Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1913-06-13
HOW THE DUTIES ARE CUT.
Sugar and Wool are the Most Impor.
. tant Tariff Factors.


Washington, June 7.-Business mel
throughout the country who have pait
little attention to the tariff are begin
mig now to realize that revision /:
fairly under way. So they are writ
Ing their congressman to learn ex
q actly what the new law is likely Il
do.
The bill Is still in the hands Of tht
finance committee of the Senate, ana
so is still subject to change. The
changes, however, are not expected
to be radical. It is possible to form
a fairly accurate estimate of the new
law on the basis of the bill which
passed through the House.
The biggest feature of the bill
from the standpoint Of the revenue
involved is in dealing with sugar.
Next comes wool, and then wooden
goods, cotton goods and lumber. The
market basket" list is also affected,
but it isn't seriously expected that
free wheat, flour, cattle and meat are
going to cut much figure one way or
othe other.
Big Cut in Sugar.
The United States has been import
ing more than 100 million dollars
worth of sugar every year, ON which
the duties have amounted to so mil
lion dollars. The new bill proposes
to. reduce the rate of duty, which
is now nearly 80 per cent, until in
1916 sugar is to go on the free list.
You may have your own guess as to
how much of this reduction will reach
the pockets of tine consumer.
. Wool comes in the notorious sched-
ale X, which made such a scandal
in the enacting of the Payne-Aldrich
Law. Last year the imports of raw
wool were worth SO million dollars,
, and the duties amounted to IA II
millions. It is estimated that about
half the raw wool used in the United
States comes from abroad. With wool
. on the free list the imports are eX-
pected to jump decidedly. But wool
has become chiefly by-product, and
sheep are now raised primarily for
the mutton. SO the admission of wool
free is not expected to affect the
sheep raiSers seriously.
As Applying To A Home.
But consider the new tariff as it
applies to the material used by the
average family in building home and
then in living in it.
Sawed lumber, planks, ETC., on
which the duty has amounted to about
1-2 per cent, and of which Is IL
million dollars worth was imported
last year, is to go on the free list.
Clapboards, laths and shingles go, too.
There has been duty of q per cent
on Portland cement. This is reduced
to > per cent. The same duty is lev
led on lime which now pays about
per cent. Quarry tile is reduced
: from IS to 20 per cent, window glass
from IS 10 % per cent.
On house furnishings the duty on
Oilcloth is cut from "A to 20 per cent
Carpets are now listed at from s. to
70 per cent. They are to be reduc.
ed to from 20 to 80 per cent. House.
bold furniture is to come in at Is Del
cent instead of 80. In spite of duty
Of 80 per cent the country imported
$4,000 of sewing machines last year.
These go on the free list. Common
china, which has been dutiable at %
per cent, comes down 10 10, while
painted china is hardly touched; the
duty is reduced from 60 to So pei
cent.
The duty on razors is reduced from
Y to 90 per cent and On scissors from
"a to 80. Districts that can afford
to pay freight on foreign coal will no