Omaha daily bee., 1912-01-23
STEEL TARIFF BILL DRAFTED
Democratic Members Of House Com.
mites, Propose Reduction.
AVERAGE CUT OF 10 PER CENT
Underwood Estimntcs ID would Cat
Revenue Less Than Million and
Greatly Increase the
Imports.

WASHINGTON, Jan. s2-Reductlons Of
from 70 TO 20 per icent on all items In
the iron aud steeel tariff and the placing
on the tariff free list Of Iron ore, sewing
machines. printing machinery. nails and
many other articles against which q
tariff rs now levied. are proposed in the
democratic steel revision tariff bill. made
public today.
Democratic Leader Underwood estl.
mated that the bill would reduce the
average tariff on steel Imports from si.sl
per cent to 22i2 ad yalorem; would reduce
the government tariff revenues from stes,
products By ;S2s.sgI from 1911 and by
100000 from 1910. Imports of steel prod
ucts. he said, would be increased BY
nearly s2o,0co0oo
The bill was completed by the demo-
cratic members Of the ways and means
committee on Saturday. After being sub.
nitted to the full committee Il Will be
laid before the democratic caucus tomor.
row afternoon and IL approved by the
caucus will be formally introduced in the
house Wednesday.
Iron Ore 10 ne Free.
Sweeping reductions are made in all OF
the important items Of the iron and steel
tariff. Among articles duilable under ths
Payne-Aldrich bill which would be placed
on the free list are iron ore, existing duty
b.ss per cent: hoop and band iron and
steel, ls per cent; barbed wire and wire
fencing. IA per cent: nails. i7.s7; horze-
shoes, q: Tungsten ore. 10; zinc ore, DC Isl,
cash registers, linotype machines. ma.
chine tools. printing presses. sewing ma.
chimes and typewrlters, % per cent.
The reductions made on finished steel
and iron products range in many classes
as great as 20 per cent. The figures given
out by the committee on ways and means
to accompany the bill show that this will
make a corresponding reduction in tariff
revenue from these sources.
Lat OF Reductions.
The rates OF duty under the existing
Payne-Aldrieh tariff law have been re.
dueed TO the equivalent ad vaIorem duty
by the committee. Using the ad valoreir
equivalent as basis the important reduc
tions proposed by the democratic bill are.
Pig iron, from 1856 TO per cent: scrar
iron. S.7z TO s: ferromanganese are, Is tc
$50; chrome metals. s1.69 to Is; bar iron
and steel. 1880 10 10: slab iron and stee
$50 to 10. round iron In coils or rods, :
TO 49, beams, girderS. etc. - to Is; boiIe,
plate, 81 TO %; sheet iron or steel. 81 {,
y. steel saw plates. o to Is; iron or,
steel forginss. % TO IS; ball and rolIei
bearings, 3 TO IS: hoop iron. i72 to IS
band iron, IS to Is; railway bars, i5.4 1,
70; railway fish plates, % 10 10: steel in
gots. q. 3 10 20: riyets. screw and fene.
rods. II to 10: anvils. n IS TO Is; automo
hiles. motorcycles and bicycles. IS TO %
sSles and axle bars, 4.sl to 70: blacksmith
tools. i7.I2 10 10: bolts. 2s.G7 to Is: cas-
iron pipes. all kinds. 1913 TO 10: chains
2 20 20; knives and cutlery. 75.s2 to IS
razcrs. Il TO ss: scissors and shears. s2.s
TO %: carpenters. butchers and artisans
kuiycs. kitchen knives and forks. f3.s tc
3. files and rssps. 81 Is to g
auskets. rifles. Is TO is. nreeehloading
sho,gun= and rifles. 5.ss to s5: table,
Cetla n q ssc0ad Paxa)