The Flagstaff sun-democrat., 1897-02-11
NEW TARIFF BILL.
A Few of the Most Important
 Schedules Definitely Fixed.
Many A agricultural Products Go Back to the Mckinley schedule-Duty on Cattle Intended to Exclude Mexican
 Stock-Cereals and Fruits.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-The day ses- sions of the republican members of the ways and means committee, which have been in progress for about two weeks, have brought the tariff bill which is to be laid before the next congress to stage where the charac- ter of the measure can be somewhat gauged, and where certain of the most important schedules are definitely fixed.
 Yesterdays meeting was the most im- portant of the series, for it resulted in the framing of the agricultural sched- ule, which was made a re-enactment of the Mckinley law with few changes, ex- cept on unimportant products. The most important step in connection with this schedule was the establish. ment of rates of S5 head on cattle more than one year old, and of 25 per cent. ad valorem on cattle valued at more than S20 head. The Mckinley rates on other live stock, including the rate of g. on cattle of one year old or less, are restored. The Wilson rates were 20 per cent. ad valorem on live stock, and, while the new duty of s on cattle does not reach the Mckinley figure of Sl0 on cattle more than one year old, it is expected that, with the ad valorem on the more valuable grades, it will prove adequate to shut out Mexican cattle. It is against the Mexican stock that the in. crease is particularly directed on the representations of western cattle men that their business had been ruined by the importations from Mexico under the Wilson law, which amounted to more than 100000 head.
 Much interest was centered upon barley, which the committee puts back to the Mckinley duty of 30 cents per bushel, because the farmers contended that the Wilson tariff had turned over the market into the hands of the Cana dians, while the maltsters, who have been using Canadian barley, have made a hard fight against any increase. The Mckinley rates have been restored on fruits and berries, mainly for the ben eft of the fruit growers of the Pacific coast. The fruit exchanges of the country had prepared schedule of rates below the Mckinley bill, although above the Wilson rates, but they did not succeed in having their schedule adopted.
 Among the products in the agricul- tural schedule which Gru returned to the Mckinley rates are hruadstutfs and rice, dairy products, meats and meat products eggs and poultry, vegetables aud salt. The demand of the farmers for the cKinley rate uf el.OO a ton On hay, instead of the Wilson rate of &. %, was granted. Chicory is placed at one cent. pound in accordance with the requests of the growers in the central states, who believe that they can cap ture the home market with protection.
 Throughout the work the policy of establishing specific rates wherever it was found possible to substitute them for ad valorem has been followed. The interests of farmers, it is stated, have been particularly observed in fixing duties for the purpose of protection. On the other hand, the increases on manufactured goods, most of them, have been on higher grades of goods and those which are considered lux uries.