The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-02-05
FARMERS INTERESTS
TO BE LOOKED AFTER.
Republican Leaders Propose to Fulfill
Their Campaign Pledges
By General Increase in Tariff Rates
on Farm Products.
With the Exception of Cattle, Nearly
Every Product in the Schedule
Will be Returned to Practically
Mckinley Rates-Such an Agree
ment Said to Have Been Reached
by the Republican Members of the
Ways and rleans Committee.

Ways and rleans Committee.
NEW YORK, Feb. A special
from Washington says: The Repub-
lican leaders propose to fulfill their
campaign pledges to the farmers of
the country by a general increase in
the tariff rates on all agricultural
products. While the Republican MEM
bers of the Ways and Means Com
mittee have not formally drafted the
agricultural schedule of their new tar
if bill, they have practically agreed
on most of the items.
With the exception of cattle, nearly
every farm product in the schedule will
be returned to practically the McKin-
ley rates. The duty on cattle which
is 20 per cent. ad valorem under the
present law and which is SO per head
on cattle more than one year old and
81 per head on one year old or under
in the Mckinley Act, will be somewhat
less than under the Mckinley Act, but
Will be high enough to keep out most
of the Mexican cattle which under the
present law are brought into the United
States to be fattened in Kansas and
neighboring States before being sent to
market.
This change in the duty ON cattle will
not be satisfactory to all of the cattle
farmers of the country, for a consid-
cradle number of men in Kansas, Col
orado and other States have found it
much more profitable to feed Mexican
cattle for the market than to raise the
stock on their farms. While the cattle
raisers of Texas are thus to be given
only a part of the protection they en-
jOyed under the Mckinley law, the
growers of barley hay, hops, beans
and other products with which similar
products in Canada come into compe-
tition are to have a return to the Nc
Kinley rates on most articles.
The hens along the border are also
to have a return to the Mckinley pro-
lection of D cents per dozen on the
eggs lid by the hens of Canada But
ter and cheese-makers of New York
are also to have the duties on those
products increased from / cents per
pound to q cents and the raisers of
vegetables, whose principal COMPETE
ton comes from the early vegetables
grown in the islands, are to have a
substantial return to Mckinley pro-
lection.
Much interest centered upon barley,
which the committee puts back to the
Nc Kinley duty of thirty cents bushel,
because the farmers contended that the
Wilson tariff had turned over the mar
ket into the hands of the Canadians
while the malsters who have been US
ing Canadian barley have made a hard
fight against any increase. The Nc
Kinley 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 coun-
try had prepared a schedule of rates
below the Mckinley bill, above the
Wilson rates. although they did not
succeed in having their schedule adopt
ed.
Among the products in the agricult-
ural schedule which are returned to
the Mckinley rates are breadstuffs and
rice, dairy products, potatoes and
starch, castor beans and flax seed
meats and meat products and poultry
vegetables and salt. The demand of
the farmers for the Mckinley rates of
rate of 50. was granted. Chicory is
placed at one cent a pound. in accord
ance with the requests of the grower in
the Central States, who believe that
they can capture the home market with
protection.
Rates on oranges have not been
fixed yet, but the committee has de-
ciGed to change the classification and
make the rates higher than those of the
Mckinley BILL for the benefit of the
California interests.
In the chemical schedule many of the
Wilson rates VIII be retained The
Wilson duties on soaps and on sodas
and kindred chemicals, which are the
raw materials of soap, are left UNI
changed. The present rates on oils, in
GLIDING castor oil, also will be retained
except where changes are made neces-
sary by the restoration of duties on the
raw materials which enter into them,
as in the case Of linSeed oils. There
will be slight changes in the rates on
paints and dye stuffs and their con-
ssituent parts. The duties on borate
of lime will be two cents per pound. on
refined borax three cents, boracic acid
tween the Mckinley and the Wilson
rates. The duties on lead ores is placed
at one cent per pound, on pig lead two
cents, on white lead and lead acetates
two and one-half cents.
The committee has decided to retain
the Wilson rates on wines and spirits
throughout the wine and spirit sched-
ules. This schedule of the Wilson Act
was generally higher in its rates than
in the Mckinley Act
The committee has devoted some time
to the manufactures of iron and steel
and to the cotton manufacturers but
has not perfected these schedules In
the cotton schedule there will be fifteen
changes from the present law, except
on rates on finery yarns and the most
costly fabrics. The changes in the iron
and steel schedule will be limited to
few specialties, like cotton ties, on
which Mckinley duties will be re-es-
tablished; on tin plate, which has not
been settled, and some forms of tube
steel and surgical Instruments
No other schedule has given the COM
mite SO much trouble as the one
which includes earths, earthenware
and glassware. 1t has been claimed by