Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 December 1891 — Proposed Tariff Reform. [ARTICLE]

Proposed Tariff Reform.

Congressman William J. Coombs, of Brooklyn, has prepared the following resolution concerning customs dutie* to be offered in the House of Representatives at the opening session: Resolved, That the Committee of Ways and Means be directed to prepare and present to this House a bill for the collection of revpnue and other purposes substantially upon the basis and principle of the following propositions: The bill shall have four schedules as follows: Schedule A.—To be composed of articles free of duty, Including all raw materials necessary in the manufacture of goods. Schedule B.—To be composed of articles which by their nature should not pay a duty exceeding 10 per cent, Schedule C.—To be composed of articles, principally wine, splr.ts, tobacco, cigars and cigarettes, and upon which a duty must bo charged sufficient at least to protect manufacturers, who pay a tax under our internal revenue laws. Also, of a few well-defined articles of luxury, which will bear a rate of at least 40 per cent ad valorem. Schedule D.—To bo known as the schedule for the protection of labor, and which shall be made up from time to time in the manner herein specified. All articles not covered by the preceding lists shall be grouped and known as “unspecified,” and shall have a uniform rate of ad valtrem duty as provided horeafter. The bill shall also provide that as soon as Congress shall ascertain the amount of money necessary for the conduct of the Government for the current year, it shall submit a report to the same, deducting therefrom the following items: (a) Surp'us remaining over from procoding year. (b) Estimated income from internal revenue. (c) Estimated income from Schedule B. (d) Estimated income from Schedule C. (e) Estimated income from Schedule D. (f) Estimated income from all other sources. Which amounts being deducted from the amount to be provided for, the expenses of the Government will leave as a result the amount to be raised by import tax on all “unspecified” articles. It shall, in its report to Congress, estimate the gross value of such importations for the current year and the percentage of duty necessary to be levied on the same in order, as near as may be, to realize the amount ascertained as above.

The bill shall also provide that in case any manufacturer or manufacturers of goods or merchandise included in the class of “unspecified” shall find that the item of labor cost, including the use of machinery, of his productions in this country shall exceed that paid by the manufacturers of the same class of goods made in forefgn countries, he may present sworn proofs of the same to the committee, with the demand that such articles sha’l be entered cn Schedule D. If, upon examination, the committee find that the statements are correct, or if they find that any difference exists in favor of the foreign manufacturer, they shall cause the article or class of articles to be entered upon Schedule D, with a specific duty equal to such difference, always provided that the article is not protected by letters patent issued by this Government