The herald., 1897-02-05
TARIFF 1|NKER[RS
MAKING PROGRESS
Laying Out the Road to
Prosperity
IMPORTANT SCHEDULES IRE FIXED
On the Basis of the Mckinley
BARLEY GETS A BIG BOOST
10 Spite Of Protests Of Brewers of
Beer
The Old Rates Restored on California Fruit
Products
BARLEY GETS A BIG BOOST
10 Spite Of Protests Of Brewers of
Beer
The Old Rates Restored on California Fruit
Products
Wherever Possible Specific Duties VIII
Be Substituted for Advalorem.
Farmers Are Favored and
Luxuries Slugged.
Associated Press Special Wire

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4,-Ihe daily
sessions of the Republican members of
the ways and means committee, which
have been in progress for about two
weeks, have brought the tariff bill
which is to be laid before the next con
gress to a stage where the character
of the measure can be somewhat gauge1
and where certain of the most important
schedules are definitely fixed. In their
conference up to this week the tariff
makers have dealt largely with the gen
eral characteristics of the schedules
which they have had under considera-
ton and devoted themselves to Sitting
the great masses of the figures, letters
and petitions presented to them. Four
schedules have now been fairly COM
pleted, the chemical, agricultural, wines
and spirits, the earthen and glassware
schedules.
Today's meeting was the most i'm
portant of the series, for 1t resulted in
the framing of the agricultural sched
ule, which was made a re-enactment Of
the Mckinley law, with few changes,
except on unimportant products. The
..iost important step in connection with
this schedule was the establishment of
rates of IS head on cattle more than
one year old and of 25 per cent ad va
valorem on cattle valued at more than
$50 head. The Mckinley rates on
other livestock including the rate of 81
on cattle of one year old or less, are re-
stored. The Wilson rates were 20 p,r
cent ad valorem on livestock, and while
the new duty of S. on cattle does nCC
reach the Mckinley figure of $40 on
cattle more than one year old, it is eX-
pected that with the ad valorem on the
more valuable grades it will prove ade-
quate to shut out Mexican cattle 1t is
against the Mexican stock that the in
crease is particularly desired, on the
representations of western cattle men
that their business has been ruined by
the importations from Mexico under the
Wilson law, which amounted to more
than 900 head.
Much interest centered upon barley.
which the committee puts back to the
Mckinley duty of 80 cents a bushel be-
cause 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 using
Canadian barley have made hard
fight against any increase. The Nc
Isinley rates have been restored on
fruits and berries, mainly for the berc-
fit of the fruit growers of the Pacific
coast The fruit exchanges of the
country 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 agricul-
tural schedule which are returned to
the Mckinley rates are breadstuffs and
rice. dairy products, potatoes and starch,
castor beans and flaXseed, meats and
meat products and poultry. vegetables
and salt. The demand of the farmers
for the Mckinley rate of 81 ton on hay.
instead of the Wilson rate of 50, was
granted. Chicory is placed at one cent
pound in accordance with the requests
or the growers in the central states. who
believe they can capture the home mar
ket with protection. Rates on oranges
have not been fixed yet, but the commit
tee has not decided to change the class
ihcation and make the rates higher than
those of the Mckinley bill for the bere-
mt OF the California interests.
In the chemical schedule many of the
wilson rates will be retained The Will
son duties on soaps and on scdas and
kindred chemicals, which are the raw
materials of soap, are left unchanged
The present rates on oils. including cas-
tor oil. also will be retained. except
where changes are made necessary by
the restoration of duties on the raw ma
terials which enter into them. as in the
case OF linseed oils. There will be but
slight changes in the rates on paints and
dyestuffs and their constituent ele
ments The duties on borate of Inns
will be two cents per pound on refined
borax three cents; boracic acid. three
cents, which are compromises between
the Mckinley and the Wilson rates
The duty on lead ores is placed at ona
cent pound: on pig lead, two cents. IN
white lead and lead acetates, 2h cents
The committee has decided to retain
the Wilson rates on wines and snrits
throughout the wine and spirit sched-
ule This schedule of the Wilson nor
was generally higher in its rates than
in the Mckinley act. The comnittea
has devoted some time to the manufac-
tur of iron and steel and to the cotton
manufacturers, but has not perfected
these schedules. In the cotton sched-
ule there will be few changes from the
present law, except in rates on finerv
yarns and the most costly fabrics Tbs
changes in the iron and steel scheduia
will be limited to few specialties I;Lo
cotton ties, on which Mckinley duties
will be re-established; on tin-pIate
which has not been settled, and somn
forms Of tube steel and surgical instru-
merts.
No other schedule has given the com
mittee so much trouble g the one which
includes earths, earthenware and glass
ware. 1t has been claimed by all the
pottery and glass interests that the