The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-01-14

construction. He has one son residing in wash
ington. and connected with the Patent Once.
Another son, of bright promise died couple
of years ago. shortly after he had graduated IN
medicine from the colege-at Baltimore.
BUILDING NEW TARIFF
Ways and Means Committee Hears Va
riefy of Interests.
Several hearings took place last week before
| tho Ways and Means Committee on tariff mat
| ters The agricultural schedule was one Of
the most important subjects discussed At this
hearing the first speaker was +. II. Rock well,
of Warren, Pa. Mr.. Rockweli is a cattle raiser,
! grazing in both Mexico and Kansas. and ne
opposed high duties. The Mckinley ratio on
cattle, he said, was prohibitive. aud had in
jured the farmers of Kansas, who were bene-
flied by International grazing Another cattle
man, Mr. Sherman, of Saina, Kan, represented
that two-thirds of the cattle imported from
Mexico into the United States were owned by
Americans. Mr.. Sherman argued that the
| chief effect of the law was to ipjure Ameri-
| cans who had invested their money in Mexico
I Representative Curtis. of Kansas said that he
represented the district in which more Mexl-
can cattle were fed than in any other in the
United States, and in behalf of the American
cattle raisers, feeders and farmers Of Kansas
he asked to have restored the old duty OF $40
| a head on calves less than one year old. In the
first p months of the Wilson law 361, 600 cattle
had been imported into the United States, OF
an average value of $3.50 head, paying 81 cents
duty each.
Representative Bowers, of California, declared
that the Wilson law had killed the cattle bust.
ness in California, flooding the State with Mex
lean cattle. Labor was so cents day in Mex
leo. He combated the statements of the
cattle raisers that but few of the Mexican
stock imported were sold, being brought in for
feeding. Not more than one in ten were I'M
ported for feeding.
Mr. Bowers, in behalf Of the California fruit
growers, asked for higher duties on fruit.
Senator Perkins {Csl.) presented the memo
rial recently adopted by the State Fruit Grow
| ers' Organization. In addition to recommends
| tions by Mr.. Bowers, he asked for duty on
| lima beans of so cents per 100 pounds; on raw
chicory. II cents pound, aud on manufactured
the present rate of cents
duty on pearl barley was asked also. The
aimond-growers of California were represented
by T. B. Armstrong. He stated that from $l2,-
000, 600 to $l5 000 600 was invested in the busi-
ness, and from 20,OO0to 80 900 hands employed.
| An increase of rates from cents to 6 cents was
asked.
committee of Philadelphians. representing
the seed-farmers. laborers, and importers asked
that the present ad valorem rates be changed
to specific duties levied by the bushel or pound.
Edward N. LOOMS. for the produce merchants
of New York, asked for lower duty on Ber-
muda onions and potatoes during March, April,
aud May than during the rest of the year.
David Lubin Cali made brief speech in
advocacy of export bounties on agricultural
| products. Grand Master Rhone. of the Penn
| eylvania State Grange, advocated protection for
tho farmers. The only protection for the farm
er against the cheap lands and cheap labor Of
| the world was by export bounties on corn, cot.
| ton, wheat and othcr products.
Other interests were also represented.
| The WOOL manufacturers occupied the atten-
| ton another day. They did not ask for free
wool, but represented that the Wilson law had
closed half of their mills and had proved de-
structiye to the country's business generally.
They wanted compensatory duties on wooden
| goods and moro moderate tariff than the WOOL
growers had asked. Their chief spokesman was
| the Secretary of the Wool manufacturer Asso-
citation, S. ID. N. North, of Boston.
| The manufactur sdid not resist the restora-
| ton of wool dutiea They agreed to . protec.
| ton on wool equal to the protection they ex.
pected their own goods, but thoy resisted
| any return to the extreme characteristics Of
previous schedules. The use Of foreign woods
| had become indispensable. The supply of fine
| woods grown here was decreasing, because the
| farmer found greater profit in mutton sheep
| Notwithstanding the high duties on wool from
| 1861 to 1884, there never was time when the
| home supply was so insufficient. No American
manufacturer bought foreign wool for any pur-
| pose for which domestic wonld serve, because
| he had to advance money on imported wool to
| pay duties eight or 10 months before he could
realize by sales. There had been no year be-
| fore 1893 when the requirements of the do.
| nestle manufacturers had not exceeded the
| domestic wool supply.
| B. C. Moses, Of Maine, said: "What the
manufacturers, the woo-growers and the inn
porters want is a tariff so moderate that it will
/ DO permanent aud will not be overthrown.
Statistics have shown" he continued, that
| sheep-raising Aourished under q 10 per cent.
| tariff, and it was Q very dangerous thing to
give the sheep men or anyone else all they ask
! in tariff"
The next day the wool. growers were heard.
Their recommendations were for a rate of ~
cents on unwashed wOols "a cents on washed
and SO cents on secured, the Australian un-
washed to be classed as washed. and all rates
| to be advanced one-half cent year for six
| years.
Theodore Justice, Philadelphia wool dealer,
| presented great array of statistics to show the
ruin of the wool business by tho Wilson law.
| He combated the rates demanded by the grow
ers as too high. and stated that the decrease in
the prices Of goods TO consumers under the
Wilson law was equivalent to the reduction in
tho tariff.
One hour was given to Judge William Law.
l renee, Of Ohio, President Of the National Wool
Growers Association. He averred that the
election Of Mr.. Mckinley had been accom-.
plished by the votes Of the wool growers in q
half dozen doubtful States. who would have
voted for Bryan aud Free Silver had they moi
considered protection on wool more important
than Free Silver.
There were also hearings on the iron and
steel schedule. John Jarrett, Of Pittsburg
spoke on the subject of drawbacks Eighty
per cent. Of the goods receiving tho benefit oil
drawbacks, he said, was tin plate. Tin plate
making could not have been continued in the
United States under tho Wilson law, except fol
tho reduction Of Is per cent. In wages and the
cheaper prioe Of steel plates, resulting from the
general depression in business. Various gentle
men appeared before the Committee, speaking
for and against higher duty. The tobacco
schedule was also considered, and wide differ
ences of opinion were developed between native
growers. importers and manufacturers. Michael
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