New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-18
TARIFF REVISION PROCEEDS.
THE CHEMICAL SCHEDULE AGAIN IN
DER REVIEW.
GEORGE c. TICTiENoR ASSISTING THE COMMIT
TEE-THE DUTIES on CoAI-sTUDYING
THE SUGAR QUESTION
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE ]


fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBUNEl
Washington. Feb I'm the conference Of mem
beers OF the jority of the Committee on Ways ana
Means to-day. Schedule A-Chemicais-whch was
the subject OF several days consideration three or
four weeks ago was again reviewed. George G.
Tichenor, OF the Beard of General Appraisers. was
pr esent at the conference. and gave the members
the benefit Of his practical knowledge and expert
ence in regard the schedule under review. which
is in some respects, perhaps the most difficult one
so 10 deal with in tariff legislation as 10 make the
srious classfcaticns and rates OF duty fairly con-
sstent with another and with rates on dutiable
articles in some of the other schedules In the manu-
facture OF which articles chemicals used to
considerable extent. Under the law of 1890 the
chemical schedule yielded an average yearly reve
nue. from duties Of about 100000 for the years
1897 In 1894 number OF items included in the
schedules were transferred TO the free list and the
rates on many other articles were reduced Is to Is
per cent.
1t is expected that in the conference Tomorrow
Schedule N-Sundries-will be considered. This is
a volumnous schedule and covers a large variety
Of articles many of which are OF great Importance
from the point Of view OF the domestic manu-
facturer or producer and also from that OF the
Government which requires a large increase OF
revenue-an increase which, in the opinion OF at
least one member Of the Ways and Means Commit
tee mus: amour: to at least 100000 In order TO
place the National Treasury on safe and solid
Gus coal. which In 1899 yielded a revenue from
duties amounting TO Ssl7.7s0 In 1894 the duty was
reduced from 70 cents 10 40 cents a ton and the
revenue in 1896 amounted to sissl57. The coal pro-
ducers Of Pennsylvania Maryland and West Viz
rinja are fighting hard for the restoration OF the
dut,e. OF 1890 The bituminous coal producers OF
the Pacific States demand a rate OF so cents a ton,
counled with which is demand for duty OF 70
cents a ton on anthracite coal. containing more
than "a per cent OF carbon in order TO meet existing
competition Of the anthracite mines OF Wales with
the bituminous mines OF the Pacific States as well
as expected future competition from newly discov-
ered and extensive anthracite deposits In China In
previou. tariffs as well as in the existing one.
anthracite coat has been and Is free OF duty.
In n brief submitted to the Ways and Means
Committee by a committee OF the San Francisco
Chamber of Commerce the statement Is made that
"in recent years anthracte has been brought to
California from Wales in British bottoms and de-
Iivered as low as 81 % ton" The committee OF
tho Chamber of Commerce also says: 1T is a COM
n.t,,or with our soft Goals and cannot any longer
he ignored or left the free list But China will
coon be by far the most dangerous competitor
Sew and very extensive anthracite deposits are
bene discovered there. and It is believed that. with
tho very cheap labor OF that country, the ac-
feasibility of the coal to the coast, and the ease
with which II can be mined. this coal can be laid
down in San Francisco for about - ton
II hardly seems probable now that the duty Of IS
cepts N ton on btuminous coal VIII De restored IL
&c understood that several members OF the commit
tee are inclined TO favor rate Of 30 cents. while
several others are In favor OF duty OF 60 cents a
ton II hardly seems probable. either. that the San
Francisco demand for duty Of Is cents a ton on
anthracite coal will be granted by the committee.
IN the year ended June 30. 1896 the mporiations OF
anthracite entered at San Francisco amounted 10
IA 200 tons and at all other ports In the United
States 10 about 5000 tons. The foreign Invoice
value of the anthracite imported at San Francisco
was about 81 81 a ton. In the same year the total
mnortations OF bituminous coal entered AT San
Francisco amounted to about 16e 0 tons. and IN"
United StaSes was about 200 90 tons All these Inn
portations were from British Columbia. and the
total WAS nearly seven times as large AS that OF
the anthracite impOrtations
Memhers of the committee continue TO devote con-
sderaole time to study and investigation OF the
sugar 1restion Some OF them have hoped that
GOOD deal of light would be shed one feature OF
Il by the legislative investigation OF the Sugar
trust and it's methods which has been In progress
In New York but this hope has not been thus FAR
realized in any degree that can be regarded as sat
isfactory The actual cost OF refining raw sugars
I'm the United States, and the competitive cost In
ths country and foreign countries are facts which
the committee Is exceedingly anxious TO ascertain
As IN the nrst Item members OF the committee. who
have been as thorough In their Investigations as
was posslble be under the circumstances nave
~ refining sugar I'm this country varies between
one-ouarter of a cent and fve-eishtts OF a cent
nound and that fair average r. about 2-lotns OF
q cent a pound. These figures do not vary widely
@rom those given by Mr.. Searles In his testimony
before the Lexow COMMITTEES.