Show ahart tariff germ barmon bt rmon onil free freo trad trado dishonesty and deceit is nowhere more conspicuous than in tho the statements regarding the average ad valorem valoree rate of duty it is like chasing rainbows to attempt to calculate or anticipate a future average it cannot be more than guessed at for tho the average rate does not depend on the rate of duty but on the value and amount of importations thus the average ad valorem valoree rate may change from cearto year while there has been no change in the tariff whatever the only way then is to calculate on actual ac values of importations and duty collected every free trade paper in the country is still maintaining that the average rate under the mckinley tariff is CO 00 pe cent now what are the actual facts the latest figures at hand are those ending sept SO 30 1891 during the twelve months ending on that day our imports were valued as follows free of duty W r dutiable IS total total duties collected during theno these twelve months it will bo be seen then that during tb tl twelve months ending sept 1 SO 0 1891 the average rate of duty on dutiable imports was 47 per cent while on total imports the honest way of reckoning it was only 23 2 ier per cent the free trader is not only dishonest in his amount but be uses a dishonest method in getting at it ho ile only computes the rate on dutiable imports by this mode of reckoning great Brit britain ains s average rate is nearly I 1 per er cent suppose a our wo worth h of imports all came iu in duty free with the exception of worth upon which we collected duty would our average rate of duty be 50 per cent the fact is as nearly as wo we can calculate it that our present average rate is 0 only 1 23 per cent le less than at any time 8 since 1 rice 1801 1861 american economist |