The San Francisco call., 1897-06-03
TARIFF BILL HAS
SMOOTH SAILING
Good HeadWay Is Made
With the Metal
Schedule.
All Democratic Amendments
Rejected, With One
Exception.
Managers of the Measure EIated
at the Prospect of Its
Early Passage.

WASHINGTON, D. c., June 2.-The
progress of the tariff bill to. day iustifies
the expectations of its passage at much
earlier date than has generally been sup
posed possible. No less than sixteen pages
were disposed of, com prising thirty para
graphs of the metal schedule. The votes
all showed the usual Republican majority
of from TO II. On some questions Nc
Henry of Louisiana voted with the Re-
publicans, and the two South Dakota
Senators with the Democrats. There was
one exception to the uniformity of the re-
lection OF Democratic amendments, that
of Vests amendment reducing the duty
on anvils from cents a pound to ~
cents.
Allison, who had charge of the bill to-
day, had not asked for a vote by ayes and
noes on this amendment, and on a viva
voce vote the presiding officer announced
that the ayes had it. This was subse-
quently alluded to by White OF California
as an omen of what good might be
wrought by continued discussion. This
remark was caught by Chandler, who sug-
gested that the Senator from California
should display red and white colors to in
dicate from day to day when he was for or
against the bill.
An intjmation in favor OF an earlier
meeting hour was made by Allison, but
was decidedly objected to on the Demo-
cratic side.
The tinplaie paragraph excited some
| debate. Vest moved to reduce the rate
| to IL cents a pound. Gray declared the
tinplate duty to be fragrant evil. The
| profits of the modest packers of fruits
and vegetables in Delaware and other
/ States, he said, were largely dependent on
| the prices which they had to pay for their
| cans.
White also argued against high duties
on tinplate, asserting that the American
market was in the possession of the
American tinplate industry and that
| W elsh producers could not compete with
this country. The interest of the salmon
| packers and fruit-packers of the Pacific
Coast, he protested, were against any
| thing that would increase the cost of
| boxes.
| Jones OF Arkansas declared that the only
meaning of an increased duty on tinplate
was to deliver the American public
bound hand and foot, TO the tinplate
manufacturers association and increase
its profits, while it refused to increase the
wages of its workmen.
Vests amendment was elected.
White offered substitute for para
graphs 13S and 1887, relating to iron or
steel wire. Rejected.
Paragraph 133 was modified by adding a
proviso making the duty on iron or steel
wire valued at more than 5 cents pound
40 per cent ad valorem, and paragraph
,adi End h,y I'll
words ''wire cloth and wire netting As per
cent"
The first of the cutlery paragraphs (14S)
was modified by Allison and a substitute
for it was offered by Vest proposing 20 per
cent as the highest rate. He argued that
the cutlery industry OF the United States
was in a hourishing condition compared
with other industries and did not need
large protection.
Platt of Connecticut disagreed, SAYING
that the importation of pocket-kni in
1896 was 1, ,266, 600 dozen, against $50, 600
dozen manufactured here.
The discussion contin ued till 5:25, when
Jones OF Arkansas suggested that it was
time to adjourn. When Allison intimated
| that the Senate might meet an hour ear
| lier each day Jones said the Democratic
Senators could not agree to the PROPOSE
! tion.
When White aroused Chandler by his
reference to the Democratic victory in the
anvil paragraph Chandler suggested that
! White display a red badge when against
and white when for the bill. White re-
torted that when a red flag was displayed
| the New Hampshire Senator always took
| the floor.
! After further light badinage the bill was
laid aside and the Senate adjourned.