TARIFF REVISION. 



779 



and tables, and the avoidance of ambiguity and 

 complexity in the provisions of the law. He 

 was followed by a representative of the Malt- 

 sters' Association, who desired more effective 

 protection against Canadian competition. Then 

 a representative of salt-manufacturers declared 

 that they could not endure any reduction of 

 the duties on salt. An importer and manu- 

 facturer of aniline colors and dye-stuffs favored 

 reduction of duties, saying that 1,200,000 

 pounds of imported dyes in 1881 paid $1,500,- 

 000 in duties, and that those which cost $1 

 a pound in England were sold for $4 in the 

 United States. He was followed by a repre- 

 sentative of the New York Free-Trade Club, in 

 favor of a thorough and radical revision of the 

 tariff. On the 27th there were more argu- 

 ments in favor of a duty on quinine, in the 

 course of which it was stated that the total 

 consumption was 4,000,000 ounces, of which 

 1,600,000 are consumed in the United States. 

 There were five factories in this country and 

 thirteen in Europe, and the price, which was 

 $4 an ounce when the duty was abolished, had 

 declined to $2. A concern, with an invest- 

 ment of $150,000, produced 200,000 ounces a 

 year. A New York importing house presented 

 a schedule of modified duties for carpetings, 

 silks, woolen fabrics, dress-goods, linens, and 

 cottons. On the following day the linen, hemp, 

 and jute interests put in an appearance, and 

 asked for more protection. There was also a 

 manufacturer of carriages who asked for higher 

 duties. Assistant - Secretary French, on the 

 31st of July, continued his explanation of the 

 complications and difficulties of the existing 

 tariff system, and advocated the establishment 

 of a customs court. The same day a repre- 

 sentative of the drug interest argued for a revis- 

 ion and simplification of duties, and favored in 

 general the putting of raw materials on the 

 free list. A representative of the New Or- 

 leans Cotton Exchange demanded that jnte- 

 butts, iron cotton-ties, and Manila and Sisal 

 hemp be put on the free list. On the 1st of 

 August the question of sugar duties was brought 

 up, and on this and other occasions it was 

 shown that the Louisiana planters demanded 

 the maintenance of high rates on raw sugars, 

 the refiners favored a reduction on raw but not 

 on refined sugars, and the importers favored a 

 reduction all around. On August 3d an im- 

 porter and dealer in antiquities desired to have 

 them put on the free list ; and a manufacturer 

 of fertilizers asked that sulphur-ore be admit- 

 ted free. On the 4th there was a statement 

 regarding the cultivation of jute in this coun- 

 try, which favored the retention of the existing 

 duty. The Gold-Beaters' Union demanded an 

 increase of duty on gold-leaf; an importer of 

 paint materials favored a reduction of duties; 

 and an importer of linens took the same ground. 

 This was the general position of importers, 

 while that of manufacturers was for the main- 

 tenance or increase of rates. In the early part 

 of August the commission spent two days in 



New York, examining the methods of the cus- 

 tom-house and appraiser's office. On the 10th, 

 at Long Branch, a hearing was given to manu- 

 facturers of saddlery, hardware, and morocco- 

 leather, the former in opposition to a reduction 

 of duties, and the latter against discrimination 

 between tanned and finished morocco. There 

 was also an argument from a dry-goods im- 

 porter in favor of free raw materials and lower 

 rates for manufactured goods. The same day 

 there were statements in favor of continued 

 protection of sugar-planters and silk-raisers, 

 from persons connected with those interests. 



These statements show the general character 

 and drift of the testimony as it continued at 

 Long Branch. A maker of cutlery demanded 

 protection for pocket-knives ; a representative 

 of tobacco-growers wanted a duty on Sumatra 

 tobacco-leaf which should prevent its use for 

 cigar- wrappers here, for which it was especially 

 adapted ; silk-growers wanted high duties on 

 raw silk ; and so on. One special interest after 

 another appeared and argued for a tinkering 

 of the tariff which should add to their profits. 

 Growers of raw materials wanted protection ; 

 manufacturers favored free materials, but pro- 

 tective duties on manufactured products ; im- 

 porters and dealers in foreign goods asked for 

 a reduction of duties, but only an occasional 

 voice was raised in behalf of consumers, and 

 little was heard regarding the wider interests 

 of the nation as a whole. On the 23d of Au- 

 gust the commission went to Boston, and spent 

 the three following days in taking testimony 

 there. A variety of manufacturing interests 

 was represented before the commission, promi- 

 nent among which was that of sugar-refining, 

 which protested against high duties on the low 

 grades of foreign sugar. From Boston the 

 commission went to Rochester, N. Y., where 

 there was one session, on the 29th of August. 

 Communications were received there in favor 

 of admitting living trees, flower-seeds, and iron- 

 ores free of duty. Numerous other communi- 

 cations were read at this session, but they had 

 been previously received, and were from vari- 

 ous parts of the country. On the 30th there 

 was a session at Buffalo, at which a reduction 

 of the duties on aniline dyes was opposed, and 

 a reduction of those on pottery was favored, 

 by certain Philadelphia and Boston importers. 

 The only local interest of importance that put 

 in an appearance was that of the maltsters, who 

 desired protection against Canadian malt, but 

 asked for the free admission of barley. August 

 31st was spent at Cleveland, Ohio, where the 

 principal demand was for an increase of duties 

 on hoop-iron. There was also an argument in 

 favor of protecting the Lake Superior iron-ore 

 interest. At Detroit, Mich., on the following 

 day, a charcoal pig-iron manufacturer argued 

 in favor of retaining the duties on that article, 

 and sundry other interests put in their claims 

 for protection. One day was spent at Indian- 

 apolis and two at Cincinnati, where the iron in- 

 terests were largely represented, and generally 



