Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-13
HALF OF OUR IMPORTS
ADMITTED FREE OF DUTY
Tables Presented Showing Merehan-
disc Not Affected by Tariff
from 1921 to 1909

WASHINGTON, Feb 12.-More than
half of the merchandise imported under
the new tariff law enters the United
States free of duty. The new act went
into effect August 6, 1909, but the
bureau of statistics of the department
of commerce and labor shows only full
months in statements of imports ana
exports. Taking the full month OF
August, the share of the imports en-
tering free of duty was 1852 per cent,
in September 1926 per cent, in OCTOBER
50.61 per cent. in November 54.11 per
cent and in December 55.96 per cent,
the average for the entire five months
period being 51.5 per cent. This is
larger percentage of imports free of
duty than under any prior law of this
character except the act of 1890, which
admitting sugar free of duty showed
an unusually high proportion of non
dutiable imports. Prior to that time
the highest annual average Importation
free of duty occurred in 1S41, when
4973 per cent of the imports were free
of duty the figures for 1910 being 1882
per cent.
The bureau of statistics in it's pub
lications presents tables showing the
percentage of merchandise imported
free of duty in each fiscal year from
1921 to 1909 In the year 1921 the share
admitted free of duty was 1886 per cent,
in 1922 5.19 per cent; then there was
slow but steady advance until in 1881
the share entering free of duty was
6.65 per cent. Then there came a sharp
advance by reason of changes in tariff
laws, and in 1888 the share free of duty
was 24.21 per cent. One year later,
through another change in tariff, the
share admitted free of duty rose to
1857 per cent and continued at about
that ratio until 1912, when it dropped to
26.53 , per cent Following further
changes in the tariff laws, the proper
tion of the imports entering free of duty
fell to 1871 per cent in 1874. 14.S3 per
cent in 1S45, 1852 per cent in 1S47, 1858
per cent in 1S4S. ga per cent in 1850
and s. 8 per cent in 1851, ranging from
that point slowly upward until the
share admitted free of duty in 1860 was
20.34 per cent During the civil war
period the share admitted free of duty
ranged from 27.95 per cent in 1862 down
ward to 1857 per cent in 1864 and 1912
per cent in 1866. From 1867 to 1872 the
share of the imports free of duty was
less than at any prior period except the
single year 1921, the proportion enter
ing free of duty in 1867 being but 4.50
per cent, in 1868 4.40 per cent, in 1869
$50 per cent and in 1870 Ala per cent.
In 1873 following a change in tariff,
in which the free list was enlarged,
the proportion entering free of duty
was 21.S1 per cent, ranging slowly
upward to 33.11 per cent in 1880 and
34.05 per cent in 1889. Under the opera
ton of the law which went into effect
October 1, 1890, under which sugar was
admitted free of duty, the share of the
imports recorded as free of duty was,
in the fiscal year 1892, 55.79 per cent, in
1898 51.93 per cent and in 1894 59.11 per
cent In 1896 the proportion entering
free of duty was 1885 per cent, in 1897
4S.39 per cent, in 1898 49.65 per cent.
falling in 1898 to 1872 per cent, and
ranging from AZ per cent to AIS per
cent from that time until the end of the
fiscal year 1908, and increasing, as al
ready noted, under the tariff act of
August 3, 1909 to 1852 per cent in Au-
gust, 1925 percent in September, 50.61
per cent in October, 54.11 per cent in
November and 55.96 per cent in Decem-
ber, 1909.
The total value of all merchandise
entering free of duty, which never
reached as much as $100, ,000, 900 prior
to 1873, passed the $200, 1000, 900 line in
1880, the $S00,000,000 line in 1891. the
$4O0, ,000, 900 line in 1892, the $500,000 900
live in 1905 tho $500 O000C) liro - +on7,
and in the calendar gear tdst ended wa
.4cL1C y YivU,vUU,UuU, til eAae. .-S NJ s
being $699, 1897 III. The principal articles
forming this large total of nom -dutiable
imports in the calendar year 1909 were
Hides and skins, 104 million dollars; in
dia rubber, 70 millions; pig tin, 271a
million raw silk, "a million; fibers, %
2-3 million; cotton Is million; copper,
40 millions; coffee. S61s millions; tea;
1912 milIions: cacaO. 13 1-2 million.