The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1897-03-17
THE TARIFF LAW.
Outline Of the Various Sch dules
as They Now Stand.
Committee Has Not Yet Completed the
Bill-WiCl Follow General Lines
of the Old McKin-
ley Measure.

schedules of the new tariff law have
been passed upon finally by the repub-
llcan members of the ways and means
committee, and at Friday nights meet
ing they changed items from one class
to another and left silks, paper and
other important schedules untouched.
The process of construction of the tariff
bill has, however, reached the point
where the members of the committee
figure out an increased revenue of $70,-
100000 on the basis of present importa-
tons. The deficit for the current fiscal
year will be $65, OOO, 900, so the new bill
is expected to furnish an immediate
surplus of $5,OOO,OO0, and more as the
times improve.
The status of the tariff bill, compre-
hcnsively expressed for daily newspa-
per readers, is as follows:
Wine schedule as Mckinley bill.
Tobacco schedule of Mckinley bill, ex-
cept duty upon leaf tobacco for cigar fill
ers, which is nearly doubled at 65 instead Of
IS cents per pound.
Cotton schedule same as Wilson bill, ex-
cept as to fine yarns and cloths made there
from, which have been slightly advanced.
Wool schedule of the Mckinley bill en-
tire, except that few varieties Of clothing
woods heretofore classed with carpet woods
have been transferred to class one, the
clothing wool class.
Metal schedule as to iron and steel makes
few changes in the rates of the Wilson bill
except to reduce them, and in hardly any
case does a rate reach the old Mckinley
rate.
Tin plate midway between act of 1890 and
the present law.
The agricultural schedule Of the McKin-
ley law has been practically readopted, ex-
cept that duties on cattle over one year
old are made six dollars instead of ten
dollars. this rate being prohibitory on
Mexican cattle. Cattle valued about $40
are given an ad valorem of 20 per cent.
rate.
The sugar schedule fixes rate of 63-100
cents on SO degrees sugar, rising above that
degree and falling below it 3-1G0 of cent
for each degree of saccharine strength.
The differential of one-eighth cent and
counter paying duties against bounty pay
ing countries Is made exactly equal to the
net bounty paid.
Silk schedule preserves the Mckinley
rate in substance, though in many cases an
effort has been made to reduce them to
an equivalent specified by the pound.
Flax, jute and hemp schedules follow
closely the lines Of the Mckinley law,
though on some varieties of Chinese and
ly increased, as also on rugs and carpets
of the cheap varieties now being imported
from the orient.
Binding Irvine Is placed on the free list,
but nominal rate is to be kept on it against
Canada until that country remove It's duty
on binding Irvine imported from this coun-
try. The word 'burlaps" disappears from
this schedule, owing to gross frauds. and
thus cloth or jute is described as plain
woven fabric of single jute yarns.
In the wood schedule the Mckinley law
rates on lumber are restored with few
changes. Among these hemlock and
white pine, now dutiable at one dollar, are
spruce, though none of the rates on the lum-
Der schedule reach 20 per cent.
Mckinley law rates are restored in sub
stance on the paper schedule. though some
changes of classification are made, and a
few changes of rates, owing to the intro
duction of a large variety Of tissue paper
from China and Japan.
Earthenware goes back to the Mckinley
bill rates. This industry has suffered more
than any other from differentiation, and
the ways and means committee has not
yet despaired of working out scheme of
specific duties.
In the sundries schedule, the last of the
BILL Mckinley law rates have been re-
stored substantially on coal, gloves, leath-
er and cork, though cork less than half an
inch in diameter has been advanced to rs
cents.
There have been great reductions made in
the free list by the removal therefrom and
by the restoration of the Mckinley law
rates on lumber, salt wool, and, in fact,
everything that the people of the United
States can and do produce, and many lux
uries which they cannot produce. The free
list has also been cleared Of a lot of par
agraphs which had some excuse years ago,
but have become obsolete and a mere ref
uge for fraudulent importations Among
these are the paragraphs excepting works
of art, philosophical apparatus, many de-
scriptions of books, household furniture,
curious antiques, goods brought into the
United States by Indians crossing the bor-
der and many other obsolete provisions of
the law.
1t is the purpose of the committee to de-
wise provision that will enable reciprocity
treaties to be made, not only to secure the
larger importation of American manufac-
lures into the South and Central American
countries, but also to open the markets of
European countries, particularly Germany
and France, to the freer use Of American
meats and agricultural products generally.