The Republican journal., 1910-08-04
Washington Letter.

WASHINGTON, D. c., August LIST. Figures
covering II months operations of the Payne
tariff law, showing imports free and duitable,
customs and average ad valorem of duty and
comparing the same with corresponding periods
under three preceding tariff laws, have been
presented by the Bureau of Etatistics of the
Department of Commerce and Labor. The
Payne tariff law went into effect on the morn
ing of August g. 1909. but the returns to the
Bureau of Statistics do not enable it to separ-
ate in it's statements the business of the five
days of August in which imports were under
the former law, and the statement, which COW
ers the II months, August to June 80, there
fore include five days under the Dingley law.
The statement shows the total imports in the
IL months period august l, 1909, to June 80,
1910) as 81 445 S66,500 against 81 1881 in
the corresponding II months of the fiscal year
1907, the former high-record year in imports
OF this total of LAS million dollars under the
Payne law, 49.14 per cent entered free OF
duty, being a larger percentage free of duty
than in the corresponding period of any earlier
year except 1897, the closing year of the Will
son tariff law, and 1892, 1898 and 1894 under
the Mckinley law, which admitted sugar free
of duty.
Customs receipts during the II months
operation of the Payne tariff law were $780,
1922. 161, exceeding those of the corresponding
period of any earlier year except 1907, when
the receipts for the corresponding months
aggregated 1907 05S, 3Sl. Comparing the GUS
toms receipts for the period, as reported by
the Treasury Department, 1902, S22, 161, with
the value of imports as reported to the Bureau
of Statistics by the Collectors of Customs.
81, 445, 966, 800, the average ad valorem rate of
duty on all imports is shown to have been 20. 95
per cert, and on dutabe imports 4l.l9 per
cent a comparison of this ad valorem rate
of duty with that of corresponding periods in
each year back to 1890 shows lower rate on
total imports than in the corresponding period
of any fiscal year except 1896, the second year
of the Wilson law, when the ad valorem rate
averaged 20.5S per cent, and 1894, the closing
year of the Mckinley law, when the ad va
Aorem rate averaged 1873 per cent
On iutiable imports only the average ad va
loren rate under the Payne law, 4l.l9 per
cent. is lower than in the corresponding period
of any earlier year since 1880, except 1896
;under the Wilson law, when the average ad
gaIorem was 1898 ! er cent. Comparing the
entire period Of the operation of the Payne
law with the entire period of the operation of
the Dingley, Wilson and Mckinley laws, re-
spectively, the average ad valoren rate under
the Payne law is less than under any of its
Ghree predecessors that on total imports undeI
the Payne law being, already indicated,
20. 95 per cent; that under the Dingley law for
the entire period of its operation, 25.4S per
cent; under the Wilson law, 2l.92 per cent,
under the Mckinley law, 2212 per cent. On
dutiabe merchandise only the average ad va
loren rate under the Payne law, 4l.19 per cent.
is also lower than that of any of its predeces-
sors; that of the Dingley law having been for
its entire period, 1915 per cent; that of the
Wilson law for its entire period, 1892 per cent,
and that of the Mckinley law for its entire
period, 47.l0 per cent.
The percentage of merchandise entering
free of duty under the entire operation of the
Payne law thus far is larger than under the
DlHSItS VI w HSoIi law, Dul SiiSiliy iSoo Vial
under the Mckinley law, which admitted sugar
free of duty, the share entering free of duty
under the Payne law during its entire opera
ton having been 49,14 per cent; under the
Dingley law during its entire period. ABB per
cent; under the Wilson law during its entire
period 1882 per cent and under the McKin-
ley law during its entire operation, 53.04 per
cent.
The average monthly imports during the
entire operation of the four laws, respective
iy, were Payne law, s13l, 1896, 954; Dingley law
$S5, 069 525; Wilson law, $63, 231, 447 and Nc.
Kinley law, s65,s72,635. Of free merchandise
the average monthly importation under the
Payne law was s65,564,7 TAP; under the Dingley
law, S37, 697, Isl; under the Wilson law, $780,
1853, 836; and under the Mckinley law, 1874,
t437, $50.
Customs receipts under the Payne law dur
5ng its entire operation thus far averaged
1927, 529 Isl per month"; under the Dingley law
ss2l ,616,QS5 per month; under the Wilson law
SIS, S57, 93S per month; and under the Mckinley
}aw, 81, $40 per month.