The San Francisco call., 1897-03-23

100000; but this expectation was bl sled
when anticipated tariff legislation that would
largely reduce duties began 10 defer importa-
tions and subsequently to disorganize indus
tries.
In the light of this course OF events and in
the face of the chronlc deficiency requiring I'M
mediate relief, the Committee OF Ways and
Means has reported the pending bill to revise
the tariff for the ends indicated by the title,
TO wit, 10 provide additional revenue 10 carry
on the Government, and at the same time, In
adjus ting the duties, 10 encourage the In
dustries OF the United States In this re-
vision the committee has endeavored 10 dis
card mere theory, aud has addressed them
selves TO the framing OF a pracucal remedy,
at least in part, for the Ills which have
for so msnv months oyershadowed the
country. II is ga condition and not theory
which conironts US" Our problem IS TO pro-
vide adequate revenue from duties on imports
to carry on the Government, and in imposing
duties 10 secure this result to so adjust them
as 10 secure to our own people the production
and manufacture of such articles as we can
produce or make for ourselves without natural
disadvar tage, and thus provide abundant op-
portunlties for our labor. For rest assured
that no economic policy VIII prove success
unless ii shall in some manner contrlDute 10
opening up employment 10 the masses OF our
people at. ocd wages. When this shall be ac-
CONF plished and thus the purchasing power OF
the masses restored, then, and noI until then,
will prices cease to feel the depressing IN
huence OF under-consumption, and the pros
1892
The past four years have been enlighten-
ing, especially to candid investigators OF
economic problems. We have been attending
a kindergarten on a gigantic scale. The
tuition has come hign, but no people ever
learned so much In so brief time. Here
after theories, preached in however capu-
waiting language, viii have to give away to the
teachings OF experienee.
1t has been the favorite assumption of
some theorists that revenue and protection in
the same tariff schedule are impossible, butwe
have had in the past seven years in the con-
trasted working of the protective wool and
Ia cf III ~ ff1f Rf
the similar non-protectiye schedule of the
tariff OF 1894, g most striking demonstration
otherwise.
The importations of clothing wool in 1898.
under the tariff OF 1890. was about 4o,oO0.00O
pounds and the manufactures OF wool about
$4,000, 00O-mainiy goods worn by the we'll
to-do who think 1t the thing to wear foreign
made cloth and who are willing 10 pay the
duties imposed upon il. From these importa-
tions OF wool and woolens in 1893 the Govern
ment derived arreyenue OF about 44oOOO OOO
The importations of clothing wool IN the fiscal
year 1896 exceed $4,000, 600 pounds-three
times as much as in 1S93--and of mannfae-
lures of wool more than twi ce as many pounds
in 1896 as in 1898, and yet the reven nues de-
rived by the Government from this enormous
increase OF the imports OF wool and woo,ens
in the fiscal year 1696 was only S22 600 000-
a loss OF Sol 900 900 from that realized in
1898. In other words by the placing of wool
on the Tree list and reducing the duties on
S21, 600 600 OF revenue, our farmers lost
market for the S0.000,o00 pounds of wool
which they raised in 1892 in excess OF what
they raised in 1S96-9I, well a. nearly 10
cents per pound in price, involving loss TO
them OF nearly $30, ,000, 900 per annum already
on this one farm produci, and our manufac-
turers and their workingmen lost q market
not only for the goods which increased Tor
eign imports had supplan ted, but also a mar
ket for goods which the farmers and masses of
the people were able 10 purchase in 1898, but
which they could not buy in 1896, because of
loss of employment and purchasing power
Beyond this ii has been dem moistrated that by
Yafp patT nl naf be frae s,i,, r-of
the farmers and the manufacturer. We have
not been thereby enabled to increase our ex-
ports OF wool (as 1t was reported would be the
easel and we have greatly increased the use
OF shoddy by diminishing the purchasing
power OF the masses and thus com pelling them
TO seek the cheapest clothes.
II 1t be claimed that this has reduced the
cost of clothing TO the people, the reply is
obvious that it has done so only in appear
anee, because in point OF fact the masses, de-
prlved OF work ana wages by that which has
given foreign manufacturers the making of
so large part of our goods, have found it
harder to buy their clothing than they did be-
fore.
Profting by this experience the Ways and
Means Committee, IN framing the pending
bill, has taken wool from the free list. where
IL was so unlustly placed by the present tariff,
and have restored it to the dutiable list az the
same re tes as it bore in the tariff OF 1890 ana
have also restored the same compensatory du-
lies on manufactures of wool as were provided
by that act in order to place the manufacturer
of wool on the same basis as to his competitor
as was given by the latter act-a system
always necessary in order 10 provide market
for the domestic wool. To this has been aided
in partly specific form duties practically
equivalent to the ed valorem duties imposed
by the tariff OF 1890 and 1894 as protection to
The WOOL manufacturer.
This, it is believed. will greatly aid the wool
grower, stop the further depletion of our fiocks
and presently regain what we have lost in the
past four years. and ultimately result in the
home production OF near.y all the clothing
WOOL that we require 1t will also greatly eE-
ha onfr1 ristr frdf -sriaa
which have suffered severely under the
tariff OF 1894. At the same time we will ulti-
matey increase the revenue from duties
wool and woolens not less than $25,000,0O0
per annum.
The duty on sugar has also been increased,
both for purposes of revenue and also to
courage the production OF sugar IN the United
States and thus give TO our farmers new and
much needed crop We now pay foreign coun-
trles about $o4, ,o0O,oOo Tor imported sugar,
notwithstanding the abnormalIy low price,
100000.
The success which has attended the growing
OF sugar beets and the production Of beet
sugar in California and Nebraska in the past
iour years, not TO men ion the progress in the
production OF cane sugar in Louisiana, has
made the problem OF producing our own sug ar
no longer doubtful, and now that we must
have the increased revenue from sugar for the
present a favorable opportunity presents
Itself for giving this boon to our agriculture.
The duty OF sugar proposed is specific
cording to the polariscopic test of the degree
Oi sACcnaIlue matter, commencing at L cent per
pound Tor sugar po arlZed not more than 70
degrees and increasing the duty .03 of
cent for each additional degree. This
would make the duty raw
sugar Of the same polariscopic test
as refined sugar 200 degrees) IA cents. To
this is added one-eighth of / cent ior such
sugar above number 16. Dutch standard, IN
color (rehned sugar., making the duty 1871
cents. This eighth, with Whatever may be
added by the cour tervaiIDg duty on all sugar
imported from export bounty paying coun-
tries, is the protection, which il is believed
Will maintain the refining industry here mot
withstaA ding the present differential one
eighth and a 40 per cent ali rou nd duty is
dIheren tisl between raw and refined sugar,
for ii the refner used sugar OF less ssccharine
strength than 100, as he must, it requires pro-
portionally more of such sugar 10 make q
pound OF refined sugar.
An increase has been made in the duty on
flax and hemp, well as jute and manufee-
lures thereof, TO practically the same as that
borne by cotton goods, both to increase the
revenue for the time being and ultimately to
develop the linen manufacture here. From
the evidence before the committee, we
persuaded that the time has come for grad
ual development OF both fax culture and fax
manufacture in this country, which has been
possible only to limited extent on coarse
articles under lower duties. Specimens of
goods made from Minnesota fax are exhibited
which seem TO give promise OF q new develop
ment IN this direction.
For the most part, otherwise, the increase of
duties in the pending bill TO the figures of the
tariff OF 1890 has been in the schedules par
agraphs covering articles like tobacco, liquors,
silks, laces, etc, which, being articles OF vol
untary conSumptio are always regarded
objects which will bear the biEhest duties.
Tne exceptions are tie eGrthenware and glass
schedules, the agricultural schedule, on which
the duties have been placed the same as in the
act OF 1890. because no other rates seem to be
protective.