Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 September 1888 — THE MILLS TARIFF BILL. [ARTICLE]

THE MILLS TARIFF BILL.

AN EXTREMELY PARTI6AN AND SECTIONAL MEASURE. , Chlrf Aim Seema to lie to Hart northern Industrie* How It Would A fleet the Weatern Former If It Ever ytfffilffl I Us Vegetal)lea on the Free List. _ The Tribune publishes a comparative statement,of the present rates of duty on all imports affected by the Mills bill and qf those which that measures proposes to substitute for them. There is no earthly eliaece that the Democratic (artisan and sectional Mills bill will become aa law, hut it will be interesting for western fanners to know what it proposes to dq, As it Inis been, prepared by the house committee on ways and means it may be taken for granted that it is accurate. While it wifi lie interesting reading to all manufacturers and inqxirters it \yill attract the special attention of western farmers, for its perusal will prove to them the truth of the. claim made by The Tribune that the Mills bill was a par-, tjsan and sectional one whose chief aim was to hurt northern industries, while southern ones were barely touched or were left unaffected, It will also show them that much of that measure of protection which has hitherto been extended tp farming interests isnow to lie “withdrawn if the Democracy gain at the election this fall the control of the legislative and executive branches of the government. Wool, of course, is put on the free list, and next to this staple the hand of Congressman Mills falls heavily on the growers of flax and hemp. At present the farmer who raises the first of these is protected by a duty of S4O per ton on dressed flax. Tliat it is now promised to reduce to $lO, The duty on flax thread and flax manufactures is cut from 40 down to 25 per cent. Hemp warn is lowered from 35 to 15 per cent., and manufactures of hemp lose 10 per cent. This is by no means all that these special interests have to suffer. Hemp, on which there is now a duty of $25 a ton, and hemp aryl flax tow, on which there is one of $lO each, are put on the free list, as are also manila and substitutes. wliichA now pay $25 a ton: jute, which has paid 20 per cent; and sisal grass, which has paid sls per ton. Unhackled flax, on which there has hitherto l>ecn a duty of S2O a ton, is also put on the free list, and tfiC duty on linseed oil is lowered from 25 cents a gallon to 15, while that on castor oil is advanced.

The farmer, in looking farther to see the extent of the tender consideration of Roger Q. Mills for his welfare, will find that vegetables, fresh or in brine, which have hitherto paid 10 per cent, are on the free list. He will remember the heavy importation of German and English potatoes' into this country last winter and will wonder whether it will lie increased if they are made duty-free. He will also notice that the duty on the starch, into which much of his corn or potatoes is manufactured, is to be lowered from two cents a jiound to one cent His beans and peas have been protected by a 10 per cent duty, but that is to lie removed altogether, while his garden seeds, which -have hitherto been protected 20 per cent, will have to meet the untaxed competition of the foreign article. Even his oil seeds are menaced and the imported ones are to pay nothing, instead of the quarter-cent per pound they have i een paying. Ground mustard drops from 10 cents a pound to 6. and beeswax, which used to lie sheltered liv a 20 per cent dyty. will go on the free list. * Nor are his other interests unaffected. Meats, game, and poultry, which have been (laying 10 per cent, are to go on that same capacious free list, if the Mills bill passes; and the competition of foreign tallow, which . has hitherto been limited by a duty of a cent-a pouuffi wi|l be unchecked. Fresh milk and eggs and other dairy products will come in free if Mills has his way. Brooin corn—an important staple—is also put on the free list. Some of these items are of little value, and the proposed reduction will not worry the farmers. Others, however—and es(>eeially those which deal with wool, flax, hemp, milk, eggs, broom corn and vegetables—will be apt to strike them unfavorably, and will not tend to increase their admiration for the party which, as its first step in what it -calls tariff reform, suggests these particular changes.—Chicago Tribune.