Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-02
AMERICAN TARIFF LAWS
| w. Hamilton BEazeS Protectors Way
BY FREDERIC j. HASKZN

sidering\ the fact that parliamentary
procedure was clumsy and unWieluy
in those DAYS. this Is almost record time
for the passage OF a tariff law.
Even this measure proved 10 De
makeshift. Just as the failure of the
sunreme court to uphold the income
tax law is held to have been response
BILE for the collapse of the wilson
tariff. so the failure of congress 10
provide for an internal revenue TAX
to accompany the tariff act or l19V
brought about a deficit In the reve-
nues, and third session or the nrst
congress came to the rescue with an
internal revenue tax on spirits.
Again in 1899 the government needed
more money to defend the frontiers,
the expenditures exceeding the reve-
nues by more than 100000. Congress
once more called on Secretary Hamil-
ton for plan by which to raise more
money. During the debate on the reso-
luton one member said he opposed the
manner of calling on cabinet officers
for information, that not even the EN-
glish parliament was so obsequious to
ministers as some gentlemen are TO
our secretaries" But the secretary re-
ported, estimating that the net amount
necessary to be raised would be $685.
600, and that it could be secured by in
creasing the tariff rate. This was car
ried when the matter came up for
action. There was new tariff legisla-
ton again in 1894. Between that time
and 1916 there were twenty-four
changes in the tariff. In 1895 the duties
on sugar and tea were simplifed. In
1897 an addition was made to the duty
upon sugar, inolasSes, tea, cocoa, velvet
and muslins. These increases We're to
be applied to the liquidation of the
public debt
Later in the same year the tax upon
salt was raised from IL to 20 cents, and
corresponding increases were author
lied on sailed goods. This salt tax was
a bitter grievance to the people of the
black country" as the remote sections
were then known. This duty was ex-
pected to end in 1900, but it was ex-
tended for ten years, though finally re-
new tariff legislation, the increases to
be applied to the public debt
In 1904 our trouble with the Barbary
powers made new revenues necessary,
and the ad valorem rates were in
creased 2h per cent. There were other
changes, and in 1906 old copper, salt
peter and sulphur were added to the
free list, because of the desire of the
government to provide itself with the
munitions of -yar. At the beginning
of the war of 1912 all duties were
doubled, and this rate was maintained
until the general act Of 1916 became
effective.
During all these years the right OF
petition was not allowed to become
rusty by disuse, although 1t was less
frequently resorted to then than at
present. For the most part petitions
received action. thing that would be
impossible today. petition by paint
makers for higher duties, on the ground
that they had invented a new and inn
proved process for making paint,
brought forth response on the part
of the committee on manufactures in
forming them that If the new method
was so much better, it certainly
ought to be able to compete with the
old on equal terms. The Hat Makers
society of New York laid the founda-
ton of a plea that has lasted for
more than a hundred years. They rep
resented that low tariff was taking
the bread from their mouths. Per-
haps the most remarkable petition that
was ever filed with congress was re-
ceived about this time. 1t came from
lot of brewers, and they asked con-
gress not only to encourage brewing,
but to take such steps as would en-
courage the use of malt liquors
throughout the United States.
Copyright, 1909, by Frederick J. Haskin)
Tomorrow-American Tariff Laws.
V-The Tariff OF 1924.