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Show M TARPFF W 1 Bndiel I Nevada Senator Says Our Industries Have Been Placecl on Stilts Washington, July 28. Commenting on the waste of "time and effort on the part of congress in revising the tariff schedules, Senator -Newlands of Nevada today urged on the senate his amendment to tho free list bill for an automatic reduction of prohibitory duties which would gradually bring them to a revenue basis. His contention was that a general clause should be put in the law providing pro-viding that whenever it appears that the Importation of any dutiable article have been, Jor a year preceding, less than one-tenth of the total domestic production of similar articles, the duty shall be reduced at the rate of 10 per cent per annum, until the importations im-portations shall equal one-tenth of domestic production, the reduction to thon cease and the matter be referred to congress for further action. Mr. Newlands urged that by thi3 method a j eduction of the excessive . and prohibitory duties oX th.e tariff vould be accomplished without Inviting Invit-ing a flood of foreign importations and without disturbing American in-' dustric-s. He claimed that a large proportion pro-portion of the duties of the existing tariff were prohibitory and were not revenue duties. "The duties of congress and Its committees in tho revision of the tariff," tar-iff," Mr. Newlands said, "would thus be very much lightened and the work of mere computation would be thrown upon the tariff board, which it is certain cer-tain the facts upon the existence of which the tariff reduction would be based. In this way a reduction can be accomplished which will excite no alarm, as the law Itself will provide a safety brake and stop the reduction whenever the Importations exceed a certain percentage. "Such an amendment would not bo a recognition of the principles of protection pro-tection 'by Democrats, If they concurred concur-red ln It; It would simply be a recognition recog-nition of the fact of protection, and would provide for a gradual change and reduction to a revenue basis without economic readjustment "Our industries are on stilts as the result of the high tariff It Is not wise at one blow to knock the stilts from under them, just as it would not be wise for a man who had climbed a high steeple and desired to como down to earth, to jump down Instead of climbing down. An automatic re-i duction of 10 por cent a year would accomplish almost everything that is desired in the way of gradually establishing estab-lishing a revenue" tariff" |