New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-02-07
OFF THE TRACK.

Tho Baltimore Sun seems deter
mined not to be pleased at the malerlai
increase in importations Of duty free
commodities reported since The Payne
law went into effect. We called attention
the ether day TO the fact that under the
new tariff law the percentage OF Tree
importations is larger than II has ever
been under any other tariff law except
the Mckinley law, the share OF free IN
uorts having risen since August last
from 1852 TO 1895 per cent The pro
portion under the Mckinley law was
for 3 time q little higher. because all
sugars came in free. while the treasury
paid a bounty on sugars OF domestic
production. The Sun" has advocated
low tariff duties and on many articles
no tariff duties, yet it shows no graUh-
cation at the recent marked expansion
of the free list. and tries 10 find an eX-
PLANTATION for il in an alleged deplorable
shrinkace in the volume of dutiable I'M
portatiens against which, ii suggests, The
present tariff rates have been made
-'p-objbitive." Says our Baltimore con
temporary:
Duties can be put so high On dutiable
goods that nc dutiable goods will come
in at all. and then the percentage Of free
imports will be loo. This will not, how
ever be because our people have ceased
70 wish 10 buy the cheaper foreign goods.
but because the high tariff tax makes
their purchase impossible. Duties have
already been put SO high as 10 virtually
exclude large classes Of goods, thus
swelling the proportion Of free imports.
In view of these considerations, 1t Is alb
surd TO argue that the Payne tariH IA
vors free imports more than the Dingley
tariff did.
If importauons as q whole we're de-
creaSing OF at d standstill, the increase
reported in the percentage o. duty free
importarions would be prIHlG facie proof
that dutiable importations were falling
Of and might give some countenance TO
the charge that prohibitive rates were
responsible for the shrinkage. Yet. as
& matter Of fact, importations Of both
sorts are rapidly increasing, only the
free impoTtations are growing 81
somewhat faster rate than are the du-
table ones. The imports from Europe
in the calendar year 1909 were larger in
value BY $21S.opo,goo than the imports
from Europe in the calendar year 1905.
This gain has been distributed through
out the entire year and has not been due
10 heavy anticipatory importaticns IN
June and July Of articles of luxury, the
rates on which We're advan need after
August 6. when the Payne law took
effect That law increased rates on few
articles other than lUxuries. and il has
consequently not diminished or excluded
dutiable importauons, as The Sun
thinks The Treasury statement for
January. 1910. covering duties on i'm
ports collected in the seven months since
July !. 19G9-one month and five days
under the Dingley law and five months
and tvcnty-si1 days under the Payne
law-shows that there has been an in
crease in customs revenue of 100000
over the total for the same seven
months in 1@pS-'09. The Payne tariff is
letting dutiable foreign goods in more
freely than the Dngley tariff did, while
q the "a NE time il has greatly enlarged
the volume Of free importatioDs. II
should not be condemned on either of
these counts By critics who believe in
buying more goods abroad and bringing
them into this country with the least
possible impeachment