New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-10
TAXA TON TO BE REDUCED.

The Republican Senators reached de-
cision. in their caucus on Friday, that was in
some respects unexpected. The Internal
Revenue bill, as 1t came from the House, was
wholly approved and agreed to, excepting that
an unmportant modification as to the draw
back on exports was determined upon, but 1t
was decided to support amendments making
very important changes in the tariff. 1t had
been generally supposed that, after creating
Commission to investigate that subject and
recommend a revision, the Republicans would
not attempt any change beyond the rectiiica
ton of one or two manifest errors, until the
report of that Commission had been received.
Certainly there are many strong reasons in
favor of that course. But it has also been
urged very earnestly that some reduction in
revenue from imports ought to be made, as well
as in internal revenue. Republicans who
think tn cir constituents particularly hostile TO
the National banks have been told that 1t would
be disastrous to them to remove all burdens
from banks and no burdens from consumers OF
articles affected in cost by the tariff. 1t has been
urged also, with considerable effect, that the
public revenue ought to be reduced more than
it would be by the House bill that reduction
of only 500, 100000, the surplus from the last
fiscal wear having been 1871, 000,0CC, would
not be deemed satisfactory. These and other
arguments have prevailed with Republican
Senators, who have determined to support
amendments cutting off the additional duty of
% per cent on sugar, reducing the duty on
Bessemer rails from $28 to 500 per ton, cor
recting the error as to knit goods, and making
the duty on articles made of hOop-irOn the same
AS the duty now levied on such iron.
The course proposed will reduce the revenue.
it is said, about S 10, 100000 Imports OF sugar
have been about the same during the past year
as in the fiscal year 1881, when 1863, 1889
pounds of dutiable sugar paid $45,933,0f5
revenue, of which about $9,2OO,0 600 was due
to the 20 per cent clause which it is proposed to
repeal. The imports of Bessemer rails during
the past year are not yet exactly known, but
the quantity was probably less than SOC, 900
tons-about 100000 having been imported in
nine months-sO that the decrease of revenue
on that item would be less than So, 100000.
The change in the duty on knit goods Is to cor
rect an error recently discovered, and the change
in articles made of hoOp-iiOn, it is maintained,
will not largely affect the revenue. On this
basis the reduction in customs receipts would
be not more than Sill 600, 000 but considerably
less if the reduction of duty should cause
larger importations, as it probably would.
1t is question whether it is worth while to
make any change in the tariff, prior to the re-
port of the Commission recently appointed.
If there was reason for inv estigatng the subject
there is reason now for waiting six months,
until the recommendations of the Commission
can be heard and considered. The price of
sugar to consumers would hardly be very much
affected by the reduction of. half a cent per
pound in the raw foreign sugar from which the
refined product is made. Bessemer rails are
now selling at about $40, which have sold
this year at 500 per ton, and the course of the
market does not indicate that there is much
probability of an advance this year. The Steel
Rail Association did great deal TO bring about
a reduction of the duty, it is true, by prevent
ing an increase of production until the price
rose to $50 per ton at the works, ealy in 1850.
But the whole iron industry in all its branch
es might be seriously embarrassed at this
time, by O change in the duty on one OF the