The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-10

The New Tariff Bill.
The debate on this important measure
opened yesterday with the delivery Of Mr..
Woods speech, and is likely to continue
for the ensuing two weeks. The opposition
to the bill, except in details which may be
amended, will come chiefly from the advo-
Gates of protection, although the protected
interests have but little reason for dissatis-
faction with this bill. It is computed by
experts that the proposed tariffwill yield ten
millions more ofrevenue than was collected
last year under the present tariff. The
process of calculation is SO simple that any
body can understand it. The quantities Of
every description Of goods on which thenew
duties are to be laid are accurately re-
corded year by year by the customs officers
The committee, as the basis of their labors,
ascertained the average amount of importa-
tions of each article for eight years-taking
the last four years of business depression
and the preceding four years of flush activ-
ity. No fairer mode of estimating the
average Of future importations could have
been adopted, and on this basis the new
tariff will yield revenue ten million
dollars in excess of that collected from GUS
toms during the last fiscal year. The esti-
mated revenue from customs under the new
tariff is one hundred and forty-one million
dollars per annum, and this large sum will
necessarily operate as protection to Amer
lean productions Of the same kinds as those
on which the duties are laid
Aside from its bearing on the vexed ques-
ton Of protection the new tariff has con-
spicuous merits, respecting which there can
be no candid difference Of opinion. It will
simplify the business Of the custom houses
and diminish the expense of collecting the
revenue. The mere simplifcation Of the
system would alone be great benefit. In
fifteen years, dating from 1861, not less than
one hundred and eight different laws were
passed relating to = the tariff and
the collection Of duties. This be-
wildering mass of legislation has SO
confused the subject and has raised 80
many doubtful questions and has called for
such multitude Of revenue decisions that
only experts of long experience can under
stand the existing laws To sweep away
this mass of confusion and substitute one
clear, ineligible law which every mer-
chant can interpret for himself without the
aid Of lawyer or an expert would be
work we'll worth doing even if the main pro-
visions of the present tariff were left IN
changed.
There are other changes proposed in this
bill which commend themselves to common
sense It will abolish the perplexing
double duties or compound duties which
run through our present cumbrous tariff 1t
is inconvenient and annoying to have
both specific duty and IN ad valorem
duty on the same article-so many
cents on q yard, pound or gallon, and then
again so much per cent on the invoice value.
with this confusion further complicated by
addition to the invoice of charges incurred
between the place Of purchase and port of
shipment. Mr.. Woods bill avoids oil this
distracting completely. There is no blending
of specific and ad valorem duties. On every
article the duty is either SO much yard,
gallon, &C.. or else so much per cent on the
value. As soon as the importer receives his
invoice he will know precisely the amount
of duties he is to pay and q swarm Of clerks
may be dismissed from the custom houses.
Instead of bothering with small charges
while the goods are on their way q uniform
addition of five per cent is to be made to
all invoices. in order to avoid petty and
troublesome questions.
There is simplifcation in another i'm
portant respect. The number Of articles on
which duties are to be collected is dimin-
ished by more than one-balf On most Of
the articles thus dismissed the revenue is
not equal to the cost Of collection. The ex-
penses of the machinery for collecting the
revenue will be lessened by discarding from
the list Of dutjable articles the vast multi
tude which do not yield enough to compen-
safe for the trouble. Another change Of
similar kind is the authority conferred on
the Secretary Of the Treasury to abolish
some ports of entry and consolidate
others when, in his judgment, such steps
are expedient. There are many custom
houses where the amount of duties col
lected is but small part of the expense Of