the rates of duty |
feed by the commons, and again for the |
ostensible purpose uf producing sufficient |
revenue with which 10 carry on the gov
eminent. Expert tariff makers claim there |
is certain balance which must be main |
tanned II a tariff law is to produce the ex.
pected revenue The rates must be lust |
high enough, and not too high. II they |
are too high, goods are kept out of the |
and diminished importations shut |
of revenue. Ii the rates are too low the |
power of the country is not |
great enough to afford the desired income |
from customs. The experts of the senate |
have had acres of paper covered with fig |
ures by their skilled accountants. They |
have sought in the most painstaking way /
possible to ascertain just where this bal
ance lies and to make a thoroughly scien.
tific bill that will be sure to produce as |
much revenue as Is needed
OF course the revenue question is COM
plicated at every turn by the protection |
question. Here the selfshness of all the |
interests comes in Outsiders
have no idea of the pressure that is brought |
to bear upon members of ways and |
means or finance committee during the |
or revision Of a tariff measure |
Men worth many millions of dollars come |
down TO Washington and remain for sew
Pral weeks striving in every way known
to human ingenuity to influence the states |
men who have active charge of tariff max
ing Some of these influences are i'm favor |
Of lower rates and some in favor of higher |
rates One often counterbalances the other
Where Does the Consumer Come Inc
This rivalry between growers and man |
ufacturers, between people who want cheap |
raw material and those who do not be- |
cause they are producers of the raw ma |
terial this conflict between home makers |
ana importers, is gOOu tnlng IL serves |
In most instances TO maintain a sort of |
equilibrium. 1t is the saving grace of the |
whole tariff business But for this rivalry |
! fear the interests Of the consumers would |
he sadly overlooked. The consumers can.
not come down to Washington and spend |
a lot of money in trying 10 influence legis
lators They arc too busy earning a live |
lihood But happily there are interested |
persons who will do II for them-persons |
who have the means and the incentive
Thus the pulling and hauling go on. and
In the end something like justice rs mcted
out to all
When the senate will pass the tariff bill, |
Is moot question 1t seems TO be an easy
matter To take the house bill revise u !
little and put 1t through the upper branch.
But there are snags ahead There are diff
ficulties which only those of experience
ran understand The tariff experts and |
leaders of the finance committee have
most difficult task ahead of them They
have rival interests to satisfy They have
kicking" senator's TO get out of the way
They have sectional and factional Difficult |