The Democratic advocate., 1909-03-19
THE new TARIFF BILL
IRON ORE AND HIDES ARE PLACED ON
THE FREE LIST
Steel Products and Timber Reduced
One.ElaII

The new tariff measure was In
tr0dnced in both houses Of Congress
Wednesday We give below q synop-
els Of the bill from the Baltimore sun
oi Thursday
TO attempt 10 estimate with any
th5ng like accuracy OF cofnpreheu.
siyenees rs character or effect ia tho
brief time that has passed would Ne
9 dangerous preceding. Aside from
the Inherent complexities OF the
schedules, the question OF the way ia
which the maximum aud minimum
feature Of tho bill win operate X ono
that only careful expert inquiry
could determine The nature 81 this
maximum and minimum feature. how
ever, - simply stated The regular
rates oi Tie bin afe the minimum
rates. When Mr Payne. IN his state
ment speaks q reduction from
the existing saFiH rates be niesna
tbat tlle minimum rate of the new
Dill is leas by such and such al
amount than the regular Dlngley
rates The maximum rates 10 not
diner Ia a perfectly uniform way from
the minimum rates, bat as q ruia the
naxiiHuin duty oA dutlable goods ls
obtained by adding 10 the minimum
daty 20 per cent uf that minimum
q5luM HpOoS 10 ssg9 sRl 81 ettuM. Kfnp
are on the free list tha maximum duty
when there is une} Is 20 pep cent
I'D talorem. These maximum raton
are. 70 use the words 0f Chairman
Fhynn's statement. appllaf 10 those
countries which discriminate AGAINST
the trade OF The United States 81 fan
70 give the United States rates a.
fayOrabie as those given bS any other
nation" As the European tafin sya.
tem consists largely of arrangements
whereby nations make reciprocal
ihFin concessions to rach other, II
VIII BE- readily seen that Il can Do 40
easy task % determine Just how Oar.
reaching these arrangements Tor a
maximum tariff may be.
II a plain however, that on a few
Items Of real importance the bin az
u stands makes substantial rednctlona
oi duty, iron cwyp cmfwyp ahrdIncm
Of duty. Iron ore, now paying 4 duty
uf ~ cents Ton, IL transferred to the
free list, as are hides; pig iron comes
down from - q ton 20 $3.50; and ln
the steel schedule generally duties
ara cur sharply, being reduced in
most cases 70 about half present rates.
Timber n cut from / cent d cubic
loot % haig y cent There III a reluc.
ton, though not 10 marked. ia tho
duty 81 wool Wood pulp II put on
the free iiss n coming from any
eauntry not imposing export duty.
q restriction which Is aimed, Of course
AZ The import ease of Canada. like.
wise hituminDns coal "a put on the
FREQ HISS In the caao of any country
admitting American coal free. Hut
/ u remains 10 be seen whafher these
aud other reductions viii stand: the
Senate IL etiii 70 get isa whack AZ the
bill and the protected luterasfa win
have something % say 70 the senate.
nc Increases % duty ars not alto.
Eethef Important Ten 81 to be taxed
81 7 cents Il pound crude cocoa y.
transferred FROM the free list to the
QaunhiG at cent? a pound. and fne
rates on manufactured eoeo8 are
Falsed; and tie like u true Df mum
Der q Hpiee4 etc, coffee. however. be.
shE lest on tho free list, Theae In
efeaats, and few others on ARTICLES
81 lptnry, are made, IL ~ aiated. sole
u fof tbs sake of revenue hut there
4 quite a littia list OF miscellaneous
e1ticias on which the diity Il lnereaa-
81 because fhe committees isarad
that thera vas not sufficient protect.
Ion Under the prcHeBt law. Theaa
articlD9 thus treated are naftteulafiV
conspicuous In The paper achesitiIe.
not Including printing paper. however
on which the duty is reduced. on the
whole, aside from the tax on ten,
there y nothingin the Increase Of duty
70 compare IN Importance with the re-
anciionH on Iron and steel. coal OF
timber And Il should be remarked
that the provision relating 10 yaln-
alton Of imports according to whole.
sale prices ID this country, about
which there has been great deal OF
fumor, applies only 10 goods sent on
consignment, and even In that case
arranges for a deduction 70 Offset the
duty, freight. commission. etc. This
provision, therefore. has a very limit
ed range and will not have the effect
OF surreptitlously raising tariff rates
on large scale, as some rumors had
forecast.
The Payne tarln IL certainly not n
radical measure. The tarifE the Sem
ate VIII permit 10 become law Is
likely 10 be Etlll farther from radl-
cal measure. But the bill as Il stands
comedies somnthlng substantial to the
demand for tariff reduction, and 1t
win be worth while 70 try to save
this concession from destruction. On
the question Of the GaalrabiIfsy OF aIl
possible expedition In dlsposEnR of
the Dill there Is a universal Sgraa-
menl, and II Is TO be hoped that un-
necessary delay viii not be encour-
aged In any quarter.