The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1831-11-30

.aglish oaths that the cloths we're hut So. 3d. Mr..
:, SAID that more talent and energy were not
roaght to the aid of the government in enforcing
ne law, the Tariff would become absolute nui-
y The best legal talents in the country ought to
c employed. IL had not been great while since
merchant told his neighbor what cheap cloth he
laa purchased. He showed the cloth which he
lad. bought at 81 SO yard. The question imme-
iiateiy arose, what duty that cloth had paid for
rom It's quality, it clear that if the duty due
~ law had been paid, the importer could have
made no profit on the goods. A number Of gentle
men determined to investigate this case They |
lock the marks of the Cloth they knew the name |
d the importer, and they inquired at the Custom |
House what that cloth had cost : The answer
was, shillings sterling. TSey reported these |
facts to the Collector in consequence of which |
he had been induced 20 substitute a stronger in
curry. The cloth was cheap that an Albany
merchant had paid on the spot one dollar ward
more for it, and had doubtless sold it again at
handsome profit. The history of that piece of
cloth he belisvcd fully to be the true history of
thousands and tens oil thousands annually import
ed into this country.
Mr.. Z. said he had been conversing with an old
and experienced importer Of cloths, who had been
many years in the business, and who took pains to
be personally acquainted with his customers. He
bad gone several times to England and had visited
the factories there in person.
He had told him that he had been solicited
again and again to take goods at S. and have them
invoiced at 6s. and when he refused, they laugh
ed, and said they were doing the same thing for
his neighbors every day. When he had remon.
strated on such practice, they told him that for
the New York market they had been selling cloths
worth IS. and invoicing them at 6s Sd selling also
with them an equal quantity worth las. and in
voicing them at los. 4d The simple effect Of this
is 10 enable the importer 10 defraud the govern
ment of dollar per yar6 on all the goods thus in
i & Al L L II
sucn had been the constant practice; and the gen.
tlenan. lwho was one of the most worthy Ind up
right OF men, had concluded by observing to him,
that II such system were suffered to continue
for one year more he, with all his experience, and
all his facilities Tor Importation, should be obliged
10 close his business. Whenever any little diff
Guilty occurred here, class of persons were in the
hIbit OF Immediately applying to the Secretary Of
the treasury and in short time directions would
come down from Washington, the effect of which
went totally to evade the operation OF the revenue
laws. These regulations, he did not doubt, were
gwen with the purest intentions--but such
the result in fact. A person had been appointed
by the collector to examine the cloths Of certain
forkshireman, which were considered by the pub
lie appraisers too low--and when the collector
spoke to him (the Yorkshiremanl had replied,
" shall not suffer that man to look at my cloths"
The collector was surprised at such deciara-
ton and treated it with contempt-but at the hour
appointed the Yorkshireman sent word that he was
not ready to have the cloths inspected-and in the
mean while letters had gone to Washington con-
tanning dispositions that the person appointed was
not competent to the duties of his office and in a
day or two, directions were received to appoin,
some other. He mentioned this to show how
ready the Yorkshire patriots were to Fly to Wash.
lngton on all necessary occasions. But there was
one most serious point OF view in which this sub
Dect presented itsef-lf this state of things conn-
ued, the sons of importing merchants must moi
pursue the business Of their fathers it would ruin
their moral characters. They would see none
standing around them but those who made Joke
Of oaths and laughed at all moral obligation. Mr.
/. concluded by stating that few of the most re-
spectacle members Of the mercantile community
had some time since collected and embodied a few
OF the facts which went to show the effects of the
auction system the business Of this city, and
had last evening set printer to work and provided
copies OF the result in pamphlet FORM which he
had now ready TO distribute to every member Of
this body.
Mr.. Coke of Pennsylvania, inquired of the gen.
tleman what was the remedy for all this
Mr. Brown Of Boston, said that in answer ia
the inquiry Of the gentleman from PENNSYLVANIA,
he would state few facts, which would throw
some light on the subject of the protection actu-
ally enjoyed by the manufacturer of cloths in the
United States If he rightly understood what had
iaiien from the gentleman from New York it
| would turn out that the manufacturer received
neither forty-fve nor forty per cent protection.
ne report OF the committee evasons of the
revenue, went TO show that seven-eighths of all
the cloth imported into this city was on foreign
account, and was imported by foreign hands Four
| OF these foreigners had imported between Eve and
SIX millions Of yards Of broad cloths alone and of
ms quantity large proportion were entered at
/ os "a or 6s. I'd (which last price the highest
4 that could be admitted under the dollar min;numl
and which consequently paid only 81 10 cents du-
~ per yard, while its actual cost was 9s equal 10
! 81, and the charges would still increase that
amount. Let this be considered and it would be
seen That the amount OF protection was neither 10
nor ~ per cent, but would not exceed IS per cent
But to ascertain what was the protection actually
realized, they must 60 further, and remember that
there was high duty wool. That duty he
/ CONSIDERED as perfectly proper and Just. Though
he was himself manufacturer, he would be
me last man to wish it repealed. applause No
not even on coarse wo0l-because the farmers had
found this to operate in practice as protection to
tho better sorts
4 he amount of wool already raised was nearly
equal in value to tho much boosted cotton cron
OF the south and would soon exceed it in value.
| Why then take off the protecting duty He an.
tlcipai'sd great multiplication of our hocks-and
every increase Of this kind was direct benefit ia
those farmers who raised grain; because it con.
| Verted producer into Consumer and raised the
price OF their produce. He should therefore. he
repeated 1t, be the last to advocate repeal of the
duty on wool. But that being duly collected and
in fact lett with protection that amounted to al
NEST nothing at ALL Until the focks of the conn.
try became 'uore multiplied he must expect to
pursue his Le Slness at little profit and even at a
loss but this was state of things that would soon
be remedied. In the meanwhile, if he imported
his wool and paid the duty, he paid greater
amount on the wool in yard Of his cloth than the
foreign agent pait on yard of cloth itself He
spoke from experience. He had been long enpap.
ed IN the business aad he had always said that the
manufacturer could do better business under the
tariff law of 1916 than that of 1928, if the existing
frauds are permitted 10 continue The law of l83G
was enacted with view TO remedy the defects OF
that OF 1923, and 1t provided the penalty of forfeit
ure If goods should be entered at false valuation
with int Mt TO detraOd the revenue Now he would
ask whether the entering of goods under an in.
voice price of6s. Sd. when all judges who looked
at them knew they cost 9s. could it be done with
any other than an intent to defraud the revenue
But late opinion had allowed the importer tc
BRING the oath Of person in England to prove
what was the cost there. Such oatbs could easily
be obtained. In illustration of this he mentioned
an instance where a manufacturer had made 2OC
pieces OF cloth for which he asked IS. eard-but
oheieo 10 give the American purchaser one hun.
cred OF them at 6s. Sd. and the othe- at g. 3d.
SO That an oath might be taken as to the real cos,
OF the goods in England
For this state of things, Mr.. B. said he knew no
remedy but adhering 10 the Laws and putting
tnem INTO execution. The Tariff Law of 1928
says that the true value of the cloth In England ia
tne criterlon--its cost has nothing to do with the
DUTY But late decision of The belieyed) judge
Belts, had laid it down that if merchant proyes
thst the cloth costs what il is invoiced at. tho
charge ,s no fraud but surely when cloths worth
IS. are charged at g. Sd. they ought to be confs
Gated. But there was another difficulty in the on