The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1897-01-02
PREPARING The IARIEE.
Republican Measures to Incre SO National
Revenue.

Republican Measures to Incre sc National
Revenue.
| 1t seems settled that the work of pre-
pairing new tariff will begin ut once,
and will lie pushed with intent TO have
u complete and thoroughly maturcd bill
ready for action as soon as the new con-
gress meets in extra session. Concern
ing its nature, the common statement
is that ii will be moderate or conserva-
tive measure, framed with the intent
of so satisfying public opinion and in
dustrial needs that it may stand for u
long period without general revision.
But ii must be expected. that such o
measure will be the less vigorously OPP
posed by the free traders. The thing
they most fear is tariff which will
successfully assail it. Moreover, what
seems moderate to one man is sure to
appear immoderate TO another. Thus
there were people who asserted il was a
moderate and reasonable thing to put
wool and lumber on the free list, and to
cut off more than half the duties ON
wooden goods.
There are some general principles
which will certainly govern the framing
of any republican tariff. The first and
most important of these is that de-
frauding the government and evading
protective duties shall be avoided by
imposing specific in place of al valarem
duties as far as possible. This ought
not to be considered excessively repub-
lean doctrine. President Cleveland's
first secretary of the treasury, Daniel
Manning, before he had been one month
in office, began on March 1G, 1855, the
elaborate investigation of fraud in in
voices and appraiscmcnts, of which a
report was made to congress on Decem-
Der Z, filling separate volume of $40
pages, and the evidence conclusivcly sus-
tanned the Judgment of the secretary
that specific duties should be employed
as far us possible. His successor, Mr..
| Fairchild, in letter of June ii, 1856, to
the chairman of the committee on ways
and means, pointed out that of articles
subject to high ad yalarem duties the
greater part were ''as n rule under
valued" There has not been any pos
sibility Of denial that the ad valorem
duties, though the system of consign-
ments to mere agents in this country,
were to n great extent cvaded. Yet the
present tariff, as if framed with de-
liberate intent to deprive the govern
ment Of as much revenue and home in
dustries of rs much defense rs possible,
substituted ad valorcm for specific
duties in the wooden and other i'm
portant schedules. The result, as stated
by experts, is that the government is
now robbed by undervaluations of near
ly or quite S30,oO0,O0O yearly, which
would be paid under the present act On
goods imported if the duties could be
honestly collected, as they cannot be
owing to their adj valorem character
1t is probable that experience under
this act and the Mckinley law will
lead congress to go further in applying
specific instead of ad valorem duties
than in any previous enactment. Even
in the Mckinley law some classes Of
goods were left subject to ad valorcm
duties only, or to mixed duties of which
the al valorem part was sufficiently
important to make extensive frauds
profitable to importers or foreign man
nfacturers. The difficulty of framing
specific duties only for some classes of
goods-such as siks-has been rccog-
nized, and yet experts have declared
that 1t is not insuperable. Nothing is
risked in saying that one of the first
efforts of those who endcavor to frame
new and permanent tariff law will
he to apply specific duties as far as they
find it practicable. 1t Is one great merit
Of these duties that when industries
are thriving, and prices here and abroad
are such as to afford fair return to
producers, the proportion of specific
duties to the value of goods is reduced.
But that proportion rises and the in
dustries of the country are more eff
GENTLY defended when depression comes
abroad or here, so thatgoods are thrown
on the market at prices less than their
normal cost.
A moderate specific duty is therefore
more effective than a much higher ad
valorem duty, which is by itself suffi-
cient reason for preferring the specific
form wherever it is practicable. The
truth is that n tariff composed main
" of ad valorem duties can hardly be
high enough to afford moderate protec-
ton for home industry. If duties on
wooden cloths and dress goods imported
during the last year had been relative
" no higher than they are now-4o
and so per cent. of their value, but spe-
cific in character-it is certain that
large share of goods would have been
excluded or government would have
obtained many millions more OF rev.
cpue. 1t is to be hoped that means may
be found to avoid the compound or
mixed method formerly employed, and
to make the duties on goods of such
character absolutely fixed with refer
ence to qualities Of weight and fine
ness which can be determined by in
spection readily and with certainty
n. Y. Tribune.
DMr. Cleveland has had an ANTITRUST
low for four yenrS He has had some