The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-05-05
DILMAR's REPORT.
To Me Secretary Of The Treasury:

era of what were deemed at the time high
or protective tariffs. From lS46 to 1861,
was an era of what were deemed at the
time low or revenue tariffs. In the first
era, the object was protection-the incl
dent. revenue. In the second cru, the
object was revenue-the incident, prctec-
tion The relative prosperity of the cOun-
try during these two eras, or during certain
portions of them, has commonly been used
as evidence of the practical benefit tiow-
ing from one or the other of the rival
systems of taxation alluded TO. But when,
with the amount of our foreign trade is
contrasted the vastly greater amount Of
our internal traffic when, in word. it is
known that ou. annual export trade has,
at least since 1910, never amounted in
value to one-fourth of our annual products
of raw materials alone, and averaged
scarcely one-ffth X while, as compared
with the gross annual product Of our in
dustries it has scarcely exceeded five per
per cent? the conclusiveness Of this ar
gument, so far as experience goes, may
well be questioned.
1t is sufficient for the purposes of this
report, first, to merely briefly mention
what doctrines upon this subject, have al
ternately prevailed in this country, and
what views are at present held.
From 1861 to the present time has con-
stituted an uninterrupted era Of high or
protective tariffs; and so many articles
are made dutiable, so many changes have
been made in the rates Of duty since 1861,
so extremely high are these rates, and so
complex are many of them, as to demand
the attention of the statistician to the
working of such system, its effect upon
the consumption of imported commodities,
its effect in benefttlng the interests Of
domestic manufacturers, its effect upon the
revenue, and, finally, such other marked
effects as may appear to have flowed from
it. The number of articles subject to duty
at the present time, according to Ogden's
Tariff is over 5000. A large proportion
of these, however, consists of classes Of
articles For example: Articles WORE" !"
&C.; Manufactures, n. o. P.;" Raw
Materials, n. o. p each of which classes
themselves, embrace a large number Of sep
arate articles so that the whole number
of separate articles upon which import
duties are imposed at the present time,
is probably upwards of 10000.
The number of changes made ID the
tariff since 1861 are as follows
Act of March . 1851 changed the whoSs schedule.
Act Of August s. 1861, changed large portion Of
! the schedule.
Act of December a, 1861, changed duties On tea,
coffee sugar, &c.
Act Of July H. 1862, changed the whole ssheduIs-
Act Of March 3, 1863, changed duties silk, print
ing paper, lac polishing POWDER washing dyes, coal
Act of June 80, 1864, changed the whoSs schedule
Act of March g. 1865, changed duties On tottons,
liquors. silks, railroad and tubing iron, soal oil to
bacco, quicsilver &c.
| Act Of March H. 1866, modified the warehsuss Law
Act of May l6, 1866, changed duties on Live ami
mails, &c.
ton and liquors. and changed the basis of all foreign
Act of March 2, 1867. changed duties or EOOL all
dry goods carpets and clothing into which g0sl en-
| tiers, on hemps, oil cloths, oil silks, &c.
Act Of July 90 1865 changed duties on kagars, &c
| Besides several minor acts and parts Of
acts, and great variety Of constructions,
judicial, departmental and others. Of these
numerous legislative changes, however, the
principal ones are those of 1861 and 1864.
In illustration of the cOmplezity Of
many of these duties, it may be stated
that the duties on Bamoral skirts are
levied per pound the same on wool bats,
and most other woolen fabrics thai the
duties on steel vary according TO valuation,
being so much per cent. ad valorem, and
/ in addition. so much per pound SPECIFIC I;
that the duties on iron wire are graduated
according to a variety Of qualities and
gauges that the duties on cotton goods
are graduated according to the number Of
threads to the square inch, the vai1e, the
texture, and the colorcl assifed iE various
combinations that the duties on AuSeo-
vado sugars are levied according to a eiayed
standard, and that in some cases 'dEfeTeD-
tial." discriminating, and addihoDal :"
duties are imposed, to render complexity
still more perplexing.
From this complexity has resulted so
much practical difficulty in the business Of
importing foreign merchandise, and so
much dispute about the proper rates to be
levied upon importations, as to have ere
ated the necessity for additional officers Of
the revenue, some of whom are obliged to
be stationed abroad, for additional safe
guards against differentiation and Snug
Cling and have given employment to a
large class of persons not connected with
the Government, whose whole business Is
to act as brokers or entrepreneurs between
the importers and the Custom-house off,
cials. Nor have these results stopped
here but still another class Of persons
has been called into existence, whose bHsl-
ness it is to interfere between the recon-
mendations of the Executive Department
and the Legislature, and to seek and inAu-
ence the frequent enactment and amend
ment of revenue laws, with the object Oi
profiting thereby, either through the con-
troll of trade monopolies or from tie pos
session of early information of anticipated
changes in the law. Such has already
been the success of these persons tha,
they now form wealthy and powerful CON.
binations, inpatient Of all restraint and
intolerant of all interference with tbeii
plans. All who stand in their way are at.
tacked with fury, and either through friend
ship or fear. even the officers Of tbe
Executive departments are brought within
the range of their influence, and con
strained to follow course of action con
formable to the wishes of these combina
tions and in their interest, and contrary tC
the public welfare and to the interests o.
the people. The odious combinations that
profit by the internal revenue laws, are
more than matched by the still mOrt
odious combinations that profit by the
tariff laws, until at last it has become
almost as much as the official positions O
many public servants are worth, to SCI
themselves in opposition to them in ths
performance of their duties to the Gov