Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-07-05
TARIFF BILL WILL PRODUCE SUI,
FICIENT REVENUE.
MAY NOT DO IT FOR A TIME.
WILL BE AMPLE, HOWEVER, UNDER
NORMAL CONDITIONS.
County Is Now. Fuu of Goods Rushed
In TO Escape Higher Rates.
Chairman DingIey Talks
of the PrOspect-Other
Leaders Views.

| Washington, July 4.-(SpeciaL) Now tina
i thu senate changes in the tariff bill ar
| completed, 1t is practicable to form a pret
| ty close estimate of the prospective earn
| ings of that measure when it goes upon tn,
| statute books. or course. the conference
will make some further changes. but it II
| not expected that they will be of sucI
| character as to materially affect the In
come Of the government from the bill wheI
| il becomes a law.
81 think we may assume" said Chairman
Dinsley, Of the ways and means commit
tee, talking upon the subject, that the
new law will. after the enormous stock OF
| foreign goods now on hand has been alb
scrbed. produce sufficient revenue to COM
fcrtobly meet the expenses of the govern
ment''
You do not suppose. then, that it will
meet the running expenses in the first few
months of its operations?"
1T would be scarcely reasonable to ex-
pect that it will As everybody knows,
there IS more than a years supply of for
eign wool in the country. By some 1t is
estimated that there is two years sup
ply. There is probably nearly or quite a
years supply of sugar on hand: there is
large supply of wooden goods and many
months supply of tobacco, to say nothing
of the hundreds OF other articles which
have been brought in, in excess of the
usual demands and of the immediate re-
quirements. So shall not be surprised if
the law fails to produce enough to meet
running expenses during the first few
months of its work. Indeed, it would be
surprising IL II should do So"
This probable shortage Of revenues in
will be due, however. to the excessive i'm
nf aGf II
Dingley?"
Entirely so. have no doubt that the
bill is ample in its provision for revenue
under ordinary circumstances and that as
soon as the large stock Of foreign goods
now in the country Is absorbed and the
usual demand begins again, the revenue
will be ample. OF course. do not yet
know what the bill will be. exactly. for
there are many points in which the house
and senate are still in disagreement, and
there will probably be concessions on botn
sides. though still hope and believe that
on important matters the house rates will
stand. Whatever changes may be made.
however, as between the house and the
scr6te bills, will not be sufficient 10 seri-
Ously affect the question OF total revenue,
and 1 believe that the law. when it is at
work normally and conditions are normal
will supply ample revenue and in a way
very satisfactory to the people"
other members OF the house and senate
agree with Mr.. Dingley upon this general
proposition. Senator AldTicb, who has just
returned to the city and is able 10 resume
the consideration of the new tariff meas
ure, has expressed himself to his friends
as confident that the bill, even in its pres
ent form, would be productive OF sufficient
revenue to meet the necessary eXpendl-
lures of the government. after the supply
of foreign goods now on hand. upon which
Cuties have already been paid, is exhausted.
Congressman Dolliver. a member of the
ways and means committee, also expresses
that the new law will produce sufficient
revenue as soon as importations resume
their usual force: The fact that there is
a years supply of such important revenue
producing articles as wool, sugar. tobacco,
wooden goods and other articles of this kind
in & the country OF course Ii %ili reduce % very
few months. and consequently make the
receipts under the new law light for several
stand this fully. and will not expect any
thing else. in view of the fact that the inn
porters have been permitted to I'LL up the
and country generally with
foreign goods before the new law could
get into effect. When business improves
under the new law and the people are able
TO buv and when the stock now on hand
is worked of, / have no doubt that the
new measure will produce ample revenue,
stand that any deficiency in fits earnings
is due to the enormous stock of goods
which have already been brought in and up
on which the duties have all been collected
and turned into the treasury.
II may be added, in substantiation Of the
views Of Chairman Dingleg and Represen-
tative Dolliver. that tariff experts who
have been following the work OF the sem
ate very closely. estimate that the bill as
il now stands will produce a revenue
slightly in excess of that estimated for
the bill when IL left the house. and as IL is
probable that the rates will be somewhat
increased in conference, they look with
confidence upon the bill as a revenue-prO-
ducer under normal conditions. This fact
that an unusual quantity of foreign goods
has been rushed into the country since
congress was called together TO pass a
new tariff bill is well known, but il may
not be uninteresting. in view Of the fact
that the bill is likely soon to become a
law, and that its supporters admit that its
first few months of operation will be Sc
riousy embarrassed by the extraordinary
importatiOns of the past few months. 10
indicate somewhat in detail what these eX-
cessive impOrtafions have amounted to
The following tables show the importations
during the past four months on woods and
sugar. and also the total impOrtations dur
Ing the same period: the figures for the
four months in question are compared with |
those of the corresponding months of the
preceding year. which will Indicate the eX-
ressive importations since the Inauguration
Of the present administration and their
prospective effect upon the revenue when |
the new law goes into effect.
Table showing importations of wool |
Cpounds), March TO July !. 1896 and 1887: