Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-12-24
Tea, COFToe and sugar.

In his repoT: the Secretary OF the Treasury
recommends Congreea 10 raise the duties on
coffee 10 five cents per pound; on green tea 70
twenty cent5 per pound; and on sugar 10 three
cenlS on olsyed and two and half on brown
Any ariR arranged now has for It's object to
raise the largest possible amount Of revenue
With toe leaet expense. IL Is war measure,
and il is important to make II az effective %
possible. Tea, coffee and sugar are three ar.
tces which contribute most largely 70 our
Customs revenue, For tea We have no eu1sti.
tutel for coffee none of importance; and the
quantity of sugar and molasses made from
sorghum and maple Is not sutncint 10 replace
what we formerly received from Louisians -
The stocks of these three articles nov In the
country are, We are informed, unusually low
Tue new crops are yet 70 arrive, and Import y.
lions, even If consumption be slightly lessened,
must come nearly up to the average Of other
years.
TIE question to be considered is how ar the
duties may be increased Without ltBsenlng the
consumptioDs and there 10 reason TO believe
that rate OF thirty cents per pound on all teas,
OF six cents per pound on coffee, Of thrse cents
per pound on brown sugar, and of ten cents
per gallon on molasses, will not ipjuriously
affect the demand 70. consumption In the coun
try.
Ills believed that a duty Of thirty cents per
pound On tea would not diminish consumption
more than Eve per cent. The prices of this ar
ticle have advanced quite one hundred per cent.
exclusive of duty-within the year, and the
statistics of tho trade show that for the tW elve
months past the consump ption 10 cnly one hundred
thousand pounds less than the average Of the
previous ak years. To levy the same duties on
all teas, OF whatever price or quality, will be Q
Saving to the Government, as dlferential rates
only necessltate the employment of an army OF
special inspectors and appraisers, who must be
paid out of the extra duties collected on green
tessi Of which article It 10 probable, at any IGse,
on account OF the war in China, which hes de-
vastated many Of the fnest green tea districts,
that 0 smaller quantity will be got this year
that foT tho last six years black tea has been,
to q c,r ain extent, taking the place of green
tea In this country. In the season of 1885,
we imp rted 81 1854 922 lbs. of green, and only
8 022 ,939 lbs OF black tea. 10 1852, we i'm.
ported l9,0Ol 757 lbs. oi green tee, and 1921.
034 lbs. oil black. z
IL is believed that duty Of three cents per
pound on brown sugar cannot injuriously affect
coDsumptionj and that 1t will add TO the rsve-
nue., on The amount estimated TO enter the ports
of New York, Boston and Philadelphia, within
the next year, sum OF Ave and half to six
million dollars. The duties on pepper and spleen
could well bs raised. The quantities Of these
articles consumed by each individual are 90
small that even considerable rise In price ha.
not been found In past years to Affect consump-
tions and though the sumA to be gained to the
revenue are not great, they help to swell the
grand total. OF pepper we import zoe, 600 bags
per annum, Of 10 pounds each. The duty ID
low SIX cents per pound; 1t might be raised to
thirty cents without affecting ooDsumptioDi q nd
10 that case pepper would produce revenue oi
81 75O, 600 per annum. OF pimsnto we import
1900, 900 pounds. The dutyis now six cents
Ii it we're made thirty, pimento would ado
$500, 600 to the revenue; and other spices viii
bear q similar and equal rate.
We believe Ii is generally felt that the timt
allowed 10 importers to keep their goods In bond
ed warehouses 10 much too short, and embarrass
60 all merchants except few great capitallss .
Twelve mont is period brief enough to enable
merchants of moderate means TO turn their stock
and, at any rate, the term now allowed (thre'
months) is by far too short, and only causes en-
bairassment and discour sgement 10 tade =
Take, for instance, the one article OF tea.
cargo Of tea averages 750. 900 pounds. The duty
on the cargo, at Say thirty cents, 10 q large SUN
The tea cannot be safely kept longer than from
ten to twelve months; and within that time the
government must receive Its duties. Butin thre,
mouths an importer GOULD not easily have dis
posed of his venture to advantage; the time Il
too short to calculate upon 10 planning com
mercial venture OF importance. Moreover, Out
b nded warehouses have become depot for g.
intended for re-exportation to South Amtrtcs
Canada, and other points; and thus our carrying
trade is beneAtted, and our merchants extent
their trade With higher duties this viii be
come the practice to Q still greater ex'ent thai
formerly. But it is useless to drive this busi
ness away from our ports. and thus force foreigl
merchants to oreak of their connections will
the country, to our own ultimate loss.-N. y
POst ha