The record-union., 1897-01-10
Delegates Take Action Upon the Report
Of the Committee Of Five,
Which is an Endorsement of the
Mckinley Bill.
A Document to be Sent to the House
Ways and Means Committee,
Showing the Articles Which Affect
California interests, and Which
Are i'm Need of Better Protection.

California interests, and Which
Are in Need of Better Protection.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. "a final
session of the general body of the local
tariff convention was held this morning
at the Chamber of Commerce, Chair
man Hugh Craig occupying the chair.
The special purpose of the meeting
was to receive and take action upon the
report of the committee of five which
has during the last few days been talk
ing testimony as to what is needed to
protect the interests of California pro-
ducerS
The report, a very lengthy and ex-
haustive document, was presented and
read by General N. P. Chapman of the
committee, who had been especially
charged with its preparation.
The paper, which is to be finally sent
to the Ways and Means Committee of
Washington, was given the following
title: Proposed Tariff Legislation, as
1t May Affect the State of California -
The report proper begins with this
statement:
There is probably no State In the
Union so vitality concerned in a protec-
tive tariff as the State of California In
all the fourteen schedules of the Act
of 1890 are to be found articles of Cali
fornia production more or less affected
by any duty that may be placed upon
like articles of foreign production. &
California is Immediately exposed to
the competition coming from British
Columbia, China, Japan and Mexico
Chinese labor is largely used in British
Columbia, and practically the rate of
wages is not much different in any one
OF these countries from that of all 9TH
erS. We are also separated by long dis
tance and two great mountain ranges
from the magazines of supply in the
Eastern States, thus shutting out. in
some instances, domestic products from
our markets, which are supplied by for
eign countries having the advantage
of cheaper transportation
A little further on the statement was
made that the committee, in recon-
mending amendments to the existing
rates, had taken the schedules as given
in the Act of $780, otherwise the McKin-
ley bill and had been largely guided
by it. This fact, indeed, was made very
evident by the rates themselves as pro-
posed by the committee, since, with
very few exceptions, every rate recon-
mended was Identical with that of the
Act referred to-
Following is list of many of the ar
ticles considered, for all Of which the
Mckinley bill tariff rates were recon-
mended to be restored:
Chemicals and oils, fire brick, cement,
plaster of paris, gypsum, earthenware,
china, marble. freestone and granite,
roofing states, wire rope, anchors, an
wills and forgings, etc, cast iron pipe,
hollow ware and chains, saws, quickSil-
yer and copper, leaf tobacco, cigar
wrappers, cigars and snuff, horses and
mules, cattle, sheep and other animals;
wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn and their
products; macaroni, cheese, milk, fresh
and condensed; beans, broom corn,
honey. cabbages, cider, eggs, hay, hops,
onions, peas, plants, trees and shrubs;
potatoes, castor beans, garden seeds,
fish, flaxseed oil, apples and other fruits,
olive oil, grapes, meats, lard, tallow,
poultry, chiccory, chocolate, cocoa, salt,
starch, mustard, spices, sage, vinegar,
wines and brandies Except that for
champagne the rate of 1S94-SS case
is recommended); flax straw, tow, Af-
rican fiber yarn, cables, cordage and
twine composed wholly of MANILA, jute
or sisal grass; carpets of jute, burlaps,
grain bags, etc; wool and wooden goods,
brushes and brooms, buttons, cloth,
bone agate, ETC.; coal, coke, bitumen
and shale; explosive substances,
matches, percussion caps, leather and
manufactures therefrom, gloves, etc.
The timber and lumber duties were
recommended to be adopted in accord
ance with the schedule prepared by the
lumber dealers themselves and publish
ed yesterday.
There was little hitch over the prop
osition to recommend for burlaps and
grain bags the duty rate of the McKin-
ley bill. Ex-Mayor Pond suggested that
some modification was needed in the
interest of the grain farmers, who had a
hard time as it was. He found earnest
supporters, one of them moving that
grain bags and the material of which
they are made be placed on the free
list.
Mr.. Pond said that he did not see why
the farmers should be singled out as
a single class to be made the object of
a special tax which no other class of
producers in the country Is called on
to submit to. His suggestion was, not
that the bags he placed on the free list
but that exporters be allowed a draw
back by the Government covering the
duty originally paid on the bags used
to contain the grain when they were
first imported into the country.
A vote being taken, his suggestion
was adopted.
Mr. Griswold, who failed before the
committee yesterday in his attempt to
obtain something higher than the Nc
kfnley bill rate on sal-soda and soda
ash, was more successful before the con-
Vention as whole, and on his motion
the tariff on the two articles named
was recommended to be raised from u
to y cent per pound.
with the amendments referred to the
report of the committee was then adopt-
ed as whole, and the five gentlemen
who participated in getting it I'D were
thanked by resolution for their labors.
Arrangements We're then made to have
it printed that copies might be forward
ed to Washington and otherwise dis
tributed where they will be likely to be
of use