The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-09-06
Editorial Comment
on Current Subjects
sLAMEs FREE IMPORTS.


From the Philadelphia Press.
There have recently been inserted
In the Congressional Record a very in
teresting array Of figures, and they
were put there by one OF the Demo-
cratic leaders of the House. So there
can be no claim made that they are
partisan and, therefore. not to be Civ.
en- full credit for the Republican posi-.
ton which they fully prove. 1t is true
that they were inserted for another
purpose than that of showing up whLy
Democratic Tariff legislation brought
to pass, but 1t Is not right to allow
them to be passed over without the
attention which Is their due.
It was Mr.. Fitzgerald. of New York
who was the compiler Of these figures.
AS the chairman OF the committee on
Appropriations, the only Northern
chairman Of an important committee
which the House Of Representatives at
present contains, he was telling the
story of the income of the government
and endeayortng to prove to his money.
spending colleagues the necessity Of
making expenditure keep pace with in
come, and not run far ahead. This has
been his task ever since the Demo-
cratic party gained control of Con-
gress, and hard and hopeless task 1t
has been. The generosity with which
the Democratic Congress spends good
government dollars in all kinds of pro.
jects has never yet been equalled at
Washington.
Mr.. Fitzgerald finds our free imports
preceding the enactment of the pres
ent Democratic Tariff law averaged
about eight hundred millions OF dol.
lars q year in value; since the enact
ment Of that law, they have run as
high as billion and a quarter OF dol.
lars. Last year they were considera.
bly, over billion, and this year will
probably show even greater value. OF
these free imports, considerably over
one.half are farm products. For exam.
pie. the free importation Of 1914 in
creased in value over those of 1912,
the last Republican Tarifft year. BY
two hundred and forty millions, OF
which one hundred and forty millions
were the value Of products Of the
farm.
According to Mr.. Fitzgerald's figures,
the duty collected before the opera
ton of this Tariff was in excess OF
three hundred millions yearly; while
for the fiscal year Of 1915 1t amounted
to only two hundred and five millions.
In other words, we are losing about
one hundred millions OF dollars year.
During the present administration the
entire loss Of Tariff revenue will
amount to nearly four hundred mil.
lions. II the Tariff law had not been
changed in regard to sugar, and sugar
had gone on the free list as Mr.. vii.
son planned and had enacted, there
would have been further loss Of some
fifty millions to be~added to that
amount.
Under the Republican Tariff, during
1912, the last full year Of its opera
ton. the average duty rate on goods
imported into the United States was
eighteen per cent. During the year
1914, the first full year under the
Democratic law, the average rate Of
duty on our imports was thirteen per
cent. For the year 1915, the average
rate was only eleven per cent. These
figures tell the real story Of why the
people Of the country are being bur-
dened with new taxes. The imports
are higher today than ever. with
the Republican Tariff rates in opera
ton, there would be the income neces.
sary to pay the running expenses Of
the government. It Is only because
Of Democratic Tariff legislation that
extra taxes are made necessary. And
this fact IL abundantly proven by fig.
ures prepared by expert Democratic
hands.