New-York tribune., 1895-01-07
DEPLETED REVENUES.
HOW THE REFORM TARIFF HAS WORKED
FOR FOUR MONTHS.
1T HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE FAILURE THUS FAR.
AND PROMISES TO CREATE TREASURY
DEFICIT OF AT LEAST S5o0000O0 FOR
THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.

DEFICIT OF AT LEAST s5o.oOoooo FOR
THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE.'
Washington. Jan. 6-The new Democratic re-
form Tariff law has been in operation FOR -FOUR
months As a matter OF fact, however. its force
on Government revenues has been felt fer tuiIy
six months. and is plainly reflected in the treasury
Departments official statement Of receipts ana
expenditures for the first half OF the current hsca
year. In this short period the law has proved
itself absolute failure as an adequate revenue
producer. When 1t first brought forward ana
when it became law, the Government was running
behind Expenditures exceeded receipts, ana more
revenue was needed Everybody agreed in that.
ard its promoters and champions promised increased
revenues under IT, The law. however. has so
far failed utterly to produce the expected
from IL by its champions. and never will Under
It's operation the Government has been steadily
running behind. month after month. 80 that
at the end Of half years Democratic tariff re-
form operations expenditures have exceeded re-
ceipts fully s27 100000. and with fair prospect OF
doubling that dehcit by the cIu Vi 'he current
fiscal year.
Last August when the new Tariff bill was in the
limbo OF conference, and just before 1t became
law. Secretary Carlisle In a letter TO senator
Harris estimated receipts for the current fiscal
year under The proposed Jaw at $iS,OvlWo, a sum
amply sufficient, he thought 10 pay eNpehso'
for the year and leave surplus OF s50@G0
other optimistic supporters OF this benign law
which Grover Cleveland wouldn't sign and couldn't
yoto or couldn't and wouldn't veto-soon after IL
went into operation enthusiastically predicted "A
surplus at the close Of the current fiscal year
Of anywhere from s2OG0,00D 70 $Jo,OO)"n secretary
Carlisle so hopeful and buoyant last August In
predicting "A surplus of $j0000), three months
later In his annual message to Congress revised
his former estimate. and "came down matter
OF s3j.OCoOO on receipts under the new law. and
then estimated a deficiency Of s200O00D instead
OF a surplus OF sljWO.00O Observation Of three
months operation of the new law diminished his
confidence in Il revenue producer to the eX-
tent of Sj.OOoco0 a year. II the Secretary would
now examine and analyze carefully the figures put
out from his department on January |. showing the
results OF the revenue operations for th' last six
months his confidence in the capacity OF the
German Wilson law to produce revenue would
probably shrink another s1oc0oo or so, and he
would look for a deficiency Of at leas, 100000
at the end the current fiscal year
MIR. CARIGsLE's REVISED ESTIMATES.
In his revised estimate the Secretary placed GUS
toms receipts at Sl60e00O9; internal revenue Slbo.-
OeOOo and receipts from miscellaneous sources
.l5Gcco total Of $3io0WCO). Already the
revenues FOR onehalf Of the current fiscal
year are in the Treasury. netting H. In
round numbers. s70ooo.co0 from customs Ss2eoOOo
from Internal revenue. and N50o00O from mscel-
laneous sources. total Of Sl59,J0pO Assuming
that receipts for the last half would equal receipts
for the first half of the year. $ls."lVoD would be
fair estimate Of the revenue for tho year, or vi
Gc O00 less than the Secretary estimate put this
is more than should be expected
Mr. Carlisl.'s original estimate included In Gus
toms revenues 5000 OoD from sugar duties This
amount is 30 per cent Of the value OF free sugar
importations during the previous year tndouot-
edlv this is too high estimate. for no sane man
in tines. hard times. and under Democratic Ad-
minstration which &c TO las, two years longer ex-
meets the consumption OF even THIS necessary Of
Ife during the current fiscal year to eqsal i'm
portations OF free sugar between July I. 1929. and
June Sc 1884, which in the latter months or that
fiscal year were far above normal But night
here In one particular. is where the f9fc" of the
German Wilson Law was fit IN reyenuss long
before II became law. The sugar trust pe2pie
early last spring. anticipating It's paSsaSe WIKI
- per cent al Vaorem tax ON sugar began m
portine freely: ana before August =. when tn
new law went into effect. had mnoyie4 nearly L
hair years supply IRE" OF duty. rs consf-
ouence revenues from sugar duties in september
october November and December. or since me new
Than g. 10000: a rners baeatelle compared with
what was expected. and n view Of me harL times
pee, Is poor OF revenues from this source netting
the Government more than SN~0vp durns lhe
From this source. however the Gov 'rnment VIII
derive Sl30c.OO0 more revenue during the next SIX
did during the first half.
LOSS OF WHISKEY REVENUE.
Bn, this problbie prospective gain from sugar
duties tand this Is the only from which gain
IN customs may De expected viii be offset
by losses from another important source OF revenue
the whiskey tax In the latter half OF the year
And here again. Is shown where the force OF the
new law was felt before It became law The whis-
key people like the sugar Trust people 9so ani.G.,
naiel the enactment OF the ~ law. ana last Juy
io,k nearly A half-yenrs supply OF whiskey out Of
bond AT the OLD 80 cents gallon tax: Altogether. r
celpts from this source ipr the hst slA MohthS
neticd the Government $4l00Oor or about &'"@V
under the Old - cents gallon tax, am >,"LpD III
under the new 81 10 a gallon tax. The abnormaiy
heavy Withdrawals OF whisky from D'ui curing t''
ceipts up to ss9 C07s2 d.d no, even bring ihem ul
10 the Secrctarys reys-l estimate. "hlch Tor hi,i
a wear should have r-lrn"i M2.50DUD. and the resnl,
of the heavy Withdrawals last July and August
viii be seen I'm greatly diminished receipts from
haif OF thr ve.r-probahly >lOe0no,n or <l2.eGe
less than during the hst hal Aosrhr,i line Inr 'Ss s
prospective gain from sugar duties IN me r"loh
hAf of the year: @na le1yg rr'ep'S
Hmt another and a neW source of revenue Is 70
be felt during the second half OF the year-the m
mated AT s5O0Gco. This estimate IS purey Gon-
:, .1.o lint Vim the opposition TO making he
law operative already seen ~ me Srt'tr nIu h NJ
The c5nstitutonaly of the law about 10 oe ,es,fr @
in The highest court Of r. llnd. me proS2T'' I
sl, ool N0 revenue from this source is Shsip"g '
this IL not all The revised estimate piaeS Exp m
mrs for the year at S}9Go"" For he lr-t hAl
~ rho vear Expenditures 1sgtegdt"d NNb''hs-- or
oion, & 600 go more thin The estimate. IKE
hpnu, -, ,nenlitnr, for the second halfana there
rnSd reason to expect i'-woud add ai"cc,S
n inp'r ~, ,,rns following The cleveland panic oi
e. and sustained by Pcn2.as iGp61 sfm oT. Telo'5
Win '"x,s,rfs Of wheat - cents = bushe. and
u, ,,,ton nt i cents pound the lowest prices in
g. bistnrv OF the cOuntry-and with a democratic
,,irinsfraton and Congress threatening 10 reform
,h rurrenfv the outlook in the near future for
t,,noss ,le & MAJ be- dscDurlgng. but for big Treas
@ dedcii 6f at least >Jo,""e" At the close OF the
c,rrent fiscal year. 1t IS extremely promising.
RECIPROCITY OR NOTHING .
rrr1.rrJcAN SENATORS WILL OFFER THIS IL
TtM,rI'M REGARDING THE SOLUTION OF
1fir GERMAN SUGAR DIFFICULTY.