The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-11-26
FIGURES ON THE NEW TARIFF.
DingIey Measure Brings In Half "A
Million a Day.

Washington, Nov. 2l.-The discussion
as TO the revenue producing qualities OF
the present tariff law lends especial inter
est to series of tables just issued by the
treasury bureau of statistics showing the
receipts from various sources by months
during a long term of years. An exam
ination of these figures shows that the
customs receipts of the treasury depart
ment now amount to one-half of the ordi-
nary expenditures of the government,
which is about the usual proportion al
lotted to the branch of the revenue-pro-
ducing service.
The ordinary expenditures of the gov
eminent aside from those of the postof-
fee, which is practically self-sustaining,
are usually calculated at about 81 10000
day, and averaged during the years 1894
to 1897 $360,500,00O per annum, and at
about the same ration in 1898, emitting
the Pacific railroad and extraordinary
war expenditures. The general plans of
those charged with the duty of providing
the revenues for the government have
contemplated the production of one-half
of the necessary expenditures from GUS
toms and the remaining half from inter
nal revenue and miscellaneous sources
or, in other words, a half million dollars
day from customs and Il half million
dollars a day from internal revenue and
miscellaneous.
1t is interesting, therefore, to examine
the detailed figures of the receipts of the
government during the time in which the
present customs law has operated under
normal conditions and to determine
whether it is supplying its assigned pro
poltion-one-halt OF the normal eXpendi-
lures.
Half IA Million Ia Day.
The daily statement of receipts and eX-
penditures issued by the treasury depart
ment shows that on December IL, the
| l40th day of the present financial year.
the customs receipts had during these ITO
days amounted to $73,240,340. OF this
sum a little over 81 100000 was from the
duty placed on tea by the war revenue
act, so that fully $72,OOO,OOO of the $751;
24O, 429 received in these lao days are the
legitimate normal revenue from the rates
levied by the customs law enacted in 1897.
or little more than the promised rate OF
half million dollars u day from GUS
toms under that act. The receipts from
customs during the last ten years have
averaged $50. 900 per month. This
ten years term includes the operation OF
four tariff laws, and it is therefore inter
esting to compare the operations of the
new law at its various stages with this
general average during a ten years term
which includes the operations OF foul
tariff acts.
As it was not expected that the new
law would in its first few months operate
normally in its production of customs
revenues, owing to the excessive importa
tions just prior to its enactment, it j:
not improper to show, first, the average
receipts during the first four months Of
its operation included in the calendar
year 1897, and also to consider separately
the last four months of its operation, dat
ing from the beginning OF the present
fiscal year.
Receipts from customs, monthly aver
age, ten years, lSS9-9S, $50, $4,000; Aug
ust to December, 1897, SO 1927 900; Janu
AIRY l to November l., 1898, $l5,07 900
July l to November /, 1898, $l5, 1888, 900.