Milford chronicle., 1908-10-30

arthur a. IOOS6 demonstrates REuMl
Records of the Treasury Depart.
ment That Ninety Per Ceat. Of
the Money Collected on Imports
is Levied on Articles Not Chased
as "Necessaries Of Life"
The so-called tariff taxes" are
paid by the rich. That is the conelu-
sion reached By Arthur ]. Dodge, a
well known writer on the tariff, IN an
article discussing the various phases
of the subject
Mr. Dodge demonstrates from the
records of the Treasury Department
that ninety per cent. of all tariff du-
[ ties are paid upon articles classed as
/ luxuries consumed by the rich, leav-
/ ing little, if any, of these duties to
/ be paid by the great mass of people
who are classed as the wage earners
and farmers.
This information is particularly in
teTesting at this time when Mr.. Bryan
and his followers are asserting that
'the poor are oppressed by the tariff
taxes" and 'the masses are bowed
down under the weight of tariff taxes
upon the necessaries of life"
If these duties are really paid by
the American consumer and not by
the foreign exporter, it is thus shown
that the burden if burden there is,
rests wholly upon the rich.
The following table compiled from
Government records is presented:
Tariff Facts.
Total values Of goods admitted
tree OF duty. ......:......... S454 100000
Total values Of dutia5e imports 527 100000
Total duties collected. d.......... 257 100000
Total duties collected on lux
urles .....:., :.;...:........ SO,OO0OOO
Total values Of dutiable luxuries
imported .......... S......... l32,OO0, 600
Average rate of duty on all du-
table imports. ........,......47 per cent.
Average rate of duty on ma
terials ..........;. ...........29 per cent.
Average rate Of duty on COM
pleted manufactures .........49 per cent.
Average. rate Of duty on lux
uile5 ......--... .........., 80 per cent.
Luxuries admitted free Of duty,
valued at only y................ Sll 100000
Values Of all other articles ad-
mitted free of duty. 443, 100000
In this list the s80,O0O,OOO of
duties collected on what are officially
3lassed as luXuries amounts only to
about thirty per cent. OF the whole
external revenue. But the writer
shows that the finer grades Of many
)ther imports should also be classed
IS Injuries, and that the tariff so
them in putting a higher
ate upon them than upon the lower
,rade of the same commodities.
Such classes are fine linen, onyx
nd other valuable stones; fine ma
etc, from which the revenue
Increases the luxury" budget to
bOut S23O 000 0OO-that is ninatv
er cent. of the total external rev.
nue..
Protection, Wages and Prosperity.
After all, at the base of this SUBJ
,ct of tariff duties levied upon ar
cles imported, whether of luxuries
: necessities, there rest important
'inciples which the working people,
rmers and general consumers of
)ods in the country should reflect
ION, when considering where a vote
ay safely and wisely be placed in
e Presidential election, and in the
ection of members of Congress.
lille it may be important that the
te Of duty on "luXuries" shall be
CHER than the rate of duty on
after all, it is a aues-
IN of wages for the workingmen,
d prosperity of the industries in
2 United States which produce the
-icles which directly compete with
2 imported goods, whether they
''luXuries" or necessities" The
van free-trade idea is to reduce
duties on necessities, " no matter
" much labor may be expended
On such goods.