Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-03

Mr.. ]. s. Moore, Of New York City, a
well known writer on economic questions,
has addressed an interesting open letter
to the National Tariff Convention. "
He declares that the piling-up Of an an
nual surplus of 500, GOO, 900 is misfor-
tune, as it withdraws capital needed TO
develop the country, and as 1t makes the
Secretary of the Treasury ''the most
arbitrary money power in the world.
Mr.. Moore agrees with the Protectionists
that ahe internal revenue taxes should be
reduced, and some of them entirely abol.
ished. "There is, he says, ''no necessi-
ty now of taxing matches or even incum-
bering the drug trade with the odious
stamp duties. The total abolition of
these taxes and the tax on stamps, on
checks, and others of similar kind will
not involve more than about 81, 600, 600
loss to the revenue. leaving only spirits, to.
bacco, and fermented liquor to be taxed.
The reduction of the tax on spirits from
80 cents to so cents per gallon will, Ifeel
certain, not only not reduce the amount
of revenue derived from that product,
but it viii actually increase it. Nor will
there be much loss of revenue if the tax
on tobacco is reduced from 16 cents
per pound to 10 cents. Thus the loss
to the revenue will certainly not exceed
$50, 000, 900, leaving some $80,000,'
600 surplus to be dealt With. Now,
don't you think it high time that some re.
lief should be given to the vast number
of consumers who now groan under the
most ubiquitous tariff oppression ever
known in history?"
This inquiry Mr.. Moore supplements
with list of articles that paid duty
over 100 per cent. during the last fiscal
year. Included in the list are the fol-
lowing named articles: Tanic duty,
1876 per cent, and revenue derived there
from 1908; chloroform-duty 119 pei
cent, and revenue $119; acetate of soda
duty 222 per cent. and revenue, $50;
chiccory. prepared-duiy 102 per cent.
and revenue 1882; whiting and paris
white-duty 24O per cent. and revenue
$4,000; plate glass-dutY III per cent.
and revenue $437, 412. In commenting
upon this exhibit, Mr.. Moore says:
"The chief revenue in the above high
taxed articles is derived from plate glass
above "a by CO. The average official re-
turn of duty in 1880 was 111.91 per cent.
But as the price varies and the cost of
this product lately imported does not ex
coed is. Sd. per square foot, the duty
thereon at so cents per square foot is
really over $50 per cent. Now, upon
what ground is this enormous, outrage
GUS duty defensible2 If on the sup
position that it is luxury, surely it can
not be called a greater luxury than the
finest and dearest kind of cut glass
articles that grace the tables of our most
opulent classes. And yet, the highest
duty on cut glass or gilt glass is only 40
per cent. But plate glass is not luxu-
~, used as it is for building purposes.
Chiefly for front store windows, it has
become almost a necessity to any thriv
ing tradesman. East, West. or South,
for the display of his wares. And this is
simply a tax upon mans trade. II
frequently happens that the tradesman
who does not own the premises, but has
it on a lease, provides himself with this
now almost indispensable attractiveness
to his trade. The revenue derived in
1880 at the average rate of so cents pei
square foot, or 111.91 per cent, was
$437, Alp. If the duty was reduced to
% cents per square foot we would GER
tainly, in my opinion, not lose much
revenue. But suppose the loss did
reach $500, 900: surely the several million
of tradespeople in this country-say no
thing of the house .owners-are entitled
to this relief, which would still leave the
plate glass manufacturers a protection
averaging 55 per cent.
"Whiting and paris white pay duty
of 24OI per cent. This greatest of
American luxuries, used in the building
and painting all kinds of houses, stables,
and barns, is taxed over 240 per cent.
As we actually imported and used ],
800, 900 pounds of this product, from
which we squeezed a revenue of $751;
095 n, and as our consumption of the
home article may perhaps be 30 times
more than we import, some happy men
who have whiting quarries sit very com
Portable in the home protection wool,
and have rather good thing of it. How
few of the tariff-makers reflected that
this product incurs actually heavy tax
in the freight, which in itself is already
protection"