The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-01-24
HOW THE TARIFF WORKS.
Mckinley and Wilson Laws Compared.
Increase or Imports uersass In Revs-

Mckinley and Wilson Laws Compared.
Increase or Imports Decrease In Reve-
nneS.
Washington special in Chicago Inter
occan: Some remarkable facts with
reference to she workings OF the new
talAff law came 10 the surface in con-
nectlon with the announcement of the
December imports and exports ana
these of the year juSs ended. That the
importations were enormously increaa-
inR under GhG now law had been well
understood, but It was scarcely realized
that the ircrclse was SO great nor was
Il deemed possible that with such an
enormous 4ncreuse OF lmpOrlatf1ns the
revenues from customs could be 30
greatly decreased. Yet t'hla Is a fact.
The importatlons during bhe INST six
teen months OF the Wilaon law, which
onded with December, Whose figures
have Just come 10 hand. amounted 10
81, Ogi. 997 1856 This was an inrease OF
over $lOT,000.0oO In amount ms compared
with THE last sixteen months az tire NC
Kinley law, Yet In spite OF thls enor-
nous Increase in inportatlons, There
was n tremendous failing on In receipts.
The receipts In The first sixteen months
OF the Wilson law amounted 70 $780,
OS5,Gsg, while the receipts In the last
sixteen months OF the Mckinley law
amounted 10 $3.50 ,15I. Thus the IN
crease OF f87y88B, 600 la imPortatlons IN
dor the new law resulted IN decrease
Of S3O,O0O0OO In revenue.
One OF the textures OF this statement
with reference to tho increase OF I'M
portntlOns which especially interests
members OF Congress and others enga-
ged in the study of the financial prob
lens now demanding attention Is the
effect which this Increased Importation
must have had upon the stock OF gold
In this country. Aside from the goI
which Is produced In our mines, anu
which amounts to only about {iO0OO,OOO
year. our supply OF gold comes from
tho articles which NC sell to other ma
lions.
Despite the claim OF the advocates OF
low tariff that tile reduction OF duties
would ouen the doors Of the world 10
our products, we have not Increased Our
expo,Hs In any sum worth mentioning
during the tame In which the importu
have been lncrcnsln. so enormously.
The exports during the first sixteen
months OF the Wilson Law amount 10
only Sl,133, ,2o7. against N,ll3.9S2,Sl2
in the last sixteen months OF the Me-
KiRley law.
we get rid OF our gold by buying ar
tEcles from other nrtlons and by spend-
ing IL in travel abroad aud paying the
interest and principal OF American Sc
pirltIey held abroad. When II Is seen
that we have purchased abroad SlOI-
0OO. 600 more OF foreign productions. un-
der the Wilson law, than we did IN the
corresponding sixteen months OF the
Mckinley Law, It is easy to see where
SiOT, 900. 600 OF our gold has gone IN the
meantime. Thus I'VE have lost gold
enormously, while there has been no
gain worth mentioning by Increased
sales of our own products abroad.
To those desiring 10 examine the
workings OF the new thrift law In conn
par!son with the Mckinley law. thu
foiiowbnt. tables will be OF especial IN
tcrest. II will be observed that they
show, first, an enormous increase or
I1nportatlons OF foreign goods In COM
petition with the production OF our
manufacturers and worlSmen; second.
no compensating advantages In any In
crease in expectations: third, an actual
loss in revernc. II amounts to this, IN
ISnrd-SlOO. 100000 increase In !mporta-
lions, but SO, 900 900 decrease In receipts.
The following tables show the total
Imports in the last sixteen months or
the Mckinley law and the first sixteen
months OF che Wilson law, also the ex-
ports DURING the corresponding periods:
Exports last sixteen months OF Mckin-