Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-12-17

the District of Columbia. A stringent
code upon this subject has been provided
by Congress for Utah and ii Is matter OF
surprise that the needs Of this district
should have been so long overlooked.
The Tariff Operations.
The general interest in the operations OF
the treasury department has been much
augmented during the last Year by reason
of the conflicting predictions which &C
companied and followed the tariff ano
other legislation of the last Congress af
| fecting the revenues.
| He then reviews the arguments made fol
and against the new tariff law.
| He concludes that the results have dis
appointed the evil prophecies of its oppo
nents. Rarely, if ever before, in the his
tory of the country has there been tim.
when the proceeds of one days labor oI
| the product of one farmed acre would pur
chase so large an amount of those thing.
that enter into the living of the masses OF
the people. believe that full test will de
velop the fact that the tariff act of the 81
| Congress is very favorable in its average
effect upon the prices of articles entering
| into common use.
During the IL months from Oct. |. 1890
to Sept 30, 1891, the total value of our for
elgn commerce imports and exports com
bined) was 81 ,747 SOC ,406, which was tn.
largest of any year in the history of the
United States. 1t is interesting, and tt
some it will be surprising, to know tha
during the year ending Sept. 30. 1891, ou
imports of merchandise amounted to 1924
1920 which was an increase of more thar
eleven million dollars over the value of til,
imports of the corresponding months of tn,
preceding year. when the imports of mer
chandise were unusually large in anticipa
ton of the tariff legislation then pending
The average annual value of the imports OF
merchandise fer the 10 years, from 1881 tc
1890, was 1892, ls6. .522 .and during the yea
ending Sept. 80, 1891 this annual averag,
was exceeded by Sl32,52S, 469. The value
of free imports during the II months end
Ing Sept. 80, 1891 was SllS,092, 1897 more
than the value of free imports during the
corresponding l2 months of the preceding
year. and there was during the same pc
riod decrease of $l06, ,846 sos in the value
of imports of valuable merchandise.
| The value of imports of merchandise fol
the twelve months ending Sept. 80, 1891
was 1923 09l 1876, while for the cores
ponding previous twelve months it was
| $500, III lis, an increase Of S62 .9l4, ,O2l
| There is certainly nothing in the condi
tion of trade, foreign or domestic, of oul
people of any class to suggest that the ex.
listing tariff and revenue legislation bears
oppressively upon the people or retards the
commercial development of the nation.
Agitation for radical changes In tariff
and financial legislation cannot help, bu,
may seriously impede, business, to the
prosperity of which some degree of stabil
| ity in legislation is essential.
l think there are conclusive evidences
that the new tariff has created several
great industries which will within few
years give employment to several hundred
| thousand American working men and
women. In view of the somewhat over.
crowded condition of the labor market OF
the United States every patriotic citizen
should rejoice at such result.
The report of the Secretary of the Treas
ury shows that total receipts of the gov.
ernment from all sources for the fiscal
year ending June 30. 1891, were $458, ,544, ;.
233 03 while the expenditures for the same
period were 8421 .3O4, ,470. 46 leaving a sur.
plus Of $37, ,239, 1852 81. The receipts OF
the fiscal year ending June 80. 1892, actual
and estimated, are 8433 900 600 and the
expenditures, $409, ,O0O, 900.
For the fiscal year ending June 30. 1899