Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-03-07


Cotton (raw) ..-..-...-........- 145,569
Cocoa and chocolate. ............ 5S,614
Consumed and hand before $I0i 9O7 7sl
We have classed together large amount of emu
merated articles, because the amount re-exported of
the greater portion thereof was very trifing and
because did not wish to extend our table to too
great length. Here again: however, we are met
with the striking defect in the official document,
which returns nearly $l5,000,OOO Of our imports
(more than one-cghth of the whole) with no other
information than that about 100000 (part there
of was imported under different rates of duty vary
ing from one to thirty-fve per cent, that nearly
81 100000 duty was paid thereon, that the remain
der was imported free Of duty, and that 1856, 1906
in value (part thereby was re-exported. Surely
this ought TO be corrected. How can Congress,
when it is now about to be called upon to reuoAt-
honizc the existing tariff, act wisely or Justly while
in almost total ignorance, far this report goes
in respect to more than one-eghth of the subject
to which it has relation?
The tariff tables, particularly the rates of duty
levied by the various tariffs and notifications there
OF, from July, $780, to August, ls42 and extending
over lightweight pages, contain very little informa-
ton which was not previously in the possession Of
the public.
The thirteen tables showing the imports of the
during each year. from 1890 to 1874 with the value
and rate Of duty, certainly contain much valuable
information but it is spread too great space,
and will require good deal Of labor in re-arrange-
ment and compression before il can be available for
any practical purposes.
The tables relating to coal, sugars, molasses cof
Fee and tea, contain much valuable information.
We now come to the answers TO the circulars Of
the Secretary of the Treasury, which extend, as we
have previously stated, over 1916 pages. The first
circular proposed forty questions, the second TWEEN
ty-eight. The greatest number Of answers received
TO any Of these questions is l02, the least g. When
the great number of manufacturing establishments
in the country taken into consideration il is evil
dent that the highest number Of answers received,
if it had been extended to every question PROFOUND
ed by the Secretary, would have afforded very In
efficient evidence upon which TO found revolution
of our revenue system. Let il be also remembered
that many of these answers, deliberately recorded
consist Of phrases like the following: Cannot
speak positively uncertain - Every probably
should; !" :" ] should think not" q don't know !"
" this is not susceptible Of an answer !" .not
acquainted; - thinks there is - "a variety Of
causes !" "probably !" ." does not recollect," &c.
What information the public is to receive from such
replies is not very evident.
The persons, to whom the Secretary's circulars
were addressed, would Of course answer such ques-
tons, and such only, as they pleased: and, know
ing the object TO which their were intended
TO be applied, they would frame those answers SO
not 10 prejudice their interests and they had
every right to do so. Many of the questions were
inquistoral, and were, no doubt, treated as such
many were incapable of an answer by the parties
to whom they were addressed, and were either I'M
attended to replied TO in the luminous and sails
factory manner 10 which we have alluded
One Of the questions the most fully and satsfac-
tory answered is the 18th Of the first series, rca-
ting to the number Of hours the men, women, and
children employed in the various manufactures
are required to labor. We have examined the
entire 700 pages Of this part Of the document
and present the following analysis of the answers
Eighty definite answers were received, Of which
two stated the numbers Of hours labor TO be 8
seventeen stated them being 10 one as I0a ST,
as Ill FIVE as He forty-four as IL; one as Ia
three as l3; and one, Touring mill in New York
where men were employed during eight months il
the year, stated the number of hours labor to b,
16. Is there not mistake in this last statement
So much for official proof Of the ercessiue labo
which the manufacturers are charged with imposing
upon their operatives.
Again: as to the a exorbitant" dividends or pro
fits made by manufacturers, we find no evidence o
1t IN this document 1t is true that one manufactory
oil coarse cotton and woollen goods in Georgia state
Its prohts from 1889 TO January 1914, TO have beer
~ per cent per annum, and since then % per cent
and two others IN Georgia state their profits at y
per cent One iron and brass foundry and engin
mandatory in Alabama states its profits as bein
25 per cent. mandatory of edgc.tools in Obi
states its profits as being 25 per cent? and two othe
manufactures state theirs being 20 per cent
Others in various States estimate as follows: on
at Ia per cent two at l2a three at IL nine
10; two at 8; eleven at 4; eight al g. two at
two or 3 one at 2a, and two at Q per cent On
mandatory in the State Of New York, which wa
established in 1894, replies: There have been div
dends to the amount of 40 per cent y but this yer
probably means the entire amount Of profits for tn
twelve years. Another, which was also commence
in 1884, " lost money until ls4l since then it hs
made IL to Is per cent. should think" Anoth,
"cannot say; butthe profits in 1910 and ls4l wei