The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-27
BORACIC ACID is MADE
THE ISSUE.
Democrats and SilVeriteS Who
Are Looking to Local
Interests.
DECIDED VICTORY FOR THE
REPUBLICANS.
Senator White Suggests a Series
Of Tables for Convenience
of the Public.

WASHINGTON, D. c., May 26.-The
first important skirmish OF the tariff cam
pGign in the Senate resulted to-day in a
decided victory for the Republicans. Il
was fought uponthe question of whether
the duty on boracic acid should be cents
a pound or the Finance Committee rate
OF 8 cents, as proposed in The amendment
offered by Vest. The fight was instruc-
tive as an indication of what may be ex
pected in regard to every important item
in the bill, and the vote was suggestive of
the manner in which local interests affect
the action of Senators. Vests amend
ment was defeated by majority OF IA
two Democratic Senators (McEnery and
While) and three silverites Cannon, Jones
of Nevada and Stewart) voting with the
Republicans. All Democrats not voting
were paired IN the affirmative. Butler
(Pop) and Mantle (SiI.) were paired in
the negative. while no pairs were an
nounced for Pettigrcw and Teller (Sil.),
Kyle (Ind. and Allen (Pop)
Before the vote Aldrich, in opposing
Vests amendment, said that representa-
tiyes of the borax industry declared the
proposed rates on borax in its various
forms to be absolutely necessary.
jones of Arkansas read the prospec tus
of London company which proposed 10
purchase OF the Pacific Coast Borax Com
pany at San Francisco, showing that very
large profits have been made from the
busin IS for several years during which
the tariff on boracic acid was only "a cents
a pound.
The next paragraph fixes the duty on
all alcoholic perfumery at 90 cents a pound
and As per cent ad valorem. Vests mo-
tion to put the duty at what 1t was under
the Mckinley act-S2 per gallon and so per
cert ed valorem-was rejected. A gallon,
he said, contained seven pounds, so the
proposed duty OF 81 20 gallon and 40 per
cent al valorem, or about S. gallon on
an article valued at 81 40, might be char
acter zed as protection run mad"
The next five paragraphs were quickly
disposed OF, the committee amendments
being agreed TO.
Paragraph *, putting duty of one
fourth of a cent a pound on bleaching
powder or chloride of lime, was opposed
by Gray, who said that it was on the
free list now and in the House bill, and
that the proposed duty would be wanton
makers and the paper manufacturers.
Quay said his attention had been called
to the matter this moraing by Pennsyl-
vania paper manufacturer, who was OPP
posed to the paragraph, and at Quay's re-
quest the paragraph went over till to-
morrow.
White Cd OF California asked to
have inser ed in the record, for conven-
fence of the Senate and the public, a series
of tables as follows: Articles paying from
so TO IS per cent under the pending bill;
articles paving from IS to 100 per cent;
articles paying above 100 per cent; also a
statement showing the small amount of
importation of certain high-taxed articles,
indicating prohibitory duties; also table
of articles more heavily taxed than in the
act of 1890
Aldrich inquired where the information
was TO come from, to which White replied
that Evans. the tariff expert, EN- ployed by
the minority of the committee. had taken
charge of the tabulations.
Jones CD of Arkansas asked AID
rich if he had made any estimate of the
general average of the ad vaiorem rate
under his bill. AldrIch replied that he
had not, as it was a very hard thing to DO.
The tariff bill was then laid aside, after
only three pages of the 217 had been dis
posed of.
The conference report on the sundry
civil appropriation bill was then taken
up and it was agreed that discussion of the
forest reservation matter should begin
early tomorrow and a vote be taken at
o o'clock