Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-12-03

20 meet the changing copdi ton OF the csusuy
The principles upon witch they are bases
peImaDeney OF character. Perhaps as mucl
mischief has resulted from me freQuen
changes in the tariff laws of the United STATE,
as from their cefec's. From the time when N,
hfst tariff was framed In I-Se mp to the Lac
session Ct Congress the tsrin has been q fruit
full sutiect OF discuss ZOE, and 81 no period ba,
the policy OF the Government In rpgsrd 70 Gus
toms dnties been regarded az denufteIy set.
tied. There has been q con start struggle b..
tween the advocates and opponents OF pro.
lection snd free trade, the ascendency eenrr.
silly being with the protectioRists. The tar Is
of 1915. OF 1874. isss, 1854 and 1861, were all OF
and 1916 reduced the duties largely, and looked
IL the direction OF free trade.
10 evenly, however, have parties been di-
yioeo, that although protective laws have grr
ersiIy been m force. At no period fror, lisa 70
the present day have importers md mspufac-
turers bad any reasonable assurances thtt ex-
lsung tarih laws might not be suddenly and
materially altered. That the effect OF thee
chaDges-actaal and apprehenoed-hasb been
highly injurious 10 the country. car not be
questioned; that IL has not been disastrous in-
diestes the readiness OF the poop e Of the Uni
ted Stotes to adapt their business to the policy
of the Government, whstever az msy be The
frequent changes OF the tariff laws are attribu-
table TO the fact that In none OF them has reve.
nue. been the principal object. There has never
been in the United States n strictly revenue
tariff, and consequently there has been no sta
bilitv in the tariff laws. Up 10 is6I, the reve-
nues from customs, under any scale OF duties
adol TED. were sufficient to defray the expenses
OF the Government, and therefore the q ues-
ton, row 60 interesting, was hardly q promi-
nens one: In the present financial condition
OF The country large revenues are indispensa-
BILE; and in adjusting the present tariff the
question OF revenue must necessarily be the
question OF paramount i'm portance.
When the Government was substantially
free from debt, and the public expenditures
were small, as was the case before the rebel
lion, revenue tariff, properly adj usted to the
public necessities. would have been low
erai expenditures create a necessity for large
revenues, considerable portion OF which
m ust for some years 20 come, b derived from
customs, IL is difhcult to perceive how, with
out excessive importations, a strictly revenue
tariff can fell to be q high one. Ii may tnus
turn out that the necessities of the Govern
ufaciurers the protection they are supposed to
require without special Observation-Disclosures
odious and generally unreliable-in their be-
half lnasmuch as large and permanentrev-
enues cannot be realized unless laW are SO
framed rs not TO bear heavily upon Industrial
pursuits, tariff which, harmoninne with IN
ternal taxes, should year by year yield the
largest revenues would undoubtedly prove 20
he the least prejudicial TO national growth and
prosperity. A high tariff. by reducing i'm
portatlons, or by opposing important branches
OF trade and industry which are subject TO in
ternaf duties, might prove TO be rs unfavora-
bic 10 revenue as a low one, and equally un-
suited 10 the public necessities. The present
tarif, although high one, has not proved TO
be protective. while. for the past two years, II
BIAS been highly productive of revenue; bu,
fs failure TO protect those interests for whose
benefit II was in great measure framed, aud
The large revenues which have been derived
from IL, do rot prove IL 20 be IN any Just sense
revenue tarjf
II has tailed TO give TO American mauufac-
tuTeTs the prett ctiCn IL vas intended 70 afford,
ard n has yielded much larger revenues tnau
nSa he m rh r.rar
yaihDg "a the United ates have stimulated
IN poTtatlons. II dees not follow because AZ
IS produeing large revenues now, that IL will
0oIunne 10 DO so when business ana the cur
renCy shall BE- restored TO = heal by condition.
The Time VIII sooa Come when the United
states " i9-eeass- 10 BE- The mot favorable
country 70 sell In, ana when II must pay for
" hat II purchases, MOI in it, bonds, but in Us
own productions. In order that the present
iaTit Should De a revenue tariff, important
notifications will be necessary, W hich cannot
be IDteIIigently made until business crasss 10
he subject 20 Infringement by an IrredeemabIe
currency. The Secretary docs not. therefore,
recommend a complete revision of the tariff at
the present session: but there are some fea-
lures of 1T, and some matters connected with It.
which require early attention.
TIE experience OF the Department d iscloses
many disadvantages attendant upon the co.,
lection OF duties on imports when the rates
are high and estimated on an al rdjOrem basis
or The collection Of such duties, machinery
more or less complicated is necessary for the
and for the examination and appraisement of
merchandise on It's arrival in this country
In every instance Comparison is required
between the In voice estimate and the general
value IN the principal markets of the country
whence COMMODITY n exported. The diff
ficulty OF asceTtaining the foreign market
value, especially IN cases where a con- modify
Is manufactured expressly for exportation.
affords tempting opportunities for successful
and the high rates of duty
oner Inducements fer evasion more than com.
mensurate with the risk Of detection
Since the passage OF the tariff act Of March
le6l, the rates OF DUTY which from 1876 10 thai
period were exclusively al roloren have on
many articles been specific. The system OF
specihc duties appears TO have given mucn
satisfaction 10 honorable dealers and TO officers
OF the customs for the ease with which the
character and quantity OF merchandise i'm
ported can be determined; for he uniformity
with which duties may b. assessed AT different
ports; and particularly IL precludes the
possibility OF Translucent underyaluatons
W witnou. reeomm. ndihg an exclusive adoption
or spscihc duties, the Secretary would sup
gest for the con sidsration OF Conxres whether
me system might not with propriety be extend
I'd 10 all commodities on which the duty bears
a large proportion 10 the value. or OF which
the foreign market price l. SUBJECT 10 great
II uctuations. or is from other causes with diff-
{ ulfy ascertained. The Special Commissioner
OF tie Revenue Will IN his report present me
result OF MS nNesugatlons as 70 the extent 70
which the dd r1t0res, rates Of the present tar.
III can b. advantageously converted into COR
responding spcCinc CutieS.
Our con nercial relations with Spain and
her colonies under the acts of July 49, I-32.
and June 30. le3l. particularly so far as they
relate 10 trade with Cuba aud Porto Rico. have
beer many years The source of much perplex-
ny an0 nave given rise TO frequent discus
,ions. The acts above cited were desigRed IS
refaliatory meas 10 induce by a sort of CO.
-rcion a relaxation OF the extreme protective
y stem adopted by Spain in relation 10 her CO.
onial trade. Not only have they entirety
ailed 10 produce The desired effect, bat their
operation has proved on the contrary posi-
lively injurious 10 our interest in every re-
'pect. Their effect, in connection win Span
sh eNactons. hiss been TO drive the greater
part OF Cubsn and Porto Rican trade from our
markets 10 others where the same policy does
Iot prevail.
ne countervailinRey system thus brings no ben.
M TO our shipping interests and largely cur.
ais our commerce, which. considering the
proximity OF these islands, sbould include the
greater part of their foreign trafic Ii
hsrefore, worthy of grave consideration
y neither sound. enlightened policy does MOI
iiofaie the repeal at least OF the act OF is3t.
The shipping interest OF The United States,
o great degree prosirated by the war has
'ot revived during the past year. Our ship
Iards are, with rare exceptions, inactive Our
urplus products are being chiefly transpo
o foreign countries In foreign vessels.
No change for the better has taken place
ince the last report was made On the con-
rary, the IN dications are that the great ship-
,uiiding interest OF the Eastern and Middle
states has been steadily declining. and thai
enseguently the United States Is gradually
easing 10 he great maritime power re-
M Ant d.