Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-08-17
SOMETHING EVERYBODY
SHOULD KNOW,
The New Tariff Bill Full of "Jok-
ers' and a Large Advance
Over the DIngIey Bill.

Congressman Cullap, of Indiana,
has made statement that will open
the eyes of the consumers of this
country. One of the most astounding
provisions of the bill is the one which
provides for conditional increase ali
along the line. Read what the con-
gresham has to say, viz:
ION the chemical schedule there is
a reduction, but on the important
articles of universal consumption in
the necessities of life there is a large
increase. In the schedule duties there
is an increase of 2 per cent over the
Dingley rates. In other words, the
average specific duties in the Dingley
bill were As per cent and in the Payne
Aldrich bill the average specific
duties are AZ per cent The bill re-
ported by the conference committee
is higher than the Payne bill as
originally passed by the house.
"But the specific schedule duties
do not constitute the real rates, and
this is where the public is being de-
ceived about the real tariff In sec
tion two of the bill is where the con-
sumner is handed good sized lemon.
That section provides that after the
3lst day of March, 1910, there shall
be levied, collected and paid on all
articles when imported from any
foreign country into the United
States the rates OF. duty prescribed by
the schedules and paragraphs of the
dutiable list of section one, and in ad-
dition thereto 25 per cent ad valorem;
which rates shall constitute the maxi
mum tariff of the United States.
''This means that in addition to
the rates fixed in the more than 1000
specific schedules there shall be added
as the tariff % per cent of the value
of the articles as the real tariff on the
same and hence this raises the average
tariff rate to Y per cent, the highest
by far ever levied.
"Let US illustrate what is meant
by this. For instance, take rough
lumber, the cheapest kind The
specific duty fixed in the schedule is
$l.25 per thousand, but to which
must be added the % per cent ad
valorem duty provided by said section
two. Suppose such lumber is valued
at SO per thousand feet, % per cent
of that value is $3.50 to which add
the S1.25, and it would make the
tariff on rough lumber of that value
So. Is per Thousand feet. On lumber
valued at $40 thousand the tariff is
1925, and on lumber valued at $50 a
thousand it is $3.50.
''The Dingley rates were 81
thousand straight. Thus it will be
seen there has been very large in
crease in the tariff on lumber instead
of decrease, if the maximum rate
prevails, and we believe it will
''Take coal. The Dingley rates
were 81 cents a ton. Under the
Payne-Aldrich bill the specific duty
is 40 cents ton to which must be
added the ad yalorem duty of % per
cent provided for in said section, to
get the real duty. Take coal of the
value of 81 ton, the specific duty is
45 cents, and the ad valorem duty is
% cents, which makes the actual
tariff on coal valued at 81 ton, 20
cents. On coal values at 81 ton the
tariff is 80 cents ton, and so on. In
stead of decreases here is substantial
increase.
sit is also published there has been
reduction of the duty on print paper
from Sc ton to 1915, but this is not
a fact. Such reduction is made in
the specific duty named in the sched-
ule, but TO this you must add the %
per cent ad valorem. Suppose a ton
of print paper is valued at $40. The
specific duty is 1915 plus 25 per cent
of $40, which is $40, making the total
duty on ton of the above stated
S13.75. Thus it will be seen that in
stead of a decrease it has been more
than doubled.
What is true of these articles
taken as illustrations is true of every
item in the dutiable list consisting of
more than four thousand items. The
wooden schedule on specific duties is
the same as the Dingley law, to
which must be added the 25 per cent
ad valorem duty, which makes an