The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-12

"While the amendments OF tie iseuse
bill, recommended by the senate finance
committee Lahnut- -zQll-appnaF te-be-
multitudinous. yet about 200 Of them are
mainly verbal-such as amending the
spelling OF 'esbestus' by substituting o.
for u leaving about 500 which change
rates. This IS about the number of
amendments 10 the Mckinley bill adopt
ed by the senate in 1890. and OF these re-
naming 500 large proportion involve
nothing OF consequence. There are,
however. many amendments which are
important. not only on revenue, but other
grounds. do not propose now 10 speak
Of these proposed amendments except as
they effect revenue.
"rhe effect OF these amendments as n
whole-outside OF the amendment inn
posing "a duty on tea for 2ia years and the
amendment increasing the internal rev.
enue tax on beer - cents per barrel for
the same period and the increase pro-
posed on tobacco and cigarets--is TO pro-
6uce less revenue than would be yielded
by the house. For example, the amend
ments relegating 10 the free list GER
tain acids, and oils paintings and statu-
ary for private use and reducing the
duties on liquors, tobacco, precious
stones. etc, lose more revenue than
could be obtained by the duty on tea.
The amendments reducing the duty
on clothing, wool, and increasing the
duty on carpet, wool, would also di-
minlsh the revenue. The amendment in
creasing the duty on opium from s6 to SO
per pound would not increase the rev
enue iu the judgment OF the admins.
traitors Of the law. who Informed the
wavs and means committee that SO was
the point which would yield the largest
revenue. The proposed duty on hides
and a few ether amendments would in
crease the revenue somewhat
The Hawaiian Treaty.
"Of course the estimate of an increased
revenue from sugar through an abroga-
tlCn Of the treaty with Hawaii has moth
i,4g to do with the tariff legislation. for
this could =" done "a well by accepting
the house sugar schedule as the sugar
schedule proposed The ways and
means committee did not even consider
the question OF abropating this treaty.
because they took it for granted that If
II was considered desirable 20 abrogate
this OF any "ther treaty it would be done
In the STRAIGHTFORWARD manner provided
by the treaty Itself. The fact that the
senate finance committee recommend an
od valorem duty on sugar apparently
little hirtcr than the specific duty Of
the house hill does not Insure n larger
revenue. as past experience with ad
Valorcm duties has shown. In our
judgement tho revenue from sugar under
the house schedule Getting aside the
question % abrogating the Hawaiian
trcaty) would be larger than under the
senate amendments.
"The proposed temporary duty on tea
would !ncrea~c the revenue. although
not so much the Crst year rs estimated.
because OF thc large stocks on hand, and
the short stocks that would bc main
Saincd with the knowledge that tea
would soon 20 back 90 the free list; and
the proposed increase OF internal rev.
cnue taxes would also increase the rev
enue go the eEtcut estimated But the
other prorrfal amendments would. as
whole. diminish rather than increase
the revenue.
"Sumc criticism has been made on the
estimates " the ways ana means COM
mittce as 60 tie revenue that would be
produced hy tho tnrin bin as Il passed
thesIouse T'hpae criticisms overlook the
fpct that lie 0ars sand meang committee
eftimutcs II The revenue that might be
expected he nrrt wear were based on the
assumption 'hat tn hIll would become
"a law brf0re May ]. The committee, I'm
their report. expressly said that while
,hore could he no question that the
house bill would In any event yield sur
ncicnt revenue 20 carry ON the govern
ment and leave surplus the second
year Of its operation--which nobody even
now contradicts--and probably sufficient
for the first year n it could be promptly
put IN force. yet n there should be a de-
lev In its enactment beyond May /, an