New-York tribune., 1899-06-09
REvEyUE LAWS INDICATED.

Men who still choose to utter deliberate false
hoods about their country's doings In the far-or
Philippines have grown less Indifferent to pub
lie contempt respecting untruthful accounts OF
the revenue laws and their results Daily pub
llcaton of official records enables the people to
detect fasehoods on that subject with much IA
cility so that the slanderer Of his country pre-
fers a safer field But the results Of the Ding
lev act have so fully justified the expectations of
ifs trainers that the record forms most inter-
esting chapter Of financial history, and one high
" creditable TO the party in power. 1t is neces-
sary to remember that it was publicly declared
by the trainers of the act before 1t passed that
they did not expect it to yield its full revenue
the first year, owing to enormous importations
of wool and other articles in anticipation OF its
duties. But after that year 1t was estimated that
the act would restore the revenue adequate to
meet all ordinary expenditures of government
including about S2000000OO yearly from GUS
toms duties In the fiscal year 1893 the customs
revenue was S199 143,67S, which was yielded by
the Mckinley act During the eleven months
which have elapsed Of the second hscal year
under the Dingley act the customs revenue mas
been S1SS, ,060, ,904, and another month with rev.
enue equal to that of May would make the
years customs receipts S206 6,4OOOOO Deducuon
for the tea duty added in 1893 would make the
revenue under the act Of 1897 almost exactly
equal to that of 1893.
It was further estimated that the Dingley act
would yield from internal taxes fully as much as
such receipts were during the fiscal year 1871,
then amounting to 146,6SS,774. In fact, the act
did yield In It's first fiscal year ending with June,
1898, no less than S16S4S0,S1S, only small
amount being due to the new war tax enacted
on June 49, With any possible allowance on
that account the revenue from the INTERNAL
taxes under the Dingley act exceeded that OF
the year 1897 by S1O,O00,O00 or more. What re-
celpts would have been under that act during the
last year had not internal taxes been Increased
nv the war measure it IS of course impossible
to determine. and while the internal revenue
under both acts has been about S943OOOOo
larger in the last eleven months than in the
same months Of the previous year, 1t does not ap-
pear that the war tax has yielded quite as much
AS was expected. But new internal taxes almost
Invariably fail to bring in their full returns dur
ing their first year. owing to the countless
uoints subject to adjudication, and also to par
tial anticipation Of their provisions.
In a recent interview 1t was said by Senator
Allison that the revenue laws could hardly DE
modified during the next fiscal year. While 1t
was expected that the expenses OF the war
would be met In part by the loan authorized
md not wholly by increased revenue, 1t Is now
evident that the entire cost Of war and new re-
suonsibilities have been more than met by those
two sources. Charges on account of the war
have been so far cleared away that In May re-
cepts exceeded all expenditures, including eN-
pcpditures amounting TO several millions on ac-
count Of increased Army and Navy. But 1t Is
vet impossibe 10 estimate with much accuracy
what additional expenses the new conditions
NAV involve beyond the revenue derived from
new possessions. No sensible Congress Will at
tempt to adjust taxes TO the new conditions un-
III much more is known Of the probable cost and
revenue of the new possessions than can De
known within another year. 1t Will take at
least full year after peace and order have been
completely restored, so that commerce and In
dustrles can be well revived, to indicate what
revenue the new possessions will yield, and un
III there has been definite action by Congress re
garding their status and form OF government
the cost of such government cannot be deter
mined But the remarkable success of the Re
publican Congress in meeting the needs Of the
Nation, both on account Of prostration under
Democratic rule and on account Of war and its
consequences warrants the belief that when
ever the time has come the revenue laws will be
revised with similar wisdom and practical
admiration OF means TO ends