Evening star., 1909-04-12
Adiourued until Thursday.
Chairman AIdrich Explains
Changes in Tariff Bill

Chairman AIdrich Explains
Changes in Tariff Bill
The Senate committee on finance. with
all members present. met at 10 o'clock
today, and Chairman Aldrich presented
the tariff bill as amended by the majority
OF the committee. Many of the revenue
producing features will be reported SUBJ
sequently, as they are intertwined with
administrative. features Of the measure
which will be adopted later Senator Al
drich issued the following statement,
showing the character of changes in the
bill:
Senator Aldrich, when requested to
make brief summary of the general
character OF the changes proposed by the
Senate finance committee to the House
tariff bill, furnished the following state
ment:
I'm the main, the rates in the tariff bill
as reported from the Senate finance com
mittee are lower than those in the bill
as IL passed the House, the actual num-
ber of reductions being about three times
the number Of increases. Such increases
as have been made have been largely rem
dered necessary to preserve the symmetry
of the schedules. A considerable number
of articles in common use have been
taken from the dutiable list of the House
DIT ana restored 20 the Tree I1St Inc
great mass Of the rates reported are be-
low those Of existing law.
I'm schedule A (the chemical schedule)
the principal changes are in the nature
of reductions below the House bill. One
important change Is in putting distilled
and expressed oils upon the free list.
I'm schedule b (earths and earthen-
ware) the rates remain largely the same.
seoTogy from existing law. the duties on
common earthenware in two colors are
raised from 70 to 10 per cent. The COM
mittee has reduced them to the rates OF
existing law. In glass and glassware the
rates remain the same as in the House
bill.
Large Reductions on Iron Ore.
The Senate committee restored iron
ore to the dutiable list at % cents per
ton-a reduction of 10 cents q ton from
the Dingley rate The House had made
large reductions in this schedule through
out. Nearly all these reductions have
been retained by the Senate committee.
In addition to those made by the House,
the Senate committee has made quite a
large number of other reductions.
The Senate committee has retained
the House rate on lead ore of III cents
per pound, but has been Obliged to raise
the rates on lead products throughout
the bill to correspond with this duty
on lead ore.
Schedule D (wood and manufactures Of
woOd).-The Senate has taken the House
rate OF 81 a thousand on rough lumber,
a reduction OF 81 from the Dingiey law,
and has retained the House rates on man.
ufactures of woods, nearly all showing
reductions from the Dingiey rates. The
only important change in the schedule
made by the Senate committee was the
restoration of imported hardwoods to the
free list.
THE Senate committee left the sugar
schedule as II came from the House. but
reduced the House rate on segared bis
cults and waters from so to % per cent.
The tobacco schedule remains un-
changed.
The agricultural schedule. including
meat products, remains practically un-
changed from existing law. but where
reductions we're made by the House the
Senate committee has restored the Ding
ley rates, In response TO the demands Of
farmers throughout the country and OF
the representatives OF the great agricul-
turai interests.
Fish remains a. it came from the
House.
Policy Of Taxing Luxuries.
THE Senate committee has returned
cocoa to the free list, believing that an
article OF such general consumption, both
rs q beverage and in all forms Of choco-
late. should no more be made dutiable
than tea or coffee. The committee felt
that II 1t was necessary to increase reve-
nue. It could be done better on luxuries
than on the everyday necessities OF life
and has pursued this policy In the con-
struction OF this bill
The Senate committee has applied the
same principle to spices, and has restored
them to the free list. where they have
always been. Again. on the same prin-
cfple. the Senate committee has increased
the rates on spirits and wines ID per cent
NH lob l. Al -,fYt
yield an additional revenue Of $4,000. .OOO
most OF which will come from the In
creased duty on champagne.
In the cotton schedule there has been
class OF fancy goods and novelties
which are covered in the existing law by
ad vaiorem rates. The resulting ad valo.
rem rates have not been increased.
The average rates In the cotton sched-
ule. other than the rates on fancies and
novelties. remain the same. There Is one
exception to this statement, and that ia
the reduction from the House bill on
fashioned hosiery, where the committee
has recommended the restoration of the
rates of the existing law. The committee
contemplates a still further substitution
Of specific for ad valorem rates In other
paragraphs OF the bill
Raw fax has been restored by the
Senate committee to the dutiable list,
otherwise the schedule remains substan-
tally as 1t came from the House.
Inc senate committee has restored the
rates In the wool schedule to the rates OF
the present law.
I'm silks the Senate committee has
adopted a new schedule. replacing ad va
lorem with specific rates in all cases
where 1t was possible to do SO, showing q
slight average reduction from the equiva-
lent ad valorem
1.-The Senate committee has not yet de-
cided what rates 1t will recommend In
regard to wood pulp. and the articles de-
pendent upon it. They have also left
open for further action the question OF
the duties on coal and hides.
Changes Of Minor Importance.
1t would be impossible in a brief state
ment to review all the articles under the
heading Of sundries. The changes from
the House bill in the main are of such
minor importance as not to require q de-
tailed statement. 1t may be well, how
ever. to call attention to the fact that the
Senate committee has made reductions OF
10 per cent on an average In the specific
duties on hats and bonnets, which the
House lad raised in some instances above
the Dingley rates. The Senate commit
tee has also struck out the House para
graph in regard to gloves. and has re-
stored the rates In the existing law.
THE Senate committee has also added
to the sundries OF the dutiable list for.
eign-built yachts owned by American
citizens, which seemed to the committee
luxury which might fairly pay a dut,
Of 30 per cent.
THE free list. as reported by the Sen.
ate committee. In the main remains a
IL Is in the existing law. few items
have been put on the dutiable list. anc