The San Francisco call., 1897-02-26
S4o,24s,252
S2s2,e64.2Sl

We are only concerned here with the matter
of imports, and we note that year ago the
i'm ports for the first seven months of the fiscal
year were $47S ,716,717, as against 1868, ,25l-
080 the current fiscal year, a decrease of
$115, ,465,637 or SIG, ,495, 09l per month, the
January decrease being $l7 ,320,519, a consid-
cradle increase over the monthly average
However, assuming that the average decrease
for the fiscal year ending June 80 next will see
no change in the average monthly decrease of
SIC, ,495, 091, the decrease in imports Tor the
year will loot up to $197, 941 ,092, almost two
hundred millions
In the face of this enormous decrease in i'm
portations of foreign goods under a low tariff,
or "free trade as 1t was called throughout the
campaign b. the supporters of Major McKin-
ley, Ii seems to me that If the tariff is greatly
increased the impor tations will be proDortion-
ately decreased, and hence the revenues of the
Government will also be diminished. of
course understand that the schedule viii b.
adjusted as to increase the tax on such
ARTICLES of import as show the least decline,
but will not this prove 10 be articles in gen.
eral use by the great majority of the people,
and so will become an additional in crease in
the cost of living for these people? If so, gen.
eral discomfort will be sure to follow.
In this connection should not fail to call
atten tion to the fact that the cheap produc-
tion of steel raj has made market for lOO,-
600 tons IN Europe, according to the Bulletin,
which adds that within two years the United
States will do tremendous export business In
steel rails 1t viii be useless, then, to place
tariff on imported steel rails, and yet the
revenue derived from this line of imI orts in
must now be deducted.
1t may be possible for the incoming admin
istration to frame tarlh which will raise suf-
fiCient revenue for current expenses and in
terest on our increased Government debt, but
it will not be an easy task. In fact, it begins
to appear to good many business men, who
seem singularly slow to learn, that there is
something wrong with the country besides
the tariff However, 1t has been some time
since i have heard one of these wise business
men say that production was the cause of
commercial and industrial depression, which
shows that they can learn even If they are
slow, for it is TO be remembered that for a long
time ''oyer-production" was the al-suffcient
explanation offered by these men Tor our hard
times.
Singular as it may seem, it is nevertheless
true that there are not few of these same
business men who will now boldly say that
our dull times are due to under-consum mption
because the people are generally poor and can
not purchase goods as they always did till our
bad times came. l shall not be surprised II
these same men should soon begin to inquire
with m honest desire to learn why 1t is the
people are so poor when crops have not failed
and no pestilence has swept the land or war
disturbed the pursuits of the Inhabitants
such inquiry will lead to the discovery that
the tariff has much less to do with present
conditions than is generally believed, and
they will further learn in few months un-
less misspprehend the situation, that there
will be something more NEEDED than an in
crease OF tariff to restore prosperity TO our un-
fortunate country.
Much ridicule has been heaped upon tho
Cleveland administration because the present
Wtlson-Gorman tariff has failed to bring in
suff1c1ent revenue, the past year especially
While have no desire TO- saya word TO favor or
excuse the expiring administration-for which
have no respect whateYer-at the same time
1t must be seen at glance that If the imports
had not decreased so enormously the past
seven months there would be no deficit hui
surplus in the treasury. Can the incoming
administration insure imports equal 10 the
last year under high tariff
JOSEPH AsBURY JOHNSON.
San Francisco, Feb. %, 1897.