The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-09
THE NEW TARIFF LAW.
An Analysis of the Provisions of the Gus
toms Act


New York Tribune.
The bill that has been passed embraces 631
distinct articles or classihcations, not inclu-
ding the free list. Of these 524 have been
taken, word for word, from the bill reported
by the commission. And much more than
half of the remainder are mere additions of
tritilng articles by name which the commiss-
ion, for brevitys sake had judged it sutli-
cent to include under general classes, or
which had been inadvertently overlooked.
In order to gender veXatious uncertainty
still less probable Congress has chosen to in
sert the names specifically with the appro-
pirate duty. In another and smaller class
of cases, however, Congress preferred to re-
tain the present classifcations, holding that
legal decisions had now sufficiently removed
the danger of ambiguity In q third and
still smaller class of cases, the object OF the
majority was to secure a greater or less reduc-
ton of duty than had been recommended
and these, probably less than twenty-five in
number, were mainly in the cotton
wooden goods, or iron and steel schedules
over which there has been so much struggle.
Next as to rates: In about two-thirds of
the 631 specifications, namely 400 in all. the
act passed retains precisely the rate proposed
by the commission. In over so cases more,
substantially the same rate is retained for
articles now named which the commission
had included under general clauses. Thus
there remain in all about 10 departures
from the rates proposed by the commission,
and many OF these are small. Lower duties
are fixed in 9S cases, higher duties in 46 cases.
and in about &c cases it does not appear
whether the changes are upward or down
ward. Thus it will be seen that the act de-
parts in surprisingly small proportion of
specifications from the rates proposed by the
commission, either to secure less reduction
than is proposed, or even to secure greater
reduction, but that the large majority of de-
partures were toward lower rates Most of
these were made by the free-trade Democrats
of the Senate with the. aid of few Republi-
cans.
Higher rates than the commission PRO
posed have been fixed in ten cases under chem
ica!s, under earthen and glassware, under
iron and steel and among other metals. 5
under liquor land these, mainly champagnes
are also advanced from the present law) 5
under cottons, and under sundries. Lower
rates than the commission proposed have
been fixed in 81 cases under chemicals, 81
under iron and steel and finder other met
ais, Z under sugar. under provisions 8
under wool and woolens and under sun
dries
The theoretic reduction of revenue is one
thing and that can be calculated. The ac-
tual decrease i'll revenue received is a very
different matter for first the same taxes
would naturally yield an increased revenue
with every year of prosperity; and, second,
the effect of almost every injudicious reduc-
ton of duties is to increase importations at
the outset, and thus to increase revenue
Hence men differ widely in judging of the
reduction that will result from the act Just
passed. Senator Morrill, stated that he ex-
pected reduction OF SIS, 900, 600; Mr.. Kelley
placed it at sos, 600 600 to $40 900, GOO, and Mr.
Carlisle at 500, 100000. But the Democratic
leader considered that the reduction in inter
nal revenue would be from $40, 900, 900 TO
$45, 900, 900; while Mr. Kelley, who is at least
as well able to compute that part of the prob
lem-by all odds the least doubtful-puts it
al $35. O000 to $4,000, 900. Assuming that
about $37 500 600 will prove approximately
correct. there will remain a reduction OF $27, :
500, 900 to $50, 500, 600 from the change of the
tariff About $11 900, 900 of this is expected
from the new sugar duties, and So, 400, 600
from the abolition of inland transportation
two and one-half per cent. commissions and
other charges. Computed on the basis of
last years importatons the decrease would
appear to exceed $32 100000 or even $37,-
900, 900, but would average even then less than
the commission aimed to secure. But if excess
lively low duties have been adopted in any
important case, the result will be consider
able increase of lmportations, SO that the
actual decrease of revenue will prove still
smaller.