St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-10
TARIFF AND TRADE.
Statistics Furnished and Deduc-
tiOnS Drawn

The general interest in the operations Of
the treasury department has been much aug
mented during the last year, b V reason of the
conflicting predictions which accompanied
and followed the tariff and other legislation
OF the last congress affecting the revenues as
to the results Of this legisla ton upon the
treasury and upon the country. On the one
hand it was contended that imports would
so fall off as to leave the treasury bankrupt,
ana that the prices of articles en-
teung into the living of the people
would be so enhanced as to diSas-
trously affect their comfort and happiness
while on the other it was argued that the
loss 10 the revenue, largely the result of plac-
ing sugar OIL the free list would be a direct
gain TO the people, while the treasury surplus
ana receipts would be adequate to meet the
appropriations, including the large excep-
llonaf expenditures for the refunding 10 the
states of The direct tax aud the redemption
OF the 4l2 per cent bonds.
III is not my purpose to enter at any length
into discussion of the effects of the legis-
latlon TO which have referred; but brief
examination of the statistics of the treasury
aud general glance at the state OF business
throughout the country, will, l think satisfy
any impartial inquiry that its results have
disappointed the evil prophecies of its OPP
ponents, and. in large meaure, realized the
hopeful predictions of its friends.
During the twelve months from Oct I, 1890
to Sept. 80, 1891. the total value Of our for
elgn commerce imports and exports COM
bined) was Sl,747, 500, 405. which was the
largest of any year in the history of the
UNITED States The largest in any previous
year was IN 1880, when our commerce amount
ed 10 81, 641, l39,Oy3, and the last year exceed
eu TINS enormous aggregate by over one
hundred millions. The value of free i'm
ports during the twelve months ending Sept.
~, 1881, was Sl18.092, 3S7 more than the value
OF free imports during the corresponding
twelve months of the preceding year, and
there was during the same period a
OF imports of dutiable merchandise.
The percentage of merchandise admitted
Tree OF duty during the year to which have
referred. the first under the new tariff was
4s.IS. while during the preceding twelve
mouths under the old tariff. the percentage
was 3i.27, ali increase of 1891 per cent If
we take the SIX months ending Sept 30 last
winch covers the time during which sugars
have been admitted free of duty, the per cent
of value Of merchandise i'm ported free of
DUTY is found to be 553z, which is a larger
percentage of free imports than during any
prior fiscal year in the history of the govern
ment
III we turn to exports of merchandise the
statistics are full OF qualification. The value
OF SUCH exports of merchandise for the
twelve months ending Sept. 80, 1884, was
S923, O9l, 1876, while for the corresponding pre-
vlous twelve months ii was $500, III, lis, an
increase of So, 0l4.02l, which is nearly three
times the average annual increase of exports
OF merchandise during any year in the his
tory OF the government. The increase in the
value of exports of agricultural products
during the year referred to over the CORE
spending twelve months of the prior year was
S45,o46, lJ7, while the increase in the value of
exports of manufactured products were BIG
$685. 240.