AMERICAN TARIFF.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 460, 19 March 1909, Page 5

AMERICAN TARIFF.

NEW SCHEME OF DUTIES. A FEW UNIMPORTANT INCREASES. SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTIONS. ' .'llT TEl.ElilCAl'll I'lMiss A«Sr«-|ATInN —CorVUIOHT.) (Rcc. March 18, 10.53 p.m.) Washington, March 18. Tho Payne Tariff Bill has been submitted to Congress. Duties of 20 per cent, ad valorom are added to tho regular rates in the caso of countrios not giving "most favoured nation" rates to tho United States. A few unimportant increases are made for revenue purposes. Manufactured articles of flax, hemp, and juto aro generally reduced by 25 per cent. Newspaper printing paper and hides are largely reduced, pulpwood is mado free, and iron and steel imports are reduced by 30 to 50 per cent. The wool and woollens schedule is practically untouched. Tho Bill provides for reciprocal free trado with the Philippine Islands, with a limit as to sugar and tobacco imported duty free. PRESIDENT'S APPEAL TO CONCRESS. EXPEDITION NEEDED. New York, March 17. President Taft has presented an urgent Message to Congress, asking it to expedite tariff revision, and to put an end to tho disturbance of business by a speedy decision on tbo subject. THE STEEL ISSUE Mr. S. R. Payne, a Congressman who was active in framing tho M'Kinley and Dingley Tariff Laws, is Chairman of the Comraittco in Wavs and Means, which has had in hand the worlt of tariff revision; so the Payne Bill referred to above represents the result of the Committee's evidence-taking and deliberations. Two steel experts, Mr. Andrew Carnegie and Mr. C. M. Schwab (formerly President of the United States Steel Corporation) sought to adviso the Committee as to. the duties on steel and steel products. Mr. Carnegie considered that tho duties should bo removed, and Mr. Schwab was positive that they should be retained. Tho Committee has reduced them, it seems, by 30 to 50 per cent. Writing in November, the New York correspondent of "Tho Times" remarked: "It is generous of Mr. Payne to say that, in tho event of tho adoption of maximum and minimum duties, England shall have the minimum rate, notwithstanding that she can offer nothing in return. Having given all, of course, Great Britain has nothing more to offer. Of littlo benefit is tho minimum to England. The duties on the particular imports of merchandise in which Germany and France and other protective countries aro interested have been reduced, and those in which Great Britain is interested have boon left to the tetnder mercies of tho 'stand patters.'" The placing of wood pulp on the free list was a step urged by ex-President Roosevelt to prevent the Papor Trust exploiting the small newspapers.