New-York tribune., 1909-04-20

question TO which ask al :
@ ,he Committee on Finance produce suficient reye-
revenue taxes other existing sources Of TeHe
out the imposition Of additional fsxes snTa @II
vestigation Gf tI Ia'eE thorough and careful in
10 surround the problem, that it will
Mr. Aldrfch submitted statements showing the re-
ceiPts olsoursements surpuses and deficits actual
Gnu anu estimated OF the Treasury for the fiscal years
1900 TO 1911 inclusive His estimates for the fiscal
years 1909 10 1911, inclusive, were as follows:
1a6a ,seAi year .Rsce@ipts @ Disbursements Surplus
1911 eas 10000 6sSoSoSSS SSS 45G%9SC9 5%SS
.Dencit
In these statements both the receipts and dis
oursements for the Panama Canal have been elm
mated for obvious reasons" said Mr. AIdrch IT
IS inc policy of Congress. which think has uni
'erSai approval that payments for the canal and
IT'S construction should not be made from current
revenues but by the sale of bonds The fig
ures submit include receipts and disbursements
except those OF the Postof1ce Department and the
fanama Canal but the postal deficiencies are in
Guided in all cases in the disbursements. The
statement consists of the actual official figures of
receipts and disbursements for the wears 1900 to
ISoS inclusive and shows that in these years the
act OF 1897 (exsting law produced a surplus Of
s4Ze.oo6,221. an average yearly surplus of S47.-
o-e,469 The statement commences with the year
1900 The Spanish followed the enactment of
the act of 1897. and the revenues and expenses of
me government did not reach normal conditions
until the year 1900"
TREASURY. FIGURES ANALYzED.
Mr. AIdrich explained that he arrived at his cs-
Inmates from data obtained in consultation with
Treasury experts. He continued
arsT sIAns the present fiscal year fer examination,
half months. which are Receipts, $46s 042 S75; dis
6gFseineas ag3 9,s *S33 9S6S1 showing deficit Of sos
$3.50 have taken the Disbursements 1858 $50,
40 for nine and half months and estimated those
Tor the succeeding two and half months the
same oasis reaching the result of S67i5G9,6S0. The
customs customs receipts for the remaining two and half
under the terms of existing Law
IN making the estimates OF receipts of the year
first nine and half months being available. the
hgures for the remaining two and q half months
are based on these ascertained results and iad-
cate receipts for the year of $6O5O47.250 The fig
an estimated deficit az the end Of the year of S6s
tSz 400 For the year 1910 the appropriations have
already been made. and the amount which will be
expended can be foretold with approximate accu-
In making the estimates for these expenditures
nave nave taken the gross appropriations for the wear
the Posoo sf as @ tha sSk6F D
fund SeOOooGo; the national bank fund. $50 coaooe
added the official estimate for the postal deficiency
of o s SWs @ m a IS bdrT @
possible that this total amount will be expended
the S5th Of June ne next the customs revenues for
The entire fiscal year Of 1910 would be collected M
tute the crucial point in our invest cations,
For the purpose of asCertainnE the relative reve
nue nroducinE Qualities Of the Senate bill and th1
act Of 1897 the Committee on Finance has propared
morning II applies the rates Of the senate bin TO
the importations OF 1907: In other words II shows
the inportatons made in 1907 if t2e senate bi had
been in force during that year We have selected
last in which the finances and business Of the
country were In a normal condition
REVENUE FROM CUSTOMS.
. The statement shows that if the Senate bill had
by it Would have been IS 900 600 greater than those
collected cole 8 under the Dingey act the totals hein6
under the Senate bill.
This increase OF revenue is due 10 advances in
rates on few articles Of luxury such as wine.
spirits etc 1t Is also due TO the substitution made
specific for ad valorem duties. This viii prevent
nues THIS increase will be more marked in the silk
schedule than elsewhere; There are other changes
the comparative revenues.
The changes which We propose TO make in the
dutiable value and new methods in its proper ascer
tainmsnt; ~ more efficient collection machinery
court to insure uniformity of decisions in
of the committee result in the collection of a Ger
tain percentage more revenue In the importation Of
the same articles than was collected under the act
The extent Of the undervallations practised IN |
der existing law IS variously estimated at from 10
to % per cent of the revenue collection. II any |
the provisions have alluded TO- we can certainrS |
safely add $4,000 900 10 the estimate of Of
for 1910. based upon the importation of 1907 OF |
53z5 900 900. have assumed that the importation of
l901 is the proper basis for comparison. We should
lose sight OF the fact that there Will he approx
States TO provided for IN 1910 than in 1907 and
If other conditions remain the there viii be
a natural increase from this cause. The committee
believe that the extent of mpOTtatiCnS and result
ing revenue VIII be greater in 1910 than in 1907
because of improved business conditions.
business activity and the movement for increased
mportations have already begun. We feel the
change In the air. The customs receipts for the
thirty nine business days from March o April !
10 inclusive increased. compared with the cor
days In 1908 S12O31 093 06. an aver
age daily increase Of s261.545 so. This increase
seems TO be progressive as the report for the last
1ay which have April Is shows receipts from all
sources S2072.071 SIS, compared with receipts Of
Il .2S3 321 80 the corresponding Gay of last year
cen days OF April were $3.50 Jos 81 against Sill
)39 271 IS IN April OF last year, and the statement
II April 20 Is shows excess Of receipts over
expenditures this year OF 1912 92a 80, as against
IN excess of expenditures receipts In the
corresponding period Of last year of $66IS 925 S.
There is no incentive for these enlarged importa-
ions except improved conditions of the country |
nd reduced stocks of imported merchandise The |
ason for accelerated imports. there are prac-
icalIy no rates above the rates imposed by the act
1897 It must be conceded that the era of pres
eritv which began the first part Of March *
kelly to continue uninterruptedly with the enact
1ent of wise tariff legislation.
Those " do not believe In this continued roarc+,
f Improvement have little knowledge of the re-
operative powers of the American people and
ali to measure correctly the of the spirit
? confidence which will accompany a guarantees
T security and industrial peace.
The estimates which l have made Of increased
evenues growing out of this change in conditions
re most conservative. II the rate of increase
hich has obtained since the first of March should
e appIed 70 Tie eight Lmonths Of the fiscal year