The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-04-30
WHAT ARTICLES PAY the DUTIES.

Twelve articles or classes of articles
paw three fourths of the S3OO.OOO,OO0
per annum collected as tariff duties
by the government of the United
States. The duties collected under the
existing tariff law have averaged $780,
100000 per annum during the past
three, years, the largest sum being in
the fiscal year 1907, when the total
collections amounted to 1929, 100000
In that year. 1907, sugar paid S6O,Ooo.-
600 duty, cotton manufactures $780,
100000 leaf tobacco S22OO0.OO0, manu-
features of fbres S220OO.00O, manu-
features of silk S2O0OO,OOO, manufac
lures of wool S2O,OOO,OOO, raw wool,
Sl6500O00; spirits, wines and malt
liquors, Sl6,OOOOOO, manufactures of
iron and steel $l20O0,OOO, earthen
and china ware SS,O0O,O0O: chemicals,
drugs and dies. $7,50O0OO and fruits
and nuts 100000; the total for these
twelve articles or groups of articles
being S250.000O00, or just three-fourths
of the 1929 100000 of tariff duties
collected in that year.
These figures are standardization
of an elaborate statement published
by the Bureau of Statistics of the
Department of Commerce and Labor.
The statement shows the amount of
duty collected in each year since 1920,
the share of the imports which paid
duty in each year, the average ad
valorem rate of duty on all merchan-
disc imported and the average on the
dutiable only, the duty collected per
capita and the amount of duty col
lected on each dutiable article in the
more recent years.
While the statement is very ella.
borate one, covering in outline the
tariff history of eighty eight years, and
showing the duty collected in recent
years on thousands of different arti-
cles, its chief facts may. be summed
up in a few words. The amount of
customs or tariff duty collected in
1921 was $l9,OOOOOO in 1880. $2S,OOO,-
900, in 1850 $40,OOO,O00, in 1860 $53,-
100000, in 1870 $l92,OOO,OOO in 1880
Sl33O00,000, i'm 1890 1921 100000, in
1900 1929, 100000, in 1907, the largest
sum ever collected from tariff, $685.
100000, and in 1908 2S3,OOO,OOO; the
being, in round terms, 0O,000,0OO per
annum The duties collected amounted
in 1921 to 30 per cent of the value
of the total merchandise imported; in
1880 to 40 per cent, in 1850 to % per
cent, in 1860 to l6 per cent; in 1870
to AZ per cent, in 1880 to 90 per cent,
in 1890 to 20 per cent, in 1900 to %
per cent, and in 1907, to % per cent
of the total value of the merchandise
brought into the country.
The share of the imported mer.
chandise which paid duty on enter
ing the country has varied greatly.
From 1920 down to 1888 less than 10
per cent of the merchandise entering
the country came in free of duty
From 1888 to 1874 the share admitted
free of duty ranged from % to so
per cent of the total. From that date
to 1857 the share imported free of duty
ranged from Q to II per cent of the
total. From 1857 to 1863 the share
imported free of duty ranged from 20
to p per cent. From 1868 to 1867 the
share imported free of duty ranged
from II to 10 per cent. From 1867
to 1873 the proportion entering with
out payment of duty ranged from Az
to S1s per cent of the total Begin
ming with 1873 the share of merchan-
disc imported free of duty steadily in
creased commencing with q per cent
in that year and reaching Sc per cent
of the total in 1892, SO per cent in
1894, 4S1a per cent in 1896, and 1917
per cent in 1908, 47h per cent in
1905 and 44K per cent in 1908. The
share which the customs duties have
borne in producing the revenues of the
country has also varied with varying
conditions.