Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-02-09

e,or. Of the secretary of the reasury.

.s 'esosu',on "as aug ped by the Senate OF the
Res'lrsa, That the Secretary Of ne Treasury
" u'eceu - rer orl 10 the Senate On toiGt orit'
.as Illoiaeeu the ,arifi act ol 1916 The duties
.ad oS i"eie Sed beyond The existing rates, 50 as
~ usuieD the Iefsalt, an !" what e1feat inr
s".ou"' can te incIeaset, ard VIA, ad'iinonai
ie'eho vould accrue .hereirom. And further
s.a'' that he Ne fcGaes.cd II tepoIi what articles
w The Tree lis, may be taxed, ana what amount
If duty should te laid heleeI, ana thal ne aiso
report On what articles, il any, The Tales o. du''
may be reduced below those imposed oy the aioss-
said act so as 10 Increase the revenue, me rd'e "
such reduction, and The amount TO %hcn Tue re-
venue would probably be Increased lhetepy, anu
whether, il his opinion, any lax "hich may oe
laid upon such a:cies Will increase the price o.
the same 10 me CONSUMER, todhs d'ioup, o"ei ="
any 10 what amount.
In order to reply 10 his resolution, II became
necessary to review every item embraced 10 lhe
tariff Of 1916, 10 Ie-ex3mine ihe imports oil each
ay,ic,,, with the rate oil duty and revenue acciu-
ing thereon she fiscal year ending he s3sh oi
June, 1915; aud also TO have prepared and con-
slider new table: Of similar character 10. th- n
cal year ending The 3Uih of June, ieib. and ~
compare The results.
Il viii be perceived that this has been work
of great labor. requiring much time and invesii-
CATION and the answer has been prepared WIN
as liu!e delay as practicable. On comparing The
new tables for 1876 with these Of ls15 !. :ii; b.
found that in The great maoity 81 cases, where
the dulles were specific, uucer nc Tariff oil 1872
the equivalent al valorem has been much lower
during tn las; tiscai year, Than IN I which pre-
ceded and hence. calculations based, and esil
mates made upon the imports Of lS4o, must be
corrected by those o. III. year succeeding, as be-
ing nearer in date, and furnishing saler and brl
Ter dala upcn which TO calculate inc effect upon
the revenue, Of an increase or reduction ol me
presen, dalies As The equivalent ad yalorems
under the Imports OF 1916 generally approximate
more nearly The present rates OF duty than inc
equivalent ad valorems OF l645 smaller aug
mentation ofihe pr-ser duties Will be required 10
augment he revenue in cases where any dulv
under the las; Tariff produced a larger revenue
on the impor, OF any article than Inc rresen, du-
ties on The same To illustrate this position, The
equivalent ad valure,ns on the imports Of 1913,
omilns fractions were, on certain articles 81
iron, as follows: Pig iron, IS; bar iron, mannfac-
iuied by rolling rs; round or square lion, So;
nail or spike rods 9s; sheet iron except Iasgers.
60; hoop iron, lis; oa"d or scroll iron. 20; wood
screws 66; spikes. cut or wrought, los; and On
The imports of 1916 he equivalent ad vaorems
on the same articles Impor ed, in The same ORDER,
we're A, So. ST. So, a., 81, a. IS, and S. being.
in every case bul me, d vety large reduction q
the rate OF duty estimated as al valorem. This
dininuion oi the rate OF duty when SPECIFIC.
converted into al equivalent ad vaorem oy com
pairing The actual GulieS realized with The actual
value OF the import Is produced oy rise II Inc
price OF The arIcle, and in effect brings the dots
estimated by the Imports o; lS45 much nearer the
present rates ,hsn when estimated ny The Imports
of 1916. Unless. Then in cases where there are
other data enl,iei 10 higher Consideration, which
have been presented since he estimates mad las
YEAR The department. would as a general rule III
cases where any increase OF duty would augmsn
the revenue estimale smaller increase of The
present cu.es rs necessary 10 produce, in such a
case. he largest amour. Of revenue, Judging
from a comparison III Inc duties under the acts ol
1912 and 1916, estimated by The imports Q! 1866
than when he ables were prepared last year,
when the estimates were made by The imports q
!545 This principle is believed 70 be correct
gu, il the Senate should be uf a contrary opinion,
The TACT is stated, ioseiner with the views Of his
department thereon, in order mat the tala upon
which an change Of estimates, as now matc
shall be iairiy and ,uy ce.ir nnca'.d.
Guided by these views, aud g. 81 oher surh
dala as j. was within he power c t.c .ePar;n.cn,
10 obtain since the adoption Of &c fc.s in'icn 4
h!es, A and are herewith c. mMunicaea Is III
result OF his Investigation.
Table A presees list OF The articles upon
which the duties may be increased 50 as 10 aug
Iueul tuc TCVeHue, tStt!lSl Nhii wv idU "a III
crease, and The augmented revenue produced thsre.
by in each case. Il wili BE- perceived toa' the -
tal amount Of augmented revenue which can lhu>
be obtained IS Si,4lS,0d0.
Table B presents 4 list Of The articles upon
';"doiag from the data how before The de-
edntes nigh! be reduced
her with tie
nd the agers
=. which wcai,.
wed that tts
rs. 4: revenue All.
~ b. table
al aar: ale
d2men-
uston an. icutc, BY ID.
b,ss A and p, Wouiu u. !.
In auemenng as we'll as in .eoucing The du-
ties, it will be seen that the ad vaoicm system has
been rctainod ,hroughoui-the principle o! mini
NUNS or ii specific duties, being Still regarded
by This department; a. unequal arc unjust in her
operation, uniformly producing higher rate Ct
duty upon The cheape! than UPON ,hs finer ard
deareI articles thereby imposing higher raic
OF duty upon these wao are least able 10 pay u.
and producing less revenue Than he system o "a
yalorems iairly and h"r-sy administered The
ad valorem is he.lef duty for revenue than the
specific, because j, operates equally in proportion
10 value upon all classes o. goods and assesses
ar equal rale oil duty upon each, being thus ar
por;ioned SO as 10 i:sa.c the Largest revenue;
wnereas The specific auiy ore!atcs as smaller
equivalent al vanFem upon the fine aud high
nriced goods, wnigh IAN bear The highest duy
iur revenue, AMI much larger equivalent al va
loren upon the cheap articles, thus diminishing
The consumption and importation ci sG1h cheap
articles, aud in inis manner decreasing Inc Teve'
nuc. 'rhe ad valuren. du;y Upon each article,
selected win view 10 revenae, axcs The duty
according 10 the ability ot he consuaer anc he
actual value o. The article; whereas the specific
duty reyerses this rule, by subjecing the hlshes:
priced articles la the lowest dny being The sam"
nominal, hut an entirely dilicfen, actual rate o!
duty according to value. The SPECIFIC doiy DIS
erininates ogar,t 1erenue 10y taxing highest he
cheap articles which can bear II least and 'axiDs
lowest the ARTICLES w..i,n can bear the highest G'-
~. Hence in par; il ;s that, even unde: the la
riff OF 1872. The ad va!orem dnlies produced 4
larosr revenue than The specific; am! this, in
nail accounts also or the iact iha, The tariff oi
1916. which is exclusively al valoten, produces
thus far larger revenue, even al lower rates OF
duly. Than The tariff OF 1912, which was com
posed partly OF al valoTem. and pa.!ly OF mini-
mum and specific duties
As regards these articles exempt from dn,y,
their number has been greatly reduced by The
;.r,ff OF 1916 Tire principal Of tn tree articles
are ;es and coffee; uISn winch, as was estimated
a, lhe Commence nent 81 he session, 6u:y OF
o. ner ceu; al valorem would produce lct re-
venue vf a, !-as, 5000, 500 oOo Upon The re.
maindsr of The present Tree list. II might BE- pos
sible 10 obtain revenue Of S20o,co0. This,
however. is extremely doubtful, Tor Hearty The
whole OF line free list, (eScepi lea and coffee and
gold and silver coin and ouilion.) Is composed OF
articles used in shsathing, cauking, or repair
Ing vessels, the dctes upon which would compel
the repairs 10 b. made, and the work done on the
vessels while III foreign por;s, and thus operate
injuriously upon A a-.ican lab1r. with little or
no advantage The revenue. The navigating
in,eres, IS already sufficiently burdsned " the
duties imposed b. existing laws, without aug
mentins these burdens BY increased duties, cspe-
cially when ,lese du,ies would produce liue or
no revenue.
The revenue necessary for peace is always In
ADEQUATE for the extraordinary Expenditures OF
war When. therefore, such calamity occurs,
Uniform exrerience here and abroad has always