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Show PROVISIONS OF THE mm BILL Congressman Underwood - Explains Ex-plains What It Means to the Country. REDUCE REVENUE $80,000,000 PIscs Rsw Wool on the Free List, and Heavily Reduces the Sugar Duty Raises Rats on Several Sev-eral Itsma. Washington, D. C Removal of all tariff from many articles of food and clothing, broad reductions in the rste of duty on all necessarlea 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 atriklng features of the new Democratic Dem-ocratic tariff revision bill. Sugar would be free of duty in 1916, the bill proposing an Immediate 26 per cent, reduction and the removal of the remaining duty In 1310. j Raw wool would be made free at once, with a corresponding heavy reduction re-duction In the tariff on all woolen goods. Placed en the Free List, Other artlclea are put on the free Hat ae follows: Meats, flour, bread, boot and shoes, lumber, coal, harness, saddlery, Iron ore, milk and cream, po-tatoea, po-tatoea, salt, wlne, corn, corntneal, cotton bagging, agricultural Implement, Imple-ment, leather, wood pulp, Illblea, printing paper not worth more than 2 cents a pound, typewriters, sewing merhlnes, typesetting machines, cash registers, steel rail, fence wire, cotton cot-ton tie, nails, hoop and band iron, fish, sulphur, soda, tanning materia!, acetlo and sulphuric acids, borax, lumber lum-ber products, Including broom bandlea, clapboards, hubs for wheels, posts, laths, pickets, slaves, shingles. These principal Items are taken from the free list and taxed: Hough and uncut diamond and precious stones, furs, coal tar products, 10 per cent.; volatile oils, 20 per cent.; pice, from 1 cent to 2 cent per pound. Chsirmsn's Comparative Table. Chairman Underwood of the way and means committee, in hi statement state-ment accompany line the new bill, gave a comparative tsble to show reductions reduc-tions In tariff duties made upon necessaries. neces-saries. In each Item both the, present pres-ent tariff and the proposed tariff had been reduced to an advalorem basis. The new rales are estimated to reduce re-duce the customs revenue approximately approxi-mately $80,000,000 a year. This Is ex pected to be made up by the Income tax. Indorsed by President Wilson, the measure represent the efforts of the president and house tariff makers lo carry Into effect Democratic pledges of downward revision and of concussions concus-sions to the American consumer. Protection to the farmer would be cut throughout by more than SO per cent, in an effort to reduce the cost of food. Protection to the steel and Implement manufacturer would In turn be cut by fully aa wide a margin. Heavleat reductlona fall upon foodstuffs, food-stuffs, agricultural products, woolen and cotton clothing. Free Wool and Free Sugar. The free wool proposal, backed by President Wilson and accepted by the house committee, la expected to provoke pro-voke a severe fight within the Democratic Demo-cratic ranks of both houses. It bad not become clear whether the Democratic Demo-cratic opponents of free wool and free sugar In the aeaate would be able to force a compromise on one or both these provisions. The decision to make a gradual reduction re-duction In the sugar to riff was reached reach-ed by the president and the house committee after Ijoulsisna cane grower grow-er declined a compromise that would have established a one-cent per pound tariff for three years, with free sugar la 1816. Duty Cut lo. Detail. Chairman Underwood statement giving the changes la detail continues a follows: "In the chemical schedule the rstes os certain commodities show heavy reductions. For instance, boracic acid Is cut from 78 70 per cent, to 21.43 per cent glue from 35.06 per cent to 14.29 per cent, and red lead from 60.35 pr cent, to 25 per cent. Moderate reductions re-ductions bsve been made on medicinal preparations, wblrh are cut from 25 p4 r cent to 16 per cent., blacking from 2S per cent to IS per cent., drugs from 1265 per cent, to 10 per cent., and olive oil from 35.18 per cent, to 21.05 per cent The schedule contains a number of articles on which either nu reduction, hss been made or an advance ad-vance provided for. "Kates on all brick have been cut oa the average from 3923 per cent, to 10 28 per cent, tile from 4784 per cent to 1336 per cent, asphalt from $7.05 per cent to 6 62 per cent. Or- how redoettoaa an eottoa thread from 31.64 per cent, to 19.29 per cent; on pool thread from 22 95 per cent, to 18 per cent; on cotton cloth from 4274 per cent to 26 69 per cent; on water proof cloth from 60.66 per cent to 26 per cent; on ready made clothing cloth-ing from 60 per cent, to 30 per cent on collars and cuffs from 64.03 per cent, to 25 per ceut; on plushes from 61 40 per cent, to 40 per cent; .on handkerchiefs from 69.27 per cent to 30 per rent.; on stockings. 75.34 per cent, to 60 per cent.; on gloves from 89 17 per cent to 35 per cent; on underwear un-derwear from 60 27 per cent to 25 per cent, and on eottoa damask from 40 per cent, to 25 per cent. "Flax, hemp and their products bave been similarly dealt with. Raw flax and raw bemp have been reduced from $22 40 and $22.60 per ton, respectively, respective-ly, to $11.20 each; Jute yarns have been cut from 26 90 per cent to 16 per rent; cablea and cordage from 6.43 per cent to 4.65 per cent; oil cloths for floors from 44.29 per cent to 16 per cent; handkerchief from 60 per cent, to 85 per cent. How Schedule K Fare. "Schedule K, dealing with wool and woolen tnanufactures, ha been the center of criticism for many years and the committee ba given It very careful study. The result haa been to make raw wool free of duty, to reduce re-duce yarns from 75.14 per cent to 20 per cent; blankets from 72.69 per cent to 25 per cent; flannels from 83.29 per cent to 25 and 38 per cent; dress goods from 9970 per cent te 35 per cent; clothing from 79 66 per cent to 35 per cent; webbings, etc., from 82.7 per cent to 85 per cent, and carpet from rates ranging from 60 per cent to 82 per ceirt, to rates ranging from 20 per cent to 85 per cent. "Inasmuch a silk and silk goods are distinctly to be classed aa luxuries. lux-uries. It ba been deemed wise to make only very moderate reductions In the rates of duty. Partially manufactured manu-factured goods have been cut from 3101 per cent to 15 per cent; spun Ilk yarn from 37.09 per cent to 35 per cent; sewing silk from 35 per cent to 15 per cent; silk goods from 63 65 per cent to 60 per cent; silk handkerchiefs handker-chiefs (plain) from 60 per cent to 40 per cent; ribbons from 60 per cent to 40 per cent; artificial silk yarns from 41.79 per cent to 85 per cent, and braids, embroideries and the like of artificial silk, from 6$ 49 per cent to 60 per cent Print Pspsr on the Free List "Print paper, whose cost of production produc-tion is as low In this country under favorable conditions a It Is anywhere In the world, has been transferred to the free list when worth less than 2i cents per pound, while the higher grades have been given a tariff of 13 per cent In place of 15 80 per cent Copying paper haa been cut from 42.32 per cent to 30 per cent, bag envelopes, etc., from 4992 per cent to 35 per cent, parchment papers from 47.93 per cent to 35 per cent, photographlo paper pa-per from 29 99 per cent to 25 per cent, writing paper from 45.13 per cent to 25 per cent; common wrapping wrap-ping paper from 35 per cent to 25 per cent and booka from 25 per cent to 15 per cent. Trimmed hat are given only a moderate reduction, being cut from 60 per cent to 40 per cent, while broom are substantially reduced, being be-ing cut from 40 per cent to 16 per cent Jewelry Only Slightly Reduced. "Jewelry ha been only slightly reduced, re-duced, falling from 75.74 per cent to 60 per cent A good Illustration of the attitude adopted with respect to the application of the tariff Is seen lo the Item, precious stone uncut, wr".ch are given a rate of 10 per cent notwithstanding they were on the free list under the act of 1909. "Where the tariff rates balance the difference In cost of production at home and abroad. Including an allowance allow-ance for the difference in freight rates, the tariff must be competitive, and from that point downward to the lowest tariff that can be levied will continue to be competitive to a greater great-er or leaa extent Strikes Blow at Monopoly. "On the other hand, when the duties levied at the custom house are high enough to allow the American, manufacturer manu-facturer to make a profit before bis competitor can enter the field, we have Invaded the domain of the protection of profits. In the committee's Judgment Judg-ment the protection of any profit must of necessity bsve a tendency to destroy de-stroy competition and create monopoly, monop-oly, whether the profit protected Is reasonable or unreasonable. "Which course Is the wiser one for our government to take? The one that demands the protection of profits, the continued policy of hothouse growth for our Industries the stagnation stag-nation of development that follows where competition ceases or. on the otner hand, the gradual reduction of our tariff to a basis where the Amer-Iran Amer-Iran manufacturer must meet honest competition; where be must develop his business along the best and most economic lines; where, when he fights at home to control his market, he Is forging the way In the economic development de-velopment of bis business to extend his trade In the markets of the world. The future growth of our great Industrie Indus-trie Ilea beyond the seas." dlnary earthenware, which waa already al-ready relatively low, being subject to an average duty of 24.87 per cent., has now been cut to IS per cent., while window glass has been given an average reduction on all glaaaes of from 46 38 per cent, to 28.31 per cent. Plate glass, wbtcb may be conslded a luxury, still retains a duty of nearly 40 per cent., the aversge being 38 45 per cent., in place of the duty of 63.93 per cent In the law. Pig Iron and Forging Hit "Pig Iron and slabs, which were 16,33 per cent, and 17.79 per cent, bave been cut to 8 per cent in each case; beams, from 23.20 per cent to 12 per cent, and forglngs from 30 per cent, to 15 per cent On the other hand, bicycles, a much more highly manufactured product are dutiable at 25 per cent aa against 45 per cefft and razors at 35 per cent as against 77 68 per cent "The Idea of the large extension of the free list for the unmanufactured products has been the fundamental conception, while the effort has been made to improve the status of the manufactured lumber. Thus, sawed boards, other than cabinet wood, bave been carried to the free list while sawed cabinet woods, which were 12.75 per cent, in 1912, are now 10 per cent; casks, barrels, etc., which were 30 per cent, are now 14.77 per cent., and house furniture, which was 35 per cent.. Is now 15 per cent "Tobsceo and spirits have been found to be good producers of revenue and have., therefore, been left at the same rates as n the present law. Would Reduce Cost ef Living. "Id the effort to relieve the consumer consum-er and to mHlgate the high and rising cost of living, schedule O, which deala with agricultural products, has been thoroughly revised and important reductions re-ductions have been made. For instance, in-stance, the duty on hones has been reduced from 25 per cent to 10 per cent, cattle from 25.07 per cent, to 1 per cent, sheep from 16.41 per cent to 10 per cent , barley from 43 05 per cent, to 23 07 per cent., macaroni from 31.25 per cent, to 2181 per cent, hay from 43 21 ier cent to 2667 per cent, fruits from 27,21 per cnt to 15.3 per cent, figs from 51.63 per cent to 42 10 per cent , lemons from 68.15 pr cent, to 2eV3 per cent, live poultry poul-try from 13 10 per cent, to 6 67 per rent., and vinegar from 33 03 per cent, to 17 35 per cent Other changes are in proportion, and the general effect has been to reduce In a very material proportion the heavy taxce upon tm ported focdituffs. "In schedule I, dealing with cotton, j comparisons of the principal Items |
