The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-06
DUTY-FREE INfPoRTAIIoNs.

bars will probably be just a trifie sur
prised to learn that practically one
billion dollars worth of merchandise
from foreign countries entered the Uni
ted States free of duty in the year
lust ended. Furthermore this duty
free merchandise formed larger per-
centage of the total imports tnan eve
before in any one year since tarih-
making has been in order in this coun-
try. The exact figures, just compie-
ted by the statistical division OIL Inc
bureau of foreign and domestic conn
merce, are $992, 376, AGO. against ga mil
lion in 1911, $50 million in 1907, 9SV NH
lion in 1905. 40s million in l9oz' anu
342 million in 1900. the value Oh hoii-
dutiable merchandise imported haVins
thus practically trebled i'll the last Il
wears. These figures of duty-free Her-
cbandise relate only to that coming
from foreign countries. IL TO lneSe
were added the value OF merchahoAse
entering from Hawaii and Porto ttico'
all of which enters free of duty, the
total value of nondutiable merchandise
entering continental United States In
1912 would be 81, 100000. since the
,,,ercbandise received from Hawaii IN
that wear was valued at $50OO0,Voo' anu
that from Porto Rico, $41.oooooo. Whiie
most of the merchandise entering LIZ.
the Philippines is also nondutlaole'
is included in the general group Oh I'M
ports from foreign countries SIM
those islands are still classeo WIZ
foreign countries in the RECORDS Oh ou-
foreign commerce.
The share which nondutiable mer-
cbandise formed of the total Imports
=, 1912 was $3.50 against
51so, in 1911, and 1920 in
1910. The percentage of the Imports
entering free of duty in 1912 was great
err than in any earlier year except 1881
when abnormaIly large quantities OF
SMEAR. which was free under the act
of 1890. was hurriedly imported in vie"
of the prospective restoration of duty
on sugar bv the tariff law enacted in
that year.
The principal articles forming tnis
billion dollars worth of duty-Iree me-
chandise entering the Unlted 0'@e'
in 1912 are hides and skins, lnoia RUIZ
her. raw silk, raw cotton, npers' tin'
conner nickel, wood. oils, furs' lui
skins, coffee, tea, cocoa, FRUITS NUS
snices fertilizers art works over ~
wears old. uncut diamonds, ana certain
chemicals The value of the leadlns
items in the free importation Oh i'A-
was coffee. S13O, ,722; hides ana sNlIis'
s191 1863 So; India rubber S9S'44''oo'
raw silk, s77,401, 931; pig tin $oo'S'l'io-'
conner. s5e, $50, 259; fibers $39,21O''9z; ra"
cotton. s23, s47, 9O5; oils, $24'16o's2'; fruits
and nuts. sos 1929; tea, $1I944'zo4'
oocoa 1861, 356; fertilizers, $1I'SS1'oe''
,,,,o,,+ diamonds, $s,S63,770; and art
works, $5s,5s2. 432.
The share of the merchandise when
enters free of duty has greatly III
creased in comparatively recent years.
IN earlier years of tariffs and tarlh
making, the number of articles aoini.-
fed duty-free was limited ana the per
cen+age which their value formed Oh
the total imports extremely small the
..sree list'' of the first tariff act IN
Guiding merely saltpetre, pig TIN, TIN
mates, lead, old pewter BRASS IRON
and brass wire, copper, WOOL, dye "ooos
and dives. raw hides, furs, ana oeer
skins. The act of 1916 materially IN
o-aased the number of articles admit
tod free of duty, though the percentage
which they formed of the total was
still small. In 1921. the first year for
x,bicT, a detailed record of the imports
;s presented, the share of the mer-
chandise entering free of duty was
. 70. From that time on down to
800 the share which duty-free mer-
chandise formed of the total still re-
manned below 1870. In 1888, however,
the share suddenly increased to 25.19o;
in 1884. 1850, and by 1871 was 1850.
From 1874 forward to 1872 the share
entering free of duty seldom reached
2Oeb. but in 1873 began a marked in
crease in the share of the imports adj
r,itted free of duty, free imports in
1874 being 2s.79o; in 1876. 3o.59o; in $780,
81 2ot. and in 1891. 43.49o. In the fiscal
Years 1892, 1898, 1894. and 1895. the
wears in which sugar was being adj
,oitted free of duty under the tariff
act of 1890. the share of imports en-
terine free of duty averaged more than
zoo heing in 1892, 55.4Fc; in 1893. 51.39o;
in 1894 500; and in 1895, 1850. In the
fiscal year 1886, however, the proportion
entering fir, of duty again fell below
500. being for that year, 47.4qo, and
did not again exceed 500 until the
fiscal year 1911. when the share which
merchandise formed of the
total imports was $3.50, in the fiscal
wear 1912, $3.50 and in the calendar
wear 1912, as above indicated, $3.50.