New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-26
PROPOSED Tariff CHANG ES.

| PROPOSED Tariff CHANGES.
The subcommittee that is charged with the
preparation of q new tariff bill is reported as
not desiring to be Interrupted i'll its labors by
Populations from the various Industries con-
ccncd. The time to be taken in max
ing tho report is said to be too short
for such indulgence. The new tariff Is
to be evolved from tho inner conscious
ness of the subcommittee, as was the
famous description of the camel by the Ger
man professor. The method has its advantages
in point of facility. IL is also strlbingly I'M
like the mode Of older and cifete civilizations. In
France, for instance. before any change In the
tariff is attempted, full reports are requested
from every centre of commerce and industry
as to what alterations are desirable. year Is
spent in obtaining full statistics and informa-
ton Then tariff is announced, after due
consideration Of all the interests to be affected ;
but further time is given before it goes into
operation. The commercial treaties, which form
| the greater part of the French tariff, are gem
orally made for period of ten years. Here,
we have had tariff changes in 1861, 'G2,
'64. '67, 20, ~ Rcvised Statutcs), 70. and
we expect change IN the present year,
|
new alterations will be, except that the rates
of duty are to be reduced. Even to Yankees,
who are proverbaly good at guessing, there
must be a strain on that capacity while Con-
grcss is tinkcrng the tariff to the ordi-
| nary manufacturer or merchant, whose
business is dependent upon the result
of such tnkering, the situation seems some
what tryin.. Perhaps the uncertainty about
the tariff Is not more confusing than that
about the Silver Bill, but it is certainly an I'M
welcome addition to the present anxietes of
| business men.
We used to hear great deal about " rev.
"cnue tariff" that ought to take the place
| of the present one. A revenue tariff may be
supposed to be one that will produce
more revenue. Evidently then, it is
not n revenue tariff that the sub
committee is preparing, since 1t Is re-
ported that the new project involves the
loss Of $40, 600. 000--morc or less-of revenue.
Various means of meeting this deficiency have
been said TO be under consideration by the
subcommittee The largest amount is to be
obtained, it is supposed, by stopping the con-
tributions to the sinking fund which is
| now paving of the public debt. Possibly
| this is Brilliant fnancicring. Mr.. Micawbcr
used TO thank God that that debt was paid
when he renewed his note. But even his
financial sagacity failed to discover that he
could gain so muc! by the non payment of his
debts rs to be able to dispense with OBJ
tanning a large portion of his income.
This. however, is an era of discovery, and
there il no telling what novelties may be
found ut any moment. Minor suggestions
1, I.toi CotI tn hnv va
Aoafed over the minds of the subcommittee,
such rs an income tax, and duties upon such
articles of prime necessity as tea and coffee.
| Tie straits to which the unhappy COM
mi,lee is reduced by the proposed de-
6cirncy are clearly illustrated by these
wild graspngs for relief How the
moor pcople are to be benefited by taking u
tariff of of manufactures which they may not
want, and putting it on tea and coffee which
they think they must have, even if they
cannot buy imported silks and fine woOlens,
seems puzzling to the ordinary mind. But
porhaps the subcommittee hope Is to pro-
tcct the cultivation of tea and coffee in this
country, under the wise guidance of the Com
missioner Of Agriculture.
Bat the tariff is to be simplied by the sub
| committee That so far as we can recoliect, was
10 be done every time the tariff was amended.
Yet there are two or three thousand suits I'M
settled, which have principally arisen out of the
| s,gacious amendments OF previous Congresses,
and millions of dollars hang In the scale
between Government and the importers, de-
pendent upon the Interpretation to be given to
the phrases of it-makers. The same goods
have been charged with different rates, being
| d,scribpd by different names. Merchants have
discovered that they have only to call a
thing by some special designation, and
straightway it can be entered at lower
rate of duty. Dress trimming, for instance,
has always been imported; but by calling
it "yak Lace" its entry was claimed
at the lower rate of unenumerated
goods. General Tremain, in an interest
ING pamphlet on tariff litigation. says that
nearly 100000 awaits the determination
whether " tube" is flue, or hue" is q
tube. Spectacles are made of glass and steel ;
shall they pay duties as manufactures of one
or the other substancei There is one rate on
iewclry and another on jet limitations; under
which shall vulcanite jewelry DO classed
Questions like these are started after
no end of pains has been taken to
improve tariffs SO as to avoid such
difficulties Yet the new tariff, made in
a few weeks, without consultation with men
| IN 10 Ia AL