The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-03
SIGNIFICANT TARIFF FACTS.


Some interesting facts in connection
law are developed by an analysis of
the records. In view of the war, the
fairest basis of comparison, for the
purpose of showing the effects of the
tariff law on our trade, is the ten
months period from October, 1913,
when that law became effective, until
July 81, 1914, when the European war
was declared, compared with October.
1912, to July, 1913, under the Payne
Aldrich act The figures from Octo-
Der, 1914, to July, 1915, a full war
period, also show an interesting con-
trast. For the ten months ended July,
1913, our total foreign trade was $3,-
614, 293,642, of which $2,110, 466,639
was exports and $1,5O3, S27,002 was
| imports, yielding a favorable trade
balance of s606, 639.6 36. For the ten
| months ended July, 1914, under the
present tariff law, our total foreign
trade was $3,557,3S3,O7S, of which
1881, 57S,296 was exports and ST.
| sos, 804,7S2 was imports, or a favor
able balance of trade of $345, 1854.
This shows a loss of 7.6 per cent in
| exports, or sales abroad, a gain of
about per cent in imports, or prod
ucts competing with American goods,
and loss of 43 per cent in our favor
able trade balance. For the ten
months ended July, 1915 (full war
period), our total trade rose to $4,-
0O5,957,321, of which S2,617,698,636
was exports and $1,3SS,25s. was
imports, or a favorable balance of
trade due to the war of 1929, ,951,
which is the high record in the history
of our foreign commerce. The present
law became effective October 4, 1913,
and thus was in operation only nine
months of the fiscal year 1914. Dur
ing the period July 1 to October 8,
1913, $92,1S9,8S3 of customs revenue
were collected under the Payne law.
In addition to this, about twenty mil
lion dollars was realized from the
Payne rates on wool, wooden goods
and sugar, which were carried over
for a few months under the Under
wood law. 1t is figured out that this
would leave one hundred and eighty
| million dollars to be credited to the
Underwood law during the first nine
months of its operation, of a monthly
leverage of twenty million dollars, COM
pared with a monthly average under
the Payne law for 1913 of S26, 500, 900,
an average loss of SIS, 500, 900 monthly
or about seventy eight million dol
lars a year. The total receipts
from customs during the year 1915
were about ten million dollars less
than the estimate of the treasury, but
the receipts from corporation and in
| diVidIaI income faYes yyera au0p,aptaC
because of corporation and individual
war profits. The war revenue meas.
ure produced tifty-two million dollars
and the income tax eighty million dol
lars, which reduced the total excess OF
disbursements over receipts to $751;
5000 During the calendar year 1911 2
on 81 ,S18 100000 of imports there was
$326,34O, 900 of customs revenue, OF
an average rate of duty on all i'm
ports of l 8 per cent. During the cal
endar year 1913, nine months under
the Payne law, and three months un-
der the Underwood law, $1,792, 500, 600
of imports, were realized customs rev.
enue in the sum of $310,8O0, 900, or ar
average rate of duty of ia per cent
For 1914, five months of war, oul
imports totaled $1,7S9,2 100000, the
duty collected $241,250,0OO, the aver
age rate Of duty 1876 per cent. Fol
the year 1915, a full war period, oul
imports amounted to Sits, 500, 900
the duty collected was $19S, 100000
the average duty rate Ill per cent
These figures indicate that while i'm
ports fell off slightly over per cent
comparing 1915 with 1912, duties fel
off SO per cent and, compared will
1913, imports fell off about per cent
while duties fell off SO per cent. Dur
ing the month CT January, last, WI
imported goods to the value of $1S4,
100000, the duty collected Thereon
was $15,544,000, or an average dut,
rate for the month as low as 8.4 pc
2 cent. January, 1916, sets the higl
water mark thus far in our impor
trade, and the low water mark for tn
average rate OF duty Seventy-four pc
I cent of imports for that month cam
in free.