The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-05-27
INTERESTING TARIFF FACTS.

Twelve articles or classes Of articles
pay three-fourths of the 300 million dol
lars per annum collected as tarlff duties
by the Government of the Uuited States.
The duties collected under the existing
tariff law have averaged 800 million dol
lars per annum during the past three
years, the largest sum being in the fiscal
year 1907, when the total collections
amounted to 329 million dollars. In that
year, 1907, sugar paid 60 million dollars
duty; cotton manufactures, 80 millions:
leaf tobacco, % millions; manufactures
OF fibers, % millions; manufactures of
silk, 20 millions; manufactures of wool,
~ millions; raw wool, 16 IL millions;
spirits, wines and malt liquors, 16 mil
hons; manufactures of iron and steel, IL
millions; earthen and china ware, mil
mons; chemicals, drugs and dyes, 1-2
millions; and fruit and nuts, Z millions
the total for these twelve articles or
groups OF articles being $50 millions, or
just three-fourths of the 1923 million dol
lars OF tariff duties collected in that wear.
The amount of customs or tariff duty
collected in 1921 was 10 million dollars; in
1880, % millions; in 1850, 40 millions; in
1860, 90 millions; in 1870, 1872 millions; in
1880, 1873 millions; in 1890, 221 millions;
IN 1900, 229 millions in l9O7-the largest
sum ever collected from tariff-329 mil
lions, and in 1908, 1873 millions; the annual
average in the past three years being in
round terms 300 millions per annum. The
duties collected amounted in 1921 to IS per
cent of the value of the total merchan-
disc imported; in 1880, to As per cent; in
1851, to % per cent; in 1860, to 16 per |
cent; in 1870, to AZ per cent; in 1880, to
~ 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 merchan-
disc brought into the country.
:. The share of the imported merchan-
disc which paid duty on entering the
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
rs to so per cent of the total From that
date to 1857, the share imported free of
duty ranged from 9 to II per cent of the
total. From 1857 to 1868, the share i'm
ported free of duty ranged from 20 to q |
per cent. From 1868 to 1867, the share
imported free of duty ranged from II to
10 per cent. From 1867 to 1873 the pro-
portion entering witgout payment of duty
ranged from 1-2 to 1-2 per cent of the
total. Beginning with 1873 the share of
merchandise imported free of duty steadi-
ly increased, commencing with 81 per
cent in that year and reaching Sc per
cent of the total in 1892, SO per cent in
1894, 48 IL per cent in 1896, 40 l-2 per
cent in 1898, AZ 1-2 per cent in 1905, and
A 1-2 per cent in 1908.
The share which the customs duties
have borne in producing the revenues of
the country has varied with varying con-
ditlons. From 1871 on down to 1S4S small
sums were collected as internal revenue,
seldom, however, reaching as much as l
million dollars. In 1868, however, the
present system of internal revenue was
established, the receipts therefrom in that
year being in round terms SO million dol
lars, while the customs receipts were GA
millions. In the period from 1864 to 1868
the internal revenue receipts averaged
II million dollars per annum and the
custom receipts 1877 millions per annum.
With the close of the Civil War period
internal taxes were modified, and the an
nual average of internal revenue receipts
during the period from 1869 to 1897 was
l5o million dollars per year, and the GUS
toms receipts l8l millions per year. Dur
ing the Spanish war period,
from 1898 to 1902, the receipts from in
ternal revenue averaged 265 millions per
year, and the custom receipts 2l2 mil
lions per year. With the modification of
the internal revenue taxes following the
close of the Spanish war the
receipts therefrom again fell below those
of the customs, and the annual average
of the internal revenue receipts in the
period between 1908 and 1908 was 245
millions, while those from customs was
294 millions.