The Portland daily press., 1875-12-08

hEN ENOE rnOhA SOoIOhSs
After noting the receipts from customs dur
ing the past fiscal year and the falling off in
duties on account of the decrease of impOrta-
tions, the Secretary states that this decrease
was occasioned principally by the falling off
in two classes ofimportations, viz:
Iron and steel and manufactures thereof. 49, O66
Wool and manufactures thereof. 3,944,4OS
After stating that it is impossible to deter
mine the effect of the increase OF duties by the
last Congress upon the revenue, he proceeds to
speak of two evils which operate to.prevent
the government from realizing the full measure
of revenue, viz: smuggling and undervalua-
ton. The Secretary thinks that it would be
we'll to consolidate customs districts and thus
relieve large number of officers now en-
ployed in keeping up Independent offices and
adding them to the preventive or detective
force. This course would also reduce the ex.
pense. In this connection the Secretary rec
ommends fixed salaries for all officers and that
all fees be paid into the treasury.
He recommends the substitution of specific
for ad valorem duties to prevent the evil of
under valuation, and simplify and lessen the
work of collecting duties and cut down the ex-
penses The Secretary concludes this topic by
saying that smuggling and other revenue frauds
can only be prevented by the selection and re-
tention of faithful and competent officers
During the fiscal year 1875, the cost of col
Letting the revenue from customs was reduced
more than half million dollars per annum,
by dropping from the rolls in the customs dis
tricts considerable number of officers and en-
ployes, and reducing the salaries of others,
which are not fixed by law, but which are un.
der the control of the Secretary.
There has been large falling off in the ag-
gregate amount of fines, penalties and forfeit
ures connected with the customs, which consti-
tute part of the appropriation for the ex-
penses of collecting the revenue from customs.
The amount received from that source for the
first quarter of the current fiscal year is only
onI IN tod fb,ff
tire year the amount will fall about 100000
below the sum received from the same source
for the fiscal year 1878.
4 In view of this decline, further reduction of
expenses has recently been made at tie rate of
a little more than million dollars per annum,
which secures a decrease of nearly six hundred
thousand dollars for the remainder of this fis-
cal year. Whether the reducuon can be MAIN
tanned without danger to the revenue remains
to be determined. The power of the Secretary,
however, does not extend beyond the appropri-
ations made by Congress, and it is his purpose
as well, as his duty, to keep the expenses with
in the amount authorized by law.
INTERNAL REVENUE,
After giving the receipts of the internal rev.
enue bureau, the Secretary gives history of
the whiskey frauds aud expresses determin-
alton to punish to the extreme limit of the
law, all parties engaged In defrauding the rev.
enue.
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.
The comparative value of the exports and inn
ports Of the United States for the last fiscal
year. in coin, appears from official returns to
the Bureau OF Statistics, to be as follows.
Exports of domestic goods. ..... $3.50 1884, 100 90
Exports of foreign goods .......... 14,15s,611 90
Total exports. ....... ........... 513,442,711 90
Imports Of goods SUPERINTENDENT. 3,005,436 90
Excess of imports over exports. 10,562,725 90
------------
For the fiscal year ended June 3d. 1874, the excess
of exports over imports was $lS,s sos.
Exports Of specie and bullion. ... 500, ,142 90
Imports OF specie and bullion 20,9U0717 90
Excess of exports over imports. ... 1881 425 90
Total excess of exports of goods,
specie, and bullion, over imports
OF same. ..,..,...,,..,..,,....,. $0l66S.7OO W
While the returns of the values of exports by
sea are substantially accurate, it has been prac.