Evening star., 1897-03-19
Ways and Means Committees Expla-
nation of the Tariff Bill.
MORE REVENUE AND PROTECTION
That Was the Aim in Framing the
Measure.
S &c H ED LES REVIEWED

Chairman Dingley of the ways and
| means committee today presented in the
House the report on the new tariff bill.
The report follows largely the lines of the
explanatory statement the bill made
by Mr.. Dingley on Monday. The report
says that deficiency in revenue amount
ing to $2OS,O0,O0O in four years justifies
the convocation Of Congress to make a
remedy. Although the government realized
$ef3. 4S1 ,S94 from the sale of bonds to re-
| deem demand notes. $203, 100000 of the notes
were paid out to meet TIE deficiency,
which notes, 1t says, have been a potent
| cause of the distrust in business circles
At least $16,OOO.OOO of the 1886 Co., 600 In the
treasury will be paid out before July 1 to
meet the deficiency, and of the remainder
at least $1JO,0J0,000 is gold, which ought
to remain in the reserve, leaving but S3O,-
O0o,O0O as working balance, which is as
small as safety admits.
The tariff of 1880 was practically nullified
in Tie fiscal year 1894. the report argues,
by the expectation of a lower tariff. If the
revenue had continued to rise after the
opening of the year 1893, as it had before,
the revenue would have been ample to
| meet all expenditures and the government
would have been spared the humilia ton of
issuing bonds to meet deficiencies.
To Protect American Industries.
The report continues: Another impera-
| tive duty resting on Congress is so to ad-
just duties to secure needed revenue to
carry on the government as will better
protect the industries which have suffered
the past three years from unequal foreign
competition and from the consequent loss
OF purchasing power of the masses of the
people, upon which the demand for pro-
ducts and the prosperity of every citizen
depends.
The feasibility of uniting in tariff both
revenue and protective qualities has been
amply demonstrated by the results of the
protective tariffs in force from 1861 to 1888,
at which latter date the tariff of 1890 was
practically nulified by the anticipation of
revision on a non-protective basis. The
working Of the wool and woolens schedule
or the tariff of 1880 on a protective basis
and of the same schedules in the tariff of
1894 on an anti-protective basis is exceed
lngly instructive on this point"
Mr.. Dingley says that wool has been
placed practically at the rates of the Nc
kinlcy law with compensatory duties to
manufacturers to place them on the same
basis as to materials as their foreign COM
petitorssf and. in addition, given compound
duties. largely converted into specifics
equivalent to the 40 and so per cent ad
valorem duties of the tariffs of 1880 and
1884, the change to specific rates being
made to prevent undervaluations of foreign
schedule. II is predicted, will restore the
wool-growing industry to the farmers, re-
vive manufacturing and largely increase
the revenue from that source, which, be-
cause CT the character Of fine goods i'm
ported under the tariff Of 1870, was prac-
tical!y derived from luxuries
The Sugar Schedule.
Concerning the sugar schedule the report
says: 1--WE have increased the duty from
he n
present tariff on raw sugars (now only
nine-tenths of one cent per pound on raw
sugars polarizing 06 degrees on account of
the decline of sugars, although about IL
cents when the tariff was enacted in 1s9p
to 1G3 cents, with countervailing duty on
all sugars equivalent to the net export
bounty paid by any country in order to
increase our revenue and at the same time
aHord sufnc1ent protection to enable our
own farmers and planters to ultimately
produce ta. Whatever sugar we may require
lor consumption. The production of cane
sugar is a large and, under proper pro-
lection, a growing industry now.
Inc production of beet sugar In at least
t"enty-three states of our Union, which
only seven years ago was regarded as IF
oouotIui promise, is demonstrated sue
cess, with such protection as we recon-
mend which is less than those bounties
given at the inception of sugar produc
ton by Germany, France and other Euro
pesn countries, which now produce about
tWo-thirds of the worlds gar"
Inc report says that the reduced differ
entail on sugar will maintain the refining
industry. especially in connection with The
countervailing duty on the product of ex-
port bounty countries, and it adds: "Our
experience under the tariff of 1883, with
specific duties on sugar, and under the
present tariff. with ad valorem duties, has
convinced us, as it has the administrators
OF the law and the sugar trade generally,
although refiners dissent from this view
that specific duties are preferable, more
easily and certainly administered and alb
solutely essential to reliable revenues"
There Is then review of various other
being described and commented upon at
some length. Only the most general COM
parisons have been made.
Regarding Reciprocity.
Regarding reciprocity it is said that the
extension of the policy of 1890, strength
ened by the tenders of lower duties, as a
concession in return for equivalent con-
cessions will result in even more advan-
tagecus commercial advantages than those
that were secured under the act Of 1890.
After giving a table estimating the in
crease of revenue from the bill at $113,OOO,-
coo, Mr.. Dingley says: IF the bill should
become law by May 1. it is more than
probable that 1t would yield an increase of
$4,000, 900. 1t is easy to see how a DELAY
in the enactment of the bill to July l, for
example, would easily take from the treas
ury sl5,UU,OOO of revenue and turn 1t into
the pockets of spectators importing wool,
woolen goods, sugar and other articles on
which 1t is proposed to increase the rev.
enue and at the same time deprive wool
growers and producers and manufacturers
of the benefit that would arise from the
prompt passage of the bill proposed"
A new paragraph has been added to the
wool schedule by the republican members
of the committee follows:
Oriental, Berlin and similar rugs and
mats and carpets woven whole for rooms.
valued at not more than 30 cents per
square yard, Is cents per square yard AID
20 per cent ad valorem, valued at more
than 80 and not plore than 60 cents per
square yard. 81 cents and % per cent:
valued at more than 60 cents and not more
than 81 per square yard, 40 cents and %
per cent; valued at more than 81 and not
more than s.. 80 cents and 25 per cent:
more than & per square yard. $1.25 and 80
per cent.
ONE NOMINATION..