The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1915-11-18
DUE
To TARIFF
REDUCTIONS

Washington, Nov. II. Especial cor
respondence.) That the depleted con-
dition of the treasury is due to reduced
traiff rates rather than diminished IN
portations, is clearly shown by statis-
tics which disprove the following
statement recently made by Secretary
of the Treasury McAdoo:
Because of the decrease of imports
on account of the war, we have had all
enormous deficit. This deficit would
have been vastly larger, however, if
the old tariff bill ahd been depended
upon. At least $4,000, 900 would
have been added to the deficit had the
country depended on the old BILL
That Mr.. McAdoo, ignorantly Or in
tentionally, misstated the facts will be
apparent when the record of his W
Department are considered.
For the nine months of the present
year ended September, 1915, there
We're imported into the United States
goods to the value of $1,:S02, 900 200, in
spite Of the a On these Imports
the Government eralized in
the sum of $14S,224, 997, or an average
rate of duty on all goods imported for
this period of but 11.3 per cent-about
as close to free trade as could be dcsir-
ed by the most ardent free trader.
For the corresponding nine months Of
the calendar year, 1913, ~January-Sep-
temeber, under the Republican tariff
law, we imported goods to the value
of s. 1897, O0O, 900. On these imports
the Federal Treasury realized a rcve-
nue. in the sum of $242, 1924, 1850, Or an
average rate of duty of 1873 per cent,
the duties SO distributed as to afford
a fair measure of protection to all AM
erican industries and labor. Had this
average rate of duty been collected on
the imports for the first nine months
of the presnt year, the Government
would have realized ervenue in the
sum of 238,266,OOO or S90,0OO,OO0
more than was actually realized. For
this period the low duty rate Of the
Democratic law represents a monthly
loss of $1O,0O0,000 of revenue to the
Government. Bear in mind, the are
mic condition Of the treasury is rot
due to increased imports but to the
fact that so many are coming in with
out paying a cent of revenue to the
Government.
On September 80, 1913, after nearly
seven months of Democratic rule, the
net balance in the general fund Of the
Treasury was 123 10000 600. On March
q, 1913, when Pesident Wilson was in
a%ugurated, this balance amounted to
$149, 100000. The Democrats were
presented with a handsome Treasury
surplus on March 4th with which to
set up housekeeping. The Underwood
tariff law went on the statute books
October 4th, 1913, business went to
smash, and the n began to
dwindle. However, due to the fact
that Republican rates on wool and
sugar prevailed for a portion of that
fiscal year, the Treasury was able to
limp through with but a small deficit
on June 80, 1914. With wool On the
free list, the duty on sugar reduced,
an dmilions of dollars worth of i'm
ports coming in free, things went
from bad to worse, and the outbreak
of the European val was instantly
seized upon as a pretext for saddling
the country with a war revenue meas
ure. Every device known to a tricky
bookkeeper was employed by Secre-
tary McAdoo to make a good showing
for June 80, 1915. On September 80,
1915, the net balance in the general
fund had sunk to less than $41,000,-
600. By a piece of financial ledger