The Meeker herald., 1897-04-24
THE WOOL TARIFF.
western seaators Yeen P1aa - Protect
Their CoAstit1teats.

western senators Yesm . P1aa - Protect
Their Coastttuteats-
washington. April 11.-Western SEN
ators, after several conferences, nave
reached an agreement to stand togeth-
er for important changes in the wool
schedule OF the DIngley bill. The sen
ators most prominently identihed Win
the movement are Messrs. Mantle, Car
ter, Shoup, Warren and Burrows. They
have not only agreed upon line OF
amendments. but have decided to ln-
sist on their inclusion In the bills. Inc
meetings have also been attended Dy
many prominent wool growers. Inc
! proposed amendments are directed
mainly to closing the many loop holes
for evasions and fraud which wool
men agree abound in the Dlngley law.
and were also found in the Mckinney
, law. An amendment was agreed upon
providing that m additional duty OF
four cents per pound should be levied
upon skirted woods and woods import-
ed In 1880 and prior to that time. The
| principal change however. to be pro-
posed IL upon wool and camers hair OF
the third class. The Dingley bill pro-
poses an ad valorcm duty OF thirty-two
and fifty-eight cents respectively upon
wools of this class. valued under ana
over thirteen cents per pound.
1t Is proposed now to strike out the
Dingley bill clause relating to third
class wools and to insert instead the
| following:
"On wo0ls of the third class and
camers hair OF the third class, the val
lie of which shall be eight cents or
less per pound. OH the wool markets of
the United States. the duty shall he
five cents per pound and on all the
woods hair OF this class. the value of
which shall exceed eight cents per
pound In the general markets of the
| United States. there shall be an addi-
| tional duty of half of one cent per
pound for each increase Of one cent
per pound in the value thereof"
1t is claimed for this latter amend
mcnt. which is the most important Of
all the amendments proposed. that y
will largely prevent the frauds which
| 1t is alleged were perpetrated on the ad
valorem duties under the Mckinley
law. by reason OF which 1t is asserted
hundreds OF millions of pounds of wool
| used In the manufacture of clothing
which properly belonged in the first
class were imported at third class rates
on the representation that they were to
be used In making carpets.
The clause in the proposed amend
ment relating to third class woods. des-
| ignating the general markets Of the
United States MS fixing the value Of I'M
ported wools. is regarded as very i'm
portant. as II the Senate amendment is
adopted it will destroy the opportunity
| for undertakes which now exist.
Other precautions will also be urged
| to this end. such as defining the menn-
ing OF the classificatiOns so as to pre-
vent restrictions such as have hereto
| fore been used For Instance, the
words Angora. AdrianOple and Bag
dad. etc. will he defined as indicating
a class of wool regardless of the spe-
cial district In which grown.
| Senator Mantle. who introduced the
memorial OF the National Wool Grow
ers' Association in the Senate, says
that the amendment does not nearly
cover the demand made by the asso-
ciatlon. but. In his opinion, will be n
vast improvement upon the bill as 1t
passed the House of Representatives.
\ II VIII remain With the Western sena-
tors, he says. to say whether or not
the proposed amendments rhnii be-
come part Of the new tariff law or
whether the demands of the wool man.
ufacturers. as applied to wool. shah
outweigh those of the wool growers
| themselves