New-York tribune., 1875-02-04
statistics Of the trade between the United States
and the Hawaiian Islands. The latter favors the
ratification Of the treaty
THE NEED OF TAXES.
TIE SINKING FUND MORE THAN $30,0OO,0O0 BEHIND
nAND-No AGREEMENT YET AS TO IMPOSING
ANY NEW TARIFF OR TAxEs-A PROPOSITION To
It'll, M oAra

HAND-No AGREEMENT YET AS TO IMPOSING
ANY NEW TARIFF OR TAxEs-A PROPOSITION TO
INCREASE THE DUTIES on SUGAR.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUYE.l
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3.-The needs of the Treasury
for more money are pressed upon the Ways and
Means Committee by the Secretary of the Treasury
with increasing force Careful inquiry leads to the
discovery that the S3000OOO0 of additional revenue
which Congress is now asked to raise is not needed
to pay the current expenses of the Government
but to keep up the sinking fund: The law
requires that the revenues shall be applied first
to the payment Of the interest on the public debt
and second to the purchase and cancellation OF one
per cent year of this debt. There seems to be q
difference Of opinion TO the meaning OF this law
bothin the Committee and among tner members of
Congress. Some of them hold that the debt that
must be paid under the section creating the sinking
fund.- is bonded interest bearing debt. This is the
opinion held by the Secretary of the Treasury and
If it is correct the deficit in that fund is
now between $31, 600 and $S20000O0; but If the
other Interpretation is the correct one, namely that
the debt referred to is noninterest bearing debt as
well as that represented by bonds then the debt has
been reduced since the passage of the act creating
the sinking find Sl50,000,000 more than that law
requires If the Secretary of the Treasury not
required 20 pay any money into the sinking fund
during the current year. the surplus revenue would
be about S9,000,0OO.
The Committee are now considering whether they
will take up the subject of the tariff for the purpose
of raising the money required. When this is de-
cided ON the part of the Committee and the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury the Committee will then de-
termine what they will do. There are very grave
doubts that any tax tariff bill will be considered
at all. A years stock of whisky is already
on hand, and about the same quantity of tea and
coffee and the difficulty of taxing articles now on
the freelist is too well known by the Committee to
meet with any encouragement. especially since there
are only four weeks left ofthe session Some of the
members say they will not vote to add dollar to
the taxes OF to increase the tariffs.
There already many persons in Washington at
work in anticipation of change in tariffs. Some
of these favor additional rates articles in certain
interests, and some of them are in favor of lower
rates or prefer to leave them they are Mr..
Tiffany of New-York desired to be heard by the
Committee to-day in favor of reducing the tariff on
diamonds from ten per cent to five He says he
thinks that rate will bring moro revenue, because
there will be less object for smuggling and
this will protect honest importers and
dealers against those who pay no duty on
gems. Other persons are here to urge an increase
on articles used in the manufacture of lnseed oil;
others to protect Bologna sausages from further
duty. &c. 1t is thought that the Committee may
be able to decide tomorrow whether they will con-
slider the subject of increasing the tariff and taxes
This evening the members Of the Committee met
at the residence of Secretary Bristow who is unable
to 90 to the Treasury or the Capitol. The general
subject was discussed, but conclusion was
reached The Secretary, as heretofore, nelde
concentrations and it is evident he does not intend
to take any of the responsibility. If the Committee
decide to take up the tariff question, Mr.. Sheldon
will probably submit his proposition in regard to
sugar Under present laws there arc six classlfca-
tons of sugar on which duties paid of from l3 to
q cents per pound. The total number of pounds
imported during the year was 15l1 4j3,935, and the
duties amounted to $3O,493,439 Most Of the sugar
was of the grades not above 13 of the Dutch standard
in color, the number of pounds being 12l7,0OO,O0O.
The great mass OF the sugar imported is refined here,
and Mr. Sheldon is in favor of putting all grades not
above 12 Dutch Standard at 2i cents per pound all
from 12 to 10 at cents IL to 20 at 81 CENTS and
above 90 at 4 cents This he says is an increase on
an average of less than cent per pound and will
increase the revenue S7.00O,00O yearly.
OPENING THE MOUTHS OF THE MISSISSIPPI
w. MINOR ROBERTS IN FAVOR OF THE ADOPTION
OF THE SOUTHWEST PASs-INDORsEMENr OF
CAPT EADs's PLAN BY STATE ORANGES.
lFRoM OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE TRIDUNE.I
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-W. Milnor Roberts, the
known civil engineer, has addressed letter to
Cant Eads on the subject of the late report of the
combined Board of Army and Civil Ell gneers in
favor of the jetty system for opening the mouths
of the Mississippi, explaining that, while he con-
CURED in the report recommending the South Pass,
on the ground that the opening of it first would be
economical his judgment clearly Is that the South
West Pass is the better one to adopt. lie adds:
NV Judgment was and is. that after the etes should
be established and deep water stoufeu az the oOdn
West Pass a very much smaller sum than t390C0O per
snnum would maintain the navigation In all future
require less attention and management TO MAINTAIN the
at the South Pass than It would at the south west
for any work the upper end Of the Southwest Pass
while there is at the South Pass Another Is that i1s
greater width renders II less liable to serious oDsruc
ton from mud lump, or wreck DC. IN the channel
The position and direction OF the mouth OF the S9aIn
West Pass with reference 10 lthe prevailing winds from
the northeast and east around TO the souneast anu
south preferable to the position ana drecu9n OF te
mel to Gulf From the foregoing is obvious that II
SSDteo for maintaining the full depth for period OF
years at reasonable annual cost would not hesitate 10
imnrovInc the Southwest Pass preference to the
South Pass.
The Hon. William Window, Chairman of the
Select Senate Committee on transportation, has re-
ceived q communication signed by the Masters OF
the State Oranges for the States of Missouri, Iowa.
Wisconsin, Minnesota Nebraska, Kansas. Ohio
Pennsylvania Illinois, Michigan and Kentucky, and
the Chairman and Secretary of the Executive Com
mittee of the National Grange, warmly urging some
measures at this session for the improvement OF the
mouths of the Mississippi. They say
It's the universal desire OF people OF the Mssls
sinni Valley tnat this work be executed rapidly as
n6ssbe The report OF the Special Board OF Engineers
In favor OF an Open river mouth preference a canal
n In harmony with the views and wishes OF the people
IN LANES b. Eads and his associates will undertake the
work AZ their own cost and risk until the proper channel
shall be secured proposed at the last session or Con