Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 May 1897 — CHANGES IN TARIFF. [ARTICLE]

CHANGES IN TARIFF.

DINGLEY MEASURE HAS BEEN REMODELED. The Senate Committee Brlnge la a Report Showing Many Modificattona in the Hones Bill—Will Not Be Retroactive. Measure aa Amended The tariff bill, as reported by the Senate Committee on Finance Tuesday, is a very different measure from that which passed the House, and the members of the committee intend to make still further amendments as soon as they have time to prepare them. Among these will be a broad reciprocity clause ns a substitute for that which appears in the House bill. The duty on tea and the additional tax on beer are intended to be temporary, and for the purpose of raising revenue. Senator Aldrich presented the bill to the Senate. The time for the bill to take effect is made July 1, 1897, instead of May 1, as provided in the House. The sugar schedule is wholly rewritten in the interest of the trust. The word bituminous is stricken out and all coal made dutiable at 75 cents per ton, with a proviso added that the duty on coal and shale shall be GO cents per ton, and on coal slack, or culma, 15 cents per ton, when imported from any country, colony or dependency that does not impose upon coal or coal slack or culma higher rates of duty than those named In this proviso. The Senate has Increased the Internal revenue duty on beer by changing section 8339 of the revised statutes to read aa follows: Until Jan. 1, 1900, there shall be paid on all beer, lager beer, ale, porter, and other similar fermented liquors, brewed or manufactured and sold or removed for consump* tlon or sale within the United States, by whatever name such liquors may be called, a tax of (1,44 for every barrel containing not more than 81 gallons; and after Jan. 1, 1900, there shall be paid a tax of $1 per barrel on every barrel of such beer, lager beer, ale, porter, and other similar fermented liquors.

The present rate is sl. The retroactive clause of the Dingley tariff bill is stricken from the Senate bill. The entire House provision relating to reciprocity has been stricken out and the following section substituted: That whenever any country, dependency or colony shall pay or bestow, directly or Indirectly, any bounty or grant upon the exportation of any article or merchandise from such country, dependency, or colony, and such article or merchandise Is dutiable under the provisions of this act, then, upon the Importation of any such article or merchandise Into the United States, whether the same shall be Imported directly from the country of production or otherwise, and whether such article or merchandise Is Imported in the same condition aB when exported from the country of production, or has been changed In condition by manufacture or otherwise, there shall be levied and Said In all such cases. In addition to the utles otherwise Imposed by this act, an additional duty equal to the net amount of such bounty or grant, however the same be paid or bestowed. The net amount of all such bounties or grants shall be from time to time ascertained, determined, and declared by the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall make all needful regulations for the Identification of such articles and merchandise, and for the assessment and collection of bucli additional duties. The House provision in the tariff bill keeping in force the Hawaiian reciprocity treaty is stricken out, the effect being indirectly to abrogate the treaty and impose the same duty on Hawaiian sugars as is imposed on sugars from other countries. The provision in the House bill on distilled wines is stricken out and the following substituted: Still wines, Including ginger wine or ginger cordial and vermuth, In casks or packages, other than bottles or Jugs, If containing 14 per cent, or less, of absolute alcohol, 80 cents per gallon; If containing more than 14 per cent of absolute alcohol, 50 cents per Sallou. In bottles or Jugs, per case of one ozen bottles, or Jugs, containing each not more than one quart, and more than one pint, or 24 bottles or Jugs containing each not more than one pint, $1 per case; and any excess beyond these quantities found In such bottles or Jugs shall be subject to a duty of 0 cents per pint or fractional part thereof, but no separate or additional duty shall be assessed on the bottles or Jugs; provided, that any wines, ginger cordial, or vermuth Imported containing more than 24 f>er cent of alcohol shall be classed as spirts, and pay duty accordingly. And provided further, that there shall be no constructive or other allowance for breakage, leakage, or damage on wines, liquors, cordials, or distilled spirits. Wines, cordials, brandy and other spirituous liquors, Including bitters of all kinds, and bay rum, or buy water, imported In bottles or Jugs, shall be packed In packages containing not less than one dozen bottles or Jugs In each package, or duty shall be paid as If such package contained at least one dozen bottles or Jugs; and all such bottles or Jugs shall, unless otherwise specially provided for In this act, pay an additional duty of 3 cents for each bottle or Jug. The percentage of alcohol In wines and fruit juices shall be determined In such manner as the Secretary of the Treasury shall by regulation prescribe. Lumber and Wool Change*. The lumber schedule is changed by adding after the word timber the words “Hewn, sided, or squared and round timber,” and the duty fixed at the rate of 1 cent per cubic foot as in the Hon. l- :; bill. The rate of $2 per ton on all sawed boards, etc., is retained, but when planed on one side, the additional rate is made 35 instead of 50 cents per 1,000 feet board measure; when planed, tongued, and grooved the additional rate is made 70 cents per 1,000 feet board measure instead of $1; if planed on two sides and tongued and grooved $1.05 per 1,000 instead of $1.50. The House proviso for an additional duty of 25 per cent ad valorem upon lumber imported from any -foreign country which imposes an export duty is changed so as ' j add the amount of the export duty instead of any fixed sum. Placed on the free list are poplar and other pulp woods, heading bolts, stave bolts and railroad ties. Many and important changes were made in the wool and woolen schedule. First-class wools were reduced from 11 cents per pound, as provided in the House bill, to 8 cents per pound, and second-class wools from 12 to 9 cents, whereas the duties on wools of the third class were raised. The dividing line in this latter class was placed at 10 cents value, wools under that value being made dutiable at the rate of 4 cents per pound instead of 32 per cent ad valorem, as in the Jlouse bill. Wools valued at more than 10 cents per pound were placed at 7 cents per pound instead of 50 per cent ad valorem. The wool growers failed to secure all the changes they desired in classification, but it is understood that the rates fixed on the wools themselves are satisfactory to them.