The herald., 1897-08-01
Which the New Law
Ought to Produce
SOME EXPERT COMPARISONS
OF THE PRESENT TARIFF WITH
THE WILSON ACT
An Average Increase Of Duty Of 80
per Cent on the Necessa-
ries Of Life
Associated Press Special Wire.

WASHINGTON, July 31.-The COM
parison of the present tariff law with
the Wilson act has been completed. 1t
was made by Charles H. Evans, who
has been engaged in some capacity in
the preparation of all tariff bills with
which congress has dealt since 1872. The
comparison is made in rate, expressed in
ad valorem terms Of the present law and
of the Wilson law. The statement places
the average duty rate under the new law
at 54.66 per cent ad valorem as against
an average of 1910 under the Wilson
law, the averages being figured upon
the basis Of values in 1896. The sched-
ules show the following increases in per-
centages:
Chemicals, from 1888 to SO67 woods
and woolens, 47.62 to 1854; silks from
1896 to 53.4i; earthenware and glass
ware 35 to 257; metals 3s.11 to 49.34;
sugar 40.94 to 74.16; tobacco, 10906 to
121.9O; agricultural products 22.44 to
SS.42; spirits 61.44 to 6SS4; cotton manu-
factures 42.75 to 57.35.
Slime Of the increases expected in reve-
nue. are as follows: Chemicals from
$5,619,249 to $S,423, ,0S4: earthenware and
glassware, $1S.OO6,S39 to $12, 800, ,14S;
metals, from $13, ,196,416 to 17,4S7 ,4S2;
woods from $605,74S to 50, ,439 ,536; sugar,
from S29,91o7O3 to s54,2O7 ,642; agricul-
tural products, from S7,727,614 to $14,
bS7,60S.
These estimates are based upon the
supposition that the value and volume
Of imports will remain the same.
TAXES DODGED
The bureau of statistics, treasury de-
partment has prepared a statement
showing the estimated loss of revenue to
the government on account of the in
creased imports during the months of
March, April, May and June, 1897, in an
ticipation Of the increased duties pro-
vided by the new tariff act. The aggre-
gate net loss is estimated at $32, $3.50, ,427.
The following table shows the increased
receipts from the articles named during
the four months ended June 30 last, as
compared with the same months last
year:
Animals, $S5,124; antimony, $7255; as
phaltum, s45,291; barley, $52,544; argols,
s29, ,74s; chloride of lime, $SO24; opium,
S492,17 potash, SS5,S73; sumach, $15,-
629; chicory, $91,397; feathers, $39,295;
flax, s43,S40; hemp, $500; bags for
grain, $73,556; burlaps, $77O,S9O; fur skins,
$61.9s9; glass, not silvered, polished. ST.
1S9; glass, silvered, $27 1886; glass, unpol-
ished, $10,457; hides and skins, $685. 4S1;
hops, 1888; cutlery, $470,502; gloves,
$S59,S60; mating for floors, s457, ,7S0; olive
oil, s22O1; paper and manufactures, $12,-
375; rice, $192,S75; salt, $65,S7S; silk, man
ufactured, $293,S29 sugar, under 16 de-
grees, $3.05O, ,644; tobacco wrappers, $723,-
1877; board planks, $SO7,7SS; wool, first
grade, $14,14S,7S6; wool, second grade,
s3,173,745; wool, third grade, $1,466. .23S;
wool manufactures, $5,239,172; total,
cents omitted, 32,497,041.
Goods taken from bonded warehouses,
So, 79S9 1888; total, $50, 296, 030.
The statistician is of the opinion that
about ten per cent of this increase is
properly due to improvement in business
conditions, leaving the estimated net
loss to the government, s32666,4 APT.