Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-04

If the lead is the component of chief value
the gold or Silver is subjected to duty at the
rate provided for lead Thus the purpose Of
| the law may be defeated in both cases. The
| report deals at length with the question of the
| administration of the customs laws, pointing
out the defects in the laws by which Unequal
| tiles occur.
| EXEMPTIONS.
An important recommendation relates to spe-
| cial exemptions from duties.
! Il feel constrained" he SAYS. "to invite at
/ tention also to numerous provisions which ex-
empt from duty merchandise otherwise duti-
| able, when imported by certain persons,
! societies or associations. Notable instances are
found in the exemption of the personal effects
| and tools of trade of persons coming from
! abroad. and of household effects. without limit
| as to quantity or value; also so-called works OF
art. and various other manufactured articles.
! Such determinations are harmful. not only to
! the importing trade, but to established dornes-
| tic interests. They are in many cases without
| justification upon any reasonable theory, and
! have led to serious abuses"
| The report contains a thorough discussion of
the questions of undervaluations, appraisement,
| invoices, drawbacks and the general customs
| administration, all of which is technical in
| character.
! He recommends the enactment of the ad-
/ mlnlstrative features of customs laws similar
to those proposed in the bills of the last Con-
/ Sress, concerning which there was practical
| agreement in the two parties.
| FOREIGN COMMERCE.
With relation to foreign commerce the Sec
rotary says: The total value of our imports and
! exports of merchandise and specie during the
last fiscal year was S1,613, 49,, 633, an increase
| over the preceding year OF S37, AIS, SAB, and
was greater than for any year since 1851 d
The Secretary recommends the repeal of the
! law of June 10. 1886, which provides that the
/ President of the United States shall suspend
| collection of fpn-
| mage tax imposed on foreign vessels as may be
| IN excess OF the tonnage and light house dues,
! or other equivalent tax or taxes imposed on
| American vessels by the government of any
/ foreign country, and that he shall indicate, by
proclamation, the ports to which such suspension
! shall apply as often as it may become necessary
| by reason OF changes in the laws of the foreign
country. IL is not known that the privilege Of
| fered has led to the abolition of any tax on
| American vessels by any foreign government.
| The advantage accrues mainly to foreign ves-
| sells, and there seems to be no good reason
why vessels from one foreign country, without
recOmpense, should escape taxes levied under
similar circumstances on vessels from other
countries"
OUR MERCHANT MARINE.
Speaking of our merchant marine the Secre-
| tary says: 1T is but few years since we stood
first among the nations in ship building, and
were excelled only by Great Britain in the
VI our OCEAN tonnage. NOW, 80 lar as
foreign trade is concerned, our ship yards are
comparatively silent and our flag has almost
disappeared from the high seas. Once rs per
cent of our tonnage was carried in our own
ships; now 81 per cent is carried in foreign
bottoms"
The Secretary gives a statement of the large
sums paid by Great Britain, Germany, France
and Spain in subsidies to their steamers for
carrying the mails and adds:
The United States alone, of the great COM
mo nj ,1r,,
by liberal grants and subsidies, and protecting
her coastwise and internal commerce and all
her home industries. has utterly neglected and
abandoned her great foreign maritime inter-
ests, even declining to pay fair rates for serv-
ices rendered by vessels of the United States,
although Congress had appropriated money for
the purpose. American merchants. ship build
ers and ship owners ask no special advantages
Give them an equal chance and they will hold
their own against all competitors. But they
cannot be expected long to maintain the I'M
equal contest against foreign capital, backed by
foreign treasures"
SUBSIDIES FOR AMERICAN STEAMERS.
Firmly convinced that American steamship
builders and owners can not unaided compete
with the governments of Europe that without
proper aid and encouragement from the United
States, We shall not only fail to regain our lost
foreign carrying trade, but even to retain
much longer the small remnant that remains,
hAu lHdt the IeStOTdIlOH VI our IuercndL marine
Is essential to the extension of our foreign
trade, | do not hesitate to recommend that
liberal and judicious aid and encouragement
be given for the construction of steam mer-
chant vessels, suitable for use as cruisers and
transports IN time of war; that fair and liberal
| rates be paid to American steamers for trans
| pOrtatlon of mails to foreign countries; and
that special aid, either in the form of mail pay,
or for mileage run, be made for the establish
ment of direct connection by American steamer
lines nd mt
and with China and Japan"
The Secretary calls attention to the state
ment OF the bureau of statistics concerning our
trade with South American nations, showing.
as he says. a most unsatisfactory condition of
our export trade with these nations.
THE SILVER QUESTION.
Perhaps the most important part of the re-
port Is that relating to the silver question
Upon this subject the Secretary makes some
important recommendations, proposing an
original and ingenious plan for settling the
question to the best interest of the whole coun-
try.
The continued coinage of the silver dollar"
he says, lat a constantly increasing monthly
quota. is disturbing element in the otherwise
excellent financial condition OF the country
and positive hlndrance to any international
agreement looking TO the free coinage of both
metals at a fixed ratio. Mandatory purchases
by the government of stated Quantities OF sill
ver and mandatory coinage of the same into
full legal tender dollars, are unprecedented
anomaly, and have proved futile, not only in
restoring the value OF silver. but even in stay
| Ing the downward price of that metal. Since
/ the passage OF the act of February %, 1878, TO
| November l, 1889, there have been purchased
| 299, $50 4l6 IL standard ounces of silver, at a
cost OF 92St. $3.50. 633.6i, from which there have
been coined 343, 63S. 001 standard silver dollars
| There were III circulation on November l of
| the present year 6009S $50 silver dollars less
than Il per capita, the remainder, 2S3, 539, 52l
| being stored away IN government vaults. of
| which s2T7 ,3l9,9A were covered by outstand-
| ing certificates The price of silver on March
| l. 1878, was OF 15-l6 pence, equal to 81. 20i29
| per ounce fine. At this price 81, 900. 900 would
| purcase 1,6O0.729 ounces of fine silver, which
would coin 2 Ia, POS standard silver dollars. At
| the average price of silver for the fiscal year
| ended June 30, 1889 (42.499 pence). equivalent
! TO SO.y3l63 per ounce fine, S2,O0O0O0 would
| purchase 2,146755 fine ounces, out of which
2.775.62S standard silver dollars could be coined
| The lower the price of silver the greater the
| quantity that must be purchased, and the
larger the number of silver dollars to be coined
| TO comply with the act of February %. 1878.
No proper effort has been spared by the
| Treasury department to put in circulation the
! dollars coined under this law. They have been
| shipped, upon demand, from the minis and
| sub-treasuries. free of charge. to the nearest
! and the most distant localities in the United
| States. only to find their way back into Treas
ury vaults in payment of government dues and
| taxes. Surely the stock OF these dollars which
| can perform any useful function as q circulat-
| ing medium must soon be reached, if it has not
| been already. and the further coinage and stor-
age OF them will then become waste Of public