The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-10

orally into the condition OF things on the
Island. IL was found that the laborers re-
fsrred to hal besn detained beyond the
contract limit and that condition OF revolt
again existed among the laborsrs. A board
OF naval officers reported among other
things as follows: 1--WE would desire 20 state
further that the discipline maintained on
the island seems 20 ba that Of a convict es-
tablishment without its comforts and clean
Illness, and that until more attention il paid
to the shipping OF laborers by placing it un-
der government supervision 20 prevent mis-
understanding and misrepresentation. and
until some amelioration Is shown in the
treatment Of the labOrers. these dis
orders will be OF constant occurrence
1 recommend legislation that shall place
labor contracts upon this and other islands
having the relation that Navassa has 20 the
United States under the supervision Of q
court commissioner, and that shall provide,
at the expense OF the owners, an officer to
reside upon the islands with power to Judge
and adjust disputes. and 10 enforce a just
an&numane treatment Of the employees. It
IS fhexcusable that American iaborers
should be left within our own jurisdiction
without access TO any government officer or
tribune. for their protection and redress Of
their wrongs.
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT.
International copyright has been secured
in accordance with the conditions of the
act OF March 3, 1891, with Belgium, France
and Great Britain and the British posses
siQns and Switzerland, the laws OF those
countries permitting 70 our citi1ens the
benefit OF Copyright upon substantially the
same basis as to their own citizens or sub
Jecta With Germany a special convention
has been negotiated upon this subject which
will bring that country within the recip.
rooai benefits OF the legislation.
The Treasury Department.
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 accom-
panied and followed the tariff and other
legislation of the last congress affecting the
revenues. As to the results OF this leglsla-
ton upon the treasury and upon the coun-
try; on the one hand, It was contended
that imports would 80 fall Off as to leave
the treasury bankrupt, and that the
prices of articles entering Into the living Of
the people would be TO enhanced as 10 dis.
astrously affect their comfort and happi-
ness; while, on the other, IL was argued that
the loss to the revenue, largely the result Of
placing sugar on the free list, would be
direct gaia TO the people, that the prices
OF the necessaries OF life, including
those most highly protected. would not be
enhanced, and that labor would have
larger market and the products of the farm
advanced prices, while the treasury surplus
and receipts would be adequate to meet the
appropriations, including the large excep-
tionAl expenditures for the refundinR to
the states Of the direct tax and the redemp-
ton OF the AZ per cent. bonds. 1t is not
my purpose to enter at any length into
discussion Of the effects of tina legislation to
which | have referred, but brief examine
ton of the statistics of the treasury and a
general glance at the state of business
throughout the country will, / think,
satisfy any impartial inquirer that its
results have disappointed the evil
prophecies of its opponents and in a large
measure realized the hopeful predictions of
its friends. Rarely, if ever, before in the
history OF the country has there been q
time when the proceeds Of one days labor
or the produc. Of one farmed acre would
purchase so large an amount of those things
that enter into the living of the masses OF
the people. believe that a full test will
develop the fact that the tariff act Of the
Fifty-irst congress is very favorable in its
average effect on the prices Of articles en-
tering into common use. During the twelve
months from Oct. l, 1890, to Sept 30, 1891,
the total value of our foreign commerce
imports and exports combined) was 81 ,147,-
6O6, 400, which was the largest OF
any year in the history of the United
States. The largest in any previous year
was in 1890, when our commerce amounted
to 81 CAT. l39, 093, and the last year exceeds
this enormous aggregate by over 500 900 :
000 1t is interesting, and to some will be
surprising, to know that dur
ing the year ending Sept 80,
1891, our imports of merchandise amounted
to 1924 7l5, 270, which was an increase Of
more than $ll. 000. 900 over the value of the
imports OF the corresponding months of the
preceding year, when the imports Of NOR
chandise were unusually large In
then pending. The average annual
value OF the imports OF merchandise for the
ten years from 1881 to 1890 was $500, 1870, SEE.
and during the year ending Sept 80, 1891,
this annual average was exceeded by $l32,-
525. 400. The value of free imports during
the twelve months ending Sept. 80, 1891.
was SllS,092, SS7 more than the value OF
free imports during the corresponding
twelve months Of the preceding year, and
there was during the same period a decrease
OF $l06, $40, 508 la the value OF the imports
Of dutiable merchandise. The percentage
Of merchandise admitted free Of duty dur
ing the year to which | have referred, the
first under the new tariff, was AZ 10, while
during the preceding twelve montEs under
the old tariff the perceutage was
"a q, an increase Of 1891 per cent II we
JAhe bHo BIN tuOnV'IH tuulbk Gopb. on lHbb /,
which covers che time during which
sugars have been admitted free OF
duty, the percentage of value of mer-
ohandise imported free of duty, Is found to be
55.37, which is a larger percentage Of free
importation than during any previous fiscal
year in the history Of the government. II
we turn to exports Of merchandise the sta
tistics are full of qualification. The value
of such exports of merchandise for the
twelve months ending Sept. 30, 1891, was
1922, 09l, 1875, while for the corresponding
previous twelve months it was $500, III, lis,
an increase of S62, 9l4,021, which is
nearly three times the average
annual increase Of exports Of merchandise
for the preceding twenty years; this exceeds
in amount and value the exports Of mer-
chandise during any year in the history of
the government. The increase In the value
of exports of agricultural products during
the year referred to over the corresponding
twelve months Of the prior year was S45, :
S46, 1877 while the increase in tho value of
exports of manufactured products was
sic. 83S, 240. There Is certainly nothing In
the condition of trade, foreign or domestic,
there is certainly nothing in the condition
Of our people OF any class TO, suggest that
the existing tariff and revenue legis-
lation bears oppressively on the
people or retards the commercial
development of the nation. 1t may be
agreed that our condition would be better IL
our tariff legislation were upon a free trade
basis; but 1t cannot be denied that all the
conditions Of prosperity and Of general con-
tentment are present In a larger degree than
ever before in our history, and that, too,