The Oskaloosa herald., 1909-04-29
TAX ON COCOA IS.
TO Be INCREASED
Lovers Of Beverage to Pay $4,000
900 More Per Year,
SPECIALIZING ON THE TARIFF
shrewd Dealers II is Charged Work
ed OFF Lot of out-of-Date
Goods on unsophisticat-
ed Women.

| Washington, ID. c., Apr. 28.--ln the
excitement over the duty on coffee
and tea proposed in the Payne tariff
bill as reported to the House, an
other rather formidable tax on the
breakfast table was overlooked. 1t
appertained to cocoa. The extent 10
which this is used as beverage was
little realized by those VINO examined
the bill, and as the cocoa drinkers
made no protest, their case babe fair
to go by default. The coffee and tea
drinkers. were prompt and vigorous
to threaten vengeance if tax should
be imposed on their drink, but tae
cocoa contingent seemed willing
meekly to submit to an assessment OF
nearly 100000 year for the gov
eminent revenue. ~. #. f.. ~
Last year more cocoa than tea
was imported by the United states.
The imports of tea amounted to just
short of 91,000,00o pounds. The VAL
ue of the latter was $l3,o00,OOO.
There has been a steady increase in
the consumption of cocoa the I'M
ports having been 3S.000,u00 pounds
in 1899 and 73,00O.O00 in 1904. The
imports of coffee last year were $685.
100000 pounds, valued at $7l,8OO,000.
In the Dingley law cocoa is on the
free list. The Payne bill as report
ed, placed upon it a tax of four cents
a pound. This was amended in the
House to three cents, which would
mean that the cocoa consumers would
pay nearly $3,000,000 a year into the
government treasury. One of the
changes the democrats in the House
proposed in the Payne bill was the
placing of cocoa on the free list. 1t
was voted down. The Senate FL
nance Committee, however, has re-
stored it to the free list and the
chances are that it will De there
when the tariff oil becomes a law.
The chief cocoa importations last
year, in round numbers, were from
the British West Indies, 23,000UUY
pounds, Brazil z0,000,000. Portugal
-10. 400. 400: Santo Romingo I0,00D.eo1
and Ecuador 100000. lFE "a
Varied and devious are the ways
of man when it comes to making
money out of the tariff
Uncertainty as to whether some of
the rates will be moved up or down
affords an ideal opportunity for spec
ulation and large advantage is being
taken of it Millions of bags of cot
fee were imported last winter when
it appeared that tax would be plac-
ed upon that staple. At that time
the Ways and Means Committee vot-
ed to place a TAX of four cents a
pound on coffee, but the pressure of
public sentiment has been so great
that coffee will be retained on the
free list This means a considerable
loss to the gentlemen engaged in that
particular speculation.
In many other branches there is
active speculation, particularly IN
knit goods and hosiery, Thousands
of cases of hosiery and knit goods
were imported from Germany after
the discovery of the enormous in
crease in the duties on these articles
recommended in the Payne bill. AS
the Senate Finance Committee has
voted in favor of the retention of the
present rates of duty, disappointment
may come also to these spectators.
Word has reached here from various
cities that the lady ultimate consum-
er, aided and abetted by the merchant
has also been .ured into the field of
speculation. 1t appears hat many
merchants taking advantage of the
wide publicity given the proposed
increase in the tariff, have urged their
women patrons that it would re wise
for them to lay in a years stock OIL
gloves and hosiery. They have had
no difficulty in pointing out the large
savings to be accomplished if GER
tain things possible are done with the
tariff on these articles, and the lure
in many cases has been effective.
The result is not only an increase inI
sales but the disposal OF lines Of
goods long on the shelves for the pur-
chase of which nothing like a fighting
spirit has been shown by the public. 4
The Art of Beinu Happy