The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-04-18
Congressman Underwood Ex-
plains What It Means to
the Country.
REDUCE REVENUE $50, 900, COO
Places Raw Wool on the Free List,
and Heavily Reduces the Sugar
Duty-Raises Rates on Sew
eral Items.

tarifr from many articles OF fOou anu
clothing, broad reductions In the rates
OF duty on all necessaries OF life, an
increase OF tariff on many luxuries,
and a new income tax that would touch
the pocket of every American citizen
whose net income exceeds $4,000 are
the striking features OF the new Dem
ocratic tariff revision bill.
Sugar would be free OF duty in 1916,
the bill proposing an immediate 20 per
cent. reduction and the removal OF the
remaining duty In 1916.
Raw wool would be made free at
once. with corresponding heavy re-
duction in the tariff on all woolen
goods.
Placed on the Free Lat.
other articles are put on the free
list as follows: Meats. -four bread,
boots and shoes, lumber. coal, harness,
saddlery, iron ore, milk and cream. po-
tatoes, salt, swine, corn, cornmeal.
cotton bagging, agricultural imple-
ments, leather, wood pulp, Bibles,
printing paper not worth more than
2h cents a pound, typewriters. sewing
machines. typesetting machines. cash
registers, steel rails, fence wire. cot
ton ties, nails, hoop and band iron,
fish, sulphur, soda, tanning materials,
acetic and sulphuric acids, borax. lum-
ber products, including broom handles,
clapboards, hubs for wheels. posts,
laths, pickets, slaves, shingles.
These principal items are taken
from the free list and taxed: Rough
40
stones. furs. coal tar products. 10 per
cent; volatile oils. 20 per cent;
spices, from I cent TO cents per
pound.
The new rates are estimated to re-
duce the customs revenue approx
mately $50, 900 900 a year. This is ex-
pected to be made up by the income
tax.
Protection TO the farmer would be
cut throughout by more than 80 per
cont. In an effort to reduce the cost
of food Protection to the steel and
implement manufacturer would In
turn be cut by fully as wide margin.
Heaviest reductions fall upon food
stuffs. agricultural products, woolen
and cotton clothing.
Duty Cuts In Detail
Chairman UndeTwood's statement
giving the changes in detail continues
as follows:
"In the chemical schedule the rates
on certain commodities show heavy
reductions. For instance, boracic acid
is cut from 1870 per cent to 2l43 per
cent. glue from 35.06 per cent. to
1929 per cent and red lead from 60.35
per cent. to % per cent Moderate re-
ductions have been made on medicinal
preparations, which are cut from 20
per cent TO 10 per cent. backing from
25 per cent TO 10 per cent, drugs
from 1856 per cent. TO 10 per cent,
and olive oil from 351S per cent. to
2105 per cent. The schedule contains
number OF articles on which either
no reduction has been made or an ad-
vance provided for.
Rates on all brick have been cut
on the average from S023 per cent.
TO 1928 per cent, tile from 47S4 per
cent. TO 23.36 per cent, asphalt from
S7.O5 per cent. to 9.62 per cent. Or.
dinary earthenware, which was al
ready relatively low, being subject
TO an average duty OF 24.67 per cent,
has now been cut TO 10 per cent,
while window glass has been given an
average reduction on all glasses OF
from 46.3S per cent. to 1881 per cent.
Plate glass, which may be considered
luxury, still retains a duty of nearly
40 per cent, the average being SS45
per cent, In place OF the duty OF 6395
per cent In the law.
Pig Iron and Forelnes Hit
pig iron and slabs. which were
1896 per cent. and 1919 per cent.
have been cut TO per cent. In each
case; beams, from $500 per cent. to IL
per cent. and forging from 30 pei
cent. TO 10 per cent. On the other
hand. bicycles, much more highly
manufactured product. are dutiable al
25 per cent as against IS per cent.
and razors at 80 per cent. as against
77.6S per cent.
"The idea OF the large extension oi
the free list for the unmanufactured
products has been the fundamental
conception, while the effort has been
made to improve the status Of the
UAnuIdNNuItu iuHAbtls NUS Ea"fN
boards. other than cabinet wood, have
been carried TO the free list, while
sawed cabinet woods, which were
1875 per cent in 1912. are now 10 pei
cent; casks, barrels. etc, which were
30 per cent. are now 1917 per cent.
and house furniture. which was S5 pei
cent. is now 10 per cent.
Tobacco and spirits have beer
found to be good producers OF revenue
and have. therefore. been left At the
same rates as in the present law.
Would Reduce Cost Of Living.
"In the effort to relieve the consum
er and to mitigate the high and risinI
cost OF living. schedule G.. which deal
with agricultural products. has beet
thoroughly revised and important re
ductions have been made. For In
stance. the duty on horses has beei