Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-04-03
THE NEW TARIFF BILL
HOW IT AFFECTS THE FARMERS
or THE COUNTRY.
Compared with the Mckinley and vii.
sou Laws Ample Protection for the
Farmer aud Reasonable Rates Upon
the Articles Winch He Must I'M port.
2 ruefits the Farmer.

Special washington correspondence:
The following statement shows the
rates of duty imposed 10y the new tariff
iii Introduced in the House OF Rep
rns~eltatlyes upon articles in which the
farmers are especially Interested. This
rr!ates both 10 the articles which they
produce and which they want thor
oughly protected, apd also TO h arti'
clcs which they use in considerable
quantities and regarding which they
are equally interested as 10 the rates
of duty fixed by the new bill.
The Republicans in the House Of
Representatives have broken the rec
ord in the matter OF promptness touch
ing the new tariff I'LL. Congress met IL
special session ten days after Presi
dent Mckinley was inaugurated and
within three hours the House had or
ganized lay the election of officers
rules had been adopted: the Ways anC
Means Committee had been appointed
the tariff bill had been presented II
complete form and had been regularly
referred 10 It's proper committee, Wit
the understanding that il would be re
ported back to the House before The
end OF the week. and passed that bod.
within a fortnight.
The provisions of the new bill ar
extremely satisfactory 10 members O
Congress representing the agriculture
districts and agricultural interests. Al
of them who have had an oppOrtunit!
10 examine II speak i'll the highes
terms in regard 10 1t. No man in Con
gress is better able 10 judge OF the bill
and OF its prospective work than Gen
Grosyenor. OF Ohio. who. as n membe
of the committee. has studied every ar
ticle and item carefully. guarded III
interests Of the farmers closely an'
consulted with the farmers of his agri
cultural districts regarding the import
N features of the bill which affecte,
not only their own interests but thos'
OF farmers generally. Speaking Of thi
feature OF the bin he said;
The farmer will find. first. genera
protection Of his products in the form
Of tariff duties levied upon articles o
Importation of every character such Il
he produces in the United States. Thus
the development of the sheep industr,
we have taken up ami resumed at tn
point whore the Wilson bill destroye
it. with the hope. first. OF a profitabl
industry directly. and. second. with III
hope of diverting Il vast mou of III
agricultural lands Of the Middle Yves
the West ana the Northwest from In
productions Of agricultural grains. We.
etableS and fruits. to the production G
sheep. and, secondly. ia the same dire
tons stands the protection 10 sugar. :
far as the wool features of this bill Ar
concerned. the protection is very muc
better for the sheep grower than wa
the Mckinley law, because OF II grea
feature. the removal Of the possibilit
of fraud by the importation of carp,
woods. which ut once, on their relea>
from the customs house. became clotl
ing woods"
The following statement gives IN I'll
first column the rates of duty propose
by the new bill: in the second colum
the rates showing the present Wilso
tariff law, and in the third colun
those OF the Mckinley law. Ii will |
Z r"vn uI.at IA a,uIvS,r .,Nr. ,u~s "a
rates are much more advantageous
the farmers than those Of the presel
law and. in many respects, superior
those of the Mckinley law. This
especially r with reference to WOO
the explanation OF which is found
the remarks OF Gen. Grosvenor quote
above. These should be examined car
fully. His statement upon that su
ject is important because without it IL
reader not skilled In the detail of Il
tariff matter would not understand Il
advantages given 10 the farmer by til;
feature OF the bill which prohibits II
classification of coarse clothing WOO
under the carpet wool schedule, l
which under the Mckinley law emo
nous quantities OF wool used in clor
ing came into the country ut very 10
rates. IL was this feature of the wo.
schedule OF the Mckinley law whit
proved damaging to the wool producer
interests of the United States, but II
Ways and Means Committee has take
advantage of the experience thus gal
ed t. make their classification sue
that this will be prevented in the f
ture. Thus. while the tariff rates &
wool under the proposed bill appe;
the same TO the Impractical eye [;
those Of the Mckinley law, they a
very much more favorable to the we
producers; so much so shat Ito doubt
entertained OF the prosperity OF Il
wool producers as we'll as of the farm
ers generally under the new bill wht
It becomes a law and has had time
adjust itself 10 conditions.
The rates named by the new bi
compared with those OF the Wilson an
Mckinley laws. upon articles In whit
the farmers are interested are as fo
lows: