The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-05
REVENUE RAISER
FROM THE START
New Tariff Law Works
Well Under Adverse
Conditions.
Nearly a Million Dollars a
Day Pouring Into the
Treasury.
Fine Showing Considering the
Vast Importations Just Before
Its Enactment.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 4.-Tne
EN- barrassing circumstances under which
the Dingley law has started In upon its
work does not thus far prevent its pro-
ducing a larger revenue than hal been
anticipated. No tariff law which has
been put upon the statute-books IN the
memory of the present generation had
such especially adverse conditions in its
first few months as this one VII have
Every tariff law enacted since the war tar
ifs, until this one, has been reduction
of the rates of duty. There were some ex-
ceptions to the general rule In the Nc
Kinley law, but as a whole that act, as
we'll as others which preceded 1T, reduced
rates. So did the Wilson law. The result
is that in no case prior to this has there
been an incentive for importers in general
10 rush foreign goods into the country in
advance of the new tariff. Consequently.
none of tie tariffs which have preceded
this one have found the storehouses of
the country crammed as they now are
with foreign goods and the demand for
further immediate importatlons thus
checked as is the case in this particular
instance.
Up to the present time the total receipts
under the new law, including internal
revenue with customs, have averaged
nearly 81, O00, 900 day, emitting the day
on which the act went into effect, when
the entries were enormous and the re-
ceipts abnormally heavy. The customs
receipts alone have averaged. emitting
the day on which the act went into effect,
con idera bly, over $500 600 per day, which
is more than had been anticipated from
the new law for the first lew days or
weeks in view of the fact that it was sup
posed that full supply of nearly every
thing affected by the new tariff rates had
been laid in by the importers.
In the case of former tariffs which re-
duced the rates OF duty the disposition on
the part of importers was ID hold back
their lmportatlons arriving PRIOR 10 the
enactment. of the new law until 1t should
take effect, in order that they might get
the benefit OF the reduced rates OF duty,
while in this case the conditions have
been exactly reversed, and the incentive
has been to bring in prior TO the enact
ment of the law all the goods they could
possibly carry. When the Wilson law
was about to go into effect vessels laden
with foreign goods fingered outside the
ports of New York, Boston ana Philadel
phia day after day awaiting the signal
that the aew law had actually gone into
effect before they should come in with
their loads of foreign productions, while
when tie Dingley law was about 10 be en-
octed evey ship within reach put on extra
steam in order TO rush in before The act
should absolutely take effect.
As consequence each preceding tariff
signalzed the first few days of its opera
tons by the collections Of enormous sums
OF money as customs duties upon the mil
lions of dollars worth of goods which
were lying in vessels or bonded ware
houses aw aiting the new and reduced rates
which it would apply, while in this case
all that rush took place before the new act
went into effect, and 1t was expected that
the DAYS following it would be M arked by
as small "a collection OF revenue as were
the collections large under the preceding
acts. When the Wilson law went into
effect, August % 1894 the collections of
customs for severa, DAYS thereafter
amounted 10 over 1,000, 900 day, and
this was also fact under other tariff acts.
While the few days OF the operations OF
the new law are not sufficient 10 form any
accurate index OF its prospective revenue
producing powers they are sufficient to
rive encouragement to those WHO had
feared that the amounts collected under
it in the first few weeks would be ex-
tremely light. Ii its receipts continue
during its first few months to run as they
have done up TO this time II Will show a
total for it's irst month considera bly, in ex-
cess of the first month Of the Wilson law,
despite the enormous importations and
collections m ade under that act during its
first few days operations.
The total re ceipts in the first month Of
the Wilson law were 500. gu ,22S. in the
next month dropping to $40, 139 240. and
in the month which followed that reach
ing $l9411 4O3 II can scarcely be ex-
pected, however, that the receipts during
the first month of the present law can run
as much as those of the first month of the
Wilson law, which found such enormous
quantities of foreign goods waiting its
enactment and ready to pass through the
Customs houses the momentit should go
into operation.