Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-07-08
Pushing 1t Along.


form very. satisfactory to the farmers.
The wool schedules have been put back
to within cent Of the House rates on
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-dnding
of the Democrats cannot complain OF
1t.
That all this has been done in a Sen
ate in which the Republicans are in an
absolute minority is remarkable
nomenal, indeed. Seldom, II ever, has
a tariff bill been enacted with only one
branch of Congress controlled by the
party In power in the White House,
and when this follows close upon a
campaign of so much bitterness as that
Of last fall 1t 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 evade the increased duties
which the new tariff law is expected
to impose seems likely to continue up
to the very day upon which 1t goes into
effect. The June receipts Of the Treas
ury have averaged over million dol
lars a day, and the indications are that
the importations this month will be
heavier than In any preceding month,
except those of April, which were more
than 100 million dollars in value. The
May importations were in round num-
bers eighty million dollars in value, and
it 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 a 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 eight-five million
dollars per month, while those Of the
corresponding months of last year aver
age but little over 1fty-five millions per
month.
The effect Of this enormous importa-
ton Of goods upon which duties are 20
be collected under the new law will be
felt the moment that act goes into eff
feet by a suspension Of impOrtations OF
| that class Of articles and consequent
| falling off in the customs revenue. The
customs receipts in April Of the present
year were more than double those 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
new law will have accumulated In this
| country in such enormous quantities
that importations 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
warehouses by hundreds of millions of
dollars in value shall have been ex-
hausted.
A statement just issued by the Treas
ury Department covering the importa-
tions of the month of April gives some
idea of the abnormal importations now
going on and the effect they will have
upon the revenues when the new law
goes into effect. While there has been
a disposition on the part OF Democrats
to assume that the tariff on agricultur-
al productions is humbug and does
not affect importations at all, Is never
theless q fact that 130,S3S bushels OF
wheat were 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 IL
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 az
great as in April, 1896, being In mum
beers 62,S49, against 13,411 in April OF
last year. In the item Of "crude tartar,
now upon the free list, but likely to bt
placed upon the dutiable list by the
new law, the April importations 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 duty
upon II, was nearly six times as mucl
as that imported in April, 1896. TIT
prospect that certain grades Of raw cot
ton are to be placed upon the dutiabl'
list Is already being felt, the April Inn
portations being nearly ten millioI
pounds, against six million pounds o.
last year. The prospect that hides
would be placed on the dutiable lis
has also had marked effect In in
creas!ng the importations of this class
of foreign products, the April importa
lions of hides amounting to 1897 ,4O'
pounds, against 9,670,702 pounds II
April of last year. The importation
of leather and, manufactures from
leather also doubled. Our Chinese AM
Japanese friends who seem to hav'
been ON the alert with reference to on
tariff generally, evidently took tn
alarm early In the year, for the quaint
ty of rice imported in April amounted
to over twenty million pounds In tn
dutiable class, against 100000 pound