The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-12
AID YALOREM DUTIES.

The following Is an extract of letter from an in
telgent custom-house officer in the city of New
York, to a senator Of the United States
81 have read your remarks upon the tariff bill
with much interest. r
The facts you have advanced in support of the
ad valorem principle, are Of such importance, and
so practical that they should convince the most pre-
JUDGED. ..... ....
"You mention valuable shawl which paid a spe-
cifc duty of but per cent. A very large portion
Of silk fabrcs such gauzes, fancy handkerchiefs
scarfs, shaws, &C., will not average, under the
present specific duty, more than or 10 per cent
say from to Is; and these articles too, Of the
most luxurious kind. The expensive article Of silk
lace, Of which immense quantities are used by the
wealthy, does does not pay, on an average, more
than per cent. Duties under this system also,
from the very nature Of things, unequal at different
custom-houses will name single article. Silk
wells we pass under the head of articles made up in
part by hand, the edging or purng being sewed
on; and they are Of course charged with 40 per cent
AT Boston, understand, the same goods passed
simply rs silk, pay Of course by weight, and will
hvere,; e, perhaps, 5 or 8 per cent. Articles par
TALLY made by hand, thus made to pay differ.
ent duty at almost every customhouse in the coun-
try.
"The opportunities for fraud, on goods paying
specific duties, are as great measurement as on
VEGETABLE or other goods. The correctness rests
entirely with single examiner. II is easy mat
ter to make an Of two or three inches in the
width Of an article, which, on package Of cottons
or of cotton and silk, makes great difference.
MY attention was not long since called to the
length Of some pieco-goods, which were, on exami
nation, found to exceed the invoice some 300 yards
i s impossible to measure all goods passing here
~ must, unless there suspicious circumstances
: lake the marked number Of yards, and this make
the opportunities for defraudlng very great The
truth Is il is far less difficult for an experienced ex-
nminer tn Judge of the true paiu of goods thar to
detect all the ways and means divised for cheating
in some other way than undertaking.. If an ap.
praiser's clerk would aiiop himself to be cheated in
the value Of article, he would, with the same an
planes, assist in making short weight or measure
The latter act he could perform with much less fear
detection than he could the former for one case
he alone sees the weight or measure, while dozen
p,or more notice the price at which the goods are
\ charged.
II only instance these things to show that the OPP
portunities for defrauding under specific are even
greater than under the I'D velorem system.
\ "ln reference TO expenses. There are, believe
4 orty-one weighers, measures, and gaugers, each
\ receiving sl,500 per annum, which, as you
say could be dispensed with, making saving
or S6l SOC
III believe there are also as many os ten
eeIks, whose business il is TO calculate
n ne square yards, make up the duties
~ nom measurable and VEGETABLE goods,
AZ w. +" a salary OF $1,000 per annum 10000
49,.
VI Making sum Of All noc
poruon OF The extrn expense attending the col.
scuon OF SPECIFIC duties at one port"