The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-04-29
contrast of Actual Figures
Show How It Has
Failed.
M COMBS 0UT AT last.
Wilson's Son-in-Law And
He Could Not
Agree.


developed by an analysis OF the re-
cords. In Wow OF the war, tho 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 be-
came effective, until July 81, lsl4'
when the European War was declared.
compared with October. 1912 to july
1918, under tho Payne.Aldrlch Act.
The figures from October. 1914, TO
July, 1915, full war period. also
show an interesting contrast. For the
ten months ended July. 1913, our total
foreign trade was $3.614, 293,642. OF
which So, 1l0,466, 500 was exports and
81. 900, S2T ,002 was imports. yielding
favorable trade balance Of $6O6,63
SAG, For the ten months ended July,
1914. under the present tariff law. our
total foreign trade was So ,507.3S3.eIS.
Of which S1.951.57S,296 was exports
and SI,6O5, SO4,7S2 was imports, or o
favorable balance of trade Of S345'.
773,514. This shows a loss OF 7.6 70 IN
exports, or sales abroad, gain OF
about 10 In exports, or products com
peting with American goods, and a
Iioss Of 1870 in our favorable trade bal.
ances. For the ten months ended
July, 1915 (full war periodl our totai
trade rose to s4,005,957 ,32l, OF which
I$2,Gi7, 69S,636 was exports and $685.
l25S,636 was imports, or favoranle
balance OF trade due to the war OF 81,
99,439 ,951, which is the high record
in the history OF our foreign com
merce.
The present law became effective
October A, 1918, and thus was in oper-
ation only nine months of the fiscial
wear 1914. During the period July l
10 October 3, 1918, S92,1S9,SS3 OF
customs revenue were collected under
the Payne law. In addition to this,
about twenty million dollars was re-
allied from the Payne rates on WOOL,
wooden goods and sugar, which were
carried over for few months under
the Underwood law. 1t is figured out
| that this would leave one hundred ana
eighty million dollars to be credited
to the Underwood law during the first
nine months OF its operation, OF a
monthly average of twenty million dol
lars, compared with a monthly average
under the Payne law for 1913 OF S26,-
500 1000, an average loss OF $500, 900
monthly, or about seTenty.eight mil
lion dollars 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 individual income
taxes were augmented because of cor.
poration and individual war profits:
The war revenue measure produced
fIfty.two million dollars and the IN
come tax eighty million dollars. which
reduced the total excess Of disburse-
ments over receipts to $57,500,OO
During the calendar year 1917, on
81 SIS, 000, 900 OF imports there was
1926, 100000 Of customs revenue. or an
average rate OF duty on all imports OF
1870. During the calendar year 1913,
nine months under the Payne law,
and three months under the Under
wood law, $1,792,600,.000 OF imports
were realized customs revenue in the
sum Of 1910, 800, 900, or an average
rate of duty OF 17.4To. For 1914, five
months of war, our imports totaled ST..
7s9 $50 900, the duty collected $241,-
$50 900, the average rate OF duty
1867. For the year 1915, full war
period, our imports amounted to ST.
77S, 600 900, the duty collected was
S19s, SOC, 900, the average duty rate
11.1Te.
These figures indicate that while i'm
ports fell off slightly over go, com.
pairing 1915 with 1919, duties fell off
SO % and. compared with 1918, imports
fell Off about SO, while duties fell off
36%. During the month Of January,
last, we imported goods to the value OF
$1S4 900, the duty collected there.
on was $15,544,000, or an average duty
rate for the month as low as $40
January, 1916. sets the high water
mark thus far in our import trade,
and the low water mark for the aver.
age rate Of duty. Seventy.four per
cent OF imports for that month came
III free.
Foreign Complications.
Germany's answer to President VIII
sons last note Is still anxiously await
ed. The American Ambassador at
Berlin, while without definite official
opinion, intimating that Germany will
make such concessions as will avert
war with the United States, and news.
paper correspondents there confirm
this view. The Mexican situation
continues to be a source OF grave
anxiety. Generals Scott and Funston
are soon to meet General Obregon,
Carranza's Secretary OF War, for q
conference. In the estimation OF those
speedy withdrawal of American troops
from Mexico territory, while the
American enerals, who will act I'm,
der explicit instructions from the
White House, will make every en-.
deavor to induce 0bergon to consent
to such gradual withdrawal as will
save the face Of the Administration
politically. Pursuit of Villa has been
practically abandonded and the mill
tary authorities have been instructed
to devote all their time and thought TO
protecting existing lines Of communt.
cation and to avoiding clashes with
the Carran5ista troops. Those IA.
Inilira with conditions in Mexico en-.
terrain no little anxiety for General.
Pershing's command. II is graVely.
feared, when our sol iers start to re.
tire, that the Mexicans will become
so elRted and so convinced that this
a ~