The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-06-23


will direct the attention of the COM
mittee in charge OF the measure to
Just one point connected with the
clas .ifcation of rice. The two classl.
fcations of rice IN a general way are
cleaned rice. fit for food consumption,
and rough rice, as il comes from the
farmer.
Now, last year the Imports OF clean.
ed rice were Al, 9I5, 900 pounds; OF the
uncleaned, 22,74S, 900; of. the rough or
paddy rice, Is, S94 pounds; of the rice
-four, meal, and broken rice, IS, S94,-
000 pounds.
This statement is sufficient, it seems
to me, to con6enn the present sjstem
OF classification. Tbs intermediate
grades are the uncleaned, the meal
and broken rice, and the rough paddy
rice. OF the general classlhcations
there were Al, 900, 900 pounds ported,
while Of the intermediate grades 9l,-
773 GOO pounds came in from abroad,
srd venture the assertion that Of
these intermediate grades large pro.
portion were, to say the least, lrregu-
lar and q fraud on the revenues Of the
Government besides being sn lpjus.
tice to tne rice planters and mlllers of
this country.
have here book which gives the
testimony taken bsfore the Ways and
Means Committee, containing the
statement of a prominent rice dealer
in New Orleans, Mr.. Ernst. lshall
not consume the time OF the Senate to
read it. Mr.. Ernst stated that the
rice is broken up and crushed by for
eign exporters in order to take sdVan-
tage OF me present system OF classih-
cation, ard to furnish to the brewers
of this country cheap article out OF
which suppose they make beer and
palm it off as being made from hops,
or something Of the sort. These facts
were well known. They we're pre-
sented to the Ways and Means Com
mittee OF the House, and l doubt not
were presented TO the commit!e on this
side who had charge Of the measure.
Then why, I ask, is. the present sys-
ten of classification allowed to remalo
IN the bill? Are the brewers and
Spectators of this country of more
importance than its rice planters anc
miIIers2 Must legitimate line OF
material production be sacrificed to
the interests of those two classes2
Mr.. Gray. should like to ask the
Senator from South Carolina what
would be the result on the revenue of
the change ne proposes.
Mr.. McLaurin. Ga the revenue2
Mr.. Gray. Yes. presume this is
a revenue measure.
Mr.. McLaurin. Yes sir, should
think it would produce more revenue.
because you will ncii,e that whele
th9re is the leastim porsation, as IN tie
r ugh or paddy class, there is no
change made IN the House rates. OF
course, if you made but two general
c.assi6catIons, and pl, c d the rough
and broken rice IN one Of these classes
where the rate Of duty is much higher,
there would be more revenue than Is
now received under lower rate of
duty and herce the revenues of the
country would be correspondingly in
creased.
Mr.. Gray. This is eotirely a revenue
duty. That is the Senator's proposi-
ton.
Mr.. McLaurin. I am not proposing
any duty at all. 1t is cnange IN
classification to which I refer.
Mr.. Gray. And change in the
direction of more revenues
Mr.. McLaurin. I am not trying to
avoid the question. I will state that,
irrespective of revenue duty or any
thing else, the rice planters IN this
country have just as nucn right as
any o!ner class o. people IN the coun-
try. That is my posilon on thatques
ton.
Mr.. Gray. There we agree.
Mr. del Laurin. Now, ii the Senator
wants to koow my position, | will give
it to him.
Mr.. Gray. do not want it. ask
the Senatorfrom South Carolina what
the effect will be upon the revenue.
I want to know.
Mr. McLaurin. I think the effec:
will be to increase the revenue.
Mr.. Gray. So I really wanted to
know what effect it was going to aaVe
on the revenue with this enorm )1s ad
valorem dutV.
Mr.. McLaurin. l thi1k that it
would really increase tbs revenues of
The Government.
Mr.. Jones of Arkansas. WHAT'S tde
change in the classification Whlca the
Senator from South Carolina pro 1osesE
Mr.. McLaurin. Tne change | would
propose is, instead OF four, to mak'
jnlv Two general clAssiiclti0 IS, aad
strike out all OF the Intermediate
grades and put all ric- in:o toe gen.
eral classification.
Mr.. Butler. should ike 20 ask the
Senator frcm South Csroilaa If it's
not fact that under a schedule Ike
mis- great deal Of rice VIII c1ne 10
IS broken rice at 10 rate wnlch
would come in and pay nigner duty It
!. we're not for the l0T cl.sslnc+tioa
IN broken rice!
Mr.. McLaurIn. l thiak the Sena
TOR from North Carolina is correct.
Mr. Butler. Does not that explain
ghv such an encr nous amount Of
broken rice cIassed as broker rice, is
imported
Mr.. McL2urin. Yes, sir.
Mr.. Butter. Larger lual under
any ether schedule, and cnied! be-
cause great deal OF il inpor,ed as
broken rice was not really broken rice.
Mr.. McLaurin. Yes, sir.
Mr.. Butler. The importers take ad.
!an!age Of the very duty on broken
rice TO import rice under that ciassifca-
zion. Il is jRst the same thing We
oave to conle 4 with IN trying to pro
ect our mica Il Nor.h Caroliaa. U a.
1er the ad valcrem duly tney bring IN
INCA under the Lowest Classification,
or rather they undervzlue It and get
i IL, iti1Nr>r pavrOO UiuI Il 1ULy, anu