Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-07-16
THE TARIFF BILL WILL SOON gE
A LAW
Wonderful Work with tho Repub,i.
cans In Minority In the Senate
The Importers Rushing Foreign
Goods In Up to the Lu.t Minute.
Pushing It Along.
Special Washington correspondence:
sl,lao- a,,.onnnss.. oa 4l,., A.,,.iff LII

first and second class wool and to bet
ter than the House rates on third-class
wool. The other agricultural features
of the bill have been so amended as
to restore the very satisfactory House
rates, and the sugar schedule has been
so adjusted that the most fault-tinding
of the Democrats canaot complain of
1t.
That all this has been done in Sen
ate i'll which the Republicans are in an
absolute minority is remarkable-phe
q tariff bill been enacted with .niy one
branch of Congress controlled by the
party in power in the White House,
and when this follows close upon
campaign of so much bitterness as that
OF last fall it is wonderful. And yet
this is being accomplished in less time
after the inauguration than ever be-
fore happened since the very first Con-
gress.
Piling In Foreign Farm Products.
The rush of foreign goods into the
country to eyade the increased duties
which the new tariff law is expected
to impose seems likely to continue up
to the very day upon which it goes into
effect. The June receipts OF the Treas
ury have averaged over q million dol
lars day. and the indications are that
the importations this month will be
heavier than in any preceding month.
except those of April, which We're more
than 100 million dollars in value. The
May importations were i'll round num-
bers eighty million dollars in value, and
1t is probable that those of June will
considerably exceed those of last
month. The predictions made by
Chairman Dingley months ago that the
importers would have nearly years
supply of certain classes of foreign
goods in the market before the new
tariff act could go into effect seems
likely to be realized. The importations
Of March. April. May and June of this
year average about e!ght-tive million
dollars per month, while those of the
corresponding months of last year aver
age but little over 1ifty-tive millions per
month.
The effect Of this enormous importa-
ton of goods upon which duties are to
be collected under the new law will be
felt the moment that act goes into ef-
feet by suspension of importations of
that class of articles and Il consequent
falling off in the customs revenue. The
customs receipts in April Of the present
year were more than double these of
the corresponding month OF last year
and those for May and June have near
ly kept pace with those of April. 1t is
to the articles which will pay high
rate of duty under the new law that the
importers are giving their attention
now, and the consequences will be that
the class Of goods from which the great
est revenues are expected under the
now law will have accumulated in this
country i'll such enormous quantities
that inportations of revenue-produc-
ing articles will almost entirely cease
when the new act goes into effect. until
the stocks of these goods now lying in
dollars in value shall have been ex-
hausted.
a statement just issued by the Treas
ury Department covering the inlporta-
tions of the month of April gives some
idea of the abnormal impor.ations now
going on and the effect they will have
upon the revenues when the new law
goes irto effect. While there has been
disposition on the part of Democrats
to assume that the tariff OH agr.cultur-
al productions is humbuy and does
not affect impOrtations at all.it is never
theless fact that 13O.S3S bushels of
wheat We're imported in April Of the
present year against 3,431 in April Of
last year and that the quantity Of bar
ley imported in April. 1897, is double
that of 1896. Another striking illus
,tration in regard to farm products is
found in the fact that while the class
of cattle which now is and is likely
to remain upon the free list has not in
creased at all in importations, the
number of dutiable cattle imported in
April, 1897, was nearly five times as
great as in April, 1896, being in num-
bers c2.S49, against 13.411 in April of
last Jcar. In the item of 'crude tartar"
now upon the free list, but likely to be
placed upon the dutiable list by the
new law. the April inportations more
than doubled the corresponding month
Of last year. The quantity of chicory
root imported in April, 1897, in view of
the prospective imposition of a duty
upon it, was nearly six times as much
as that imported in April, 1896. The
prospect that certain grades of raw cot
ton are to be placed upon the dutiable
list is already being felt. the April i'm
portations being nearly ten million
pounds, against six million pounds of
last year. The prospect that hides
would be placed on the dutiable list
has also had a marked effect in in
creaslng the importations of this class
of foreign products, the April importa-
tions of hides amounting to $780,, ,4O8
pounds, against 0,G7O.7O2 pounds in
April Of last year. The importations
Of leather and manufactures from
leather also doubled. Our Chinese and