The daily gazette., 1876-02-03
From the Baltimore Sun.
The Neap Tariff and the Coffee
TRADE.


The features of the new tariff bill
introduced in Congress on Monday BY
Representative Morrison were dis
cussed in Baltimore business circles
Tuesday. The proposition to tax coffee
three cents per pound and tea fifteen
cents per pound, it is thought will not
be adopted, because in this President
making year it is believed Congress
will not pass measures that might be
unpopular with any considerable por-
tiou of the people. Baltimore coffee
importers and dealers generally are
not averse to the imposition of tax
on that article, the argument being
with some that the duty virtually will
be paid in Brazil by an equivalent re-
duction in the price of coffee there
When the former duty of three cents
was taken off it is stated coffee adj
vanced at Rio, and consumers in the
United States received no appreciable
benefit. The receipts from duties at
the baltimore custom house would be
largely increased in the event that the
duty is again laid. Last month the
importations of coffee here reached in
round figures ten million pounds, from
which the government would have re.
ceived $500, 900 at three cents per
pound. The new tariff bill proposes
no change in the duties on sugar. The
first duty imposed on coffee in the
United States by the tariff act of 1850
levied duty of two and half cents q
pound. This was increased in 1891 to
four cents pound, and in 1895 to five
cents pound, where it remained until
the war tariff of 1919 and 1916, which
rendered war duties necessary, ,and the
tax on coffee was fixed.at ten cents per
pound, In 1S1S-19 a reduction was
effected on coffee to five cents pound
and by 1880 to two cents and one cent
according to grade. The days of low
tariff and no tariff coming about, coffee
was made free from 1880 to 1861. In
the latter year duty of four and five
cents pound was imposed, and the
tax continued at five cents per pound
| during the civil war and the years fol-
E, lowing until the act OF July IA, 1870,
which reduced the duty on coffee FROM
flve cents TO three cents per pound, ,un-
til it was wholly abolished in 1879, as
previously stated. During eighty.six
years, since 1889, tea and coffee have
been on the free list for thirty-two
years, while they have been taxed
fifty-four years. Nearly two-thirds of
the time these commodities have
brought heavy revenue into the trea-
sury. In the days Of low tariff, ,..begin-
ming with 1889, and during the years
when the government was wholly out
of debt and an immense surplus revc-
nue. was in the treasury, the duties on
, tea and coffee were all abolished, with
the exception that teas imported in
foreign vessels We're taxed ten cents
per pound from 1882 to 1841. There
have been discussions in journals re.
presenting trade interests as to wheth-
er the taking off of the duty from
coffee had resulted to the benefit of the
consumer, and facts show that it did
net Immediately do 50, But whether
the putting it on again would not re-
suit to the disadvantage of consumers
is another question. AS a revenue
measure, however, supposing the duty
to be necessary as such, coffee is OF
course is as fair subject for light
tariff rate as any other article of i'm
port which would insure that result
without imposing an inconvenient bur
den upon the people.