Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1850-01-17
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The very small increase on The sta.
pies OF woOIlens, iron, and unmauufac.
turcd hemp, compared with the vas, in.
jury occasIoned to our production and
the dlmlnutoa thereby of our power of
consumption, cannot fail 10 attract al
tentIon--whlle on the other article,
named, the revenue and production
have both suffered materially. lis be.
lIeved that the revenue could be greatly
increased by increasing the duties on
these and other articles.
= propose return 10 the syslcm
OF specIhc duties on articles on which
they can be conveniently laid. The eff.
tecis OF the present advalorem system
are two.foId, viz: on The revenue and
on our own productions. Experience
has, l think, demonstrated, that looking
exclusively to the revenue, a specific dn.
ty Is more easily assessed, more fayora.
Die 10 commerce. more equal. and less
exposed to frauds, than any other sys-
tenn. VI course such duty is moi laid
",tnout reference 10 the average cost
OF the community. This system obyi.
ates the difficulties and controversies
which attend an appraisement of the
foreign market value of each invoice
and II imposes an equal duty on cquol
quantities of the same commodity.
Under the advalorem system, goods of
the same kind and quality, and between
which there cannot be a difference in
value IN the same market al any given
time, nevertheless may often paw differ.
ent amounts Of duty. Thus The b,.
yards of trade are unnecessarily in
creased.
To levy au adyaIorem duty on a for.
eIgn valuation equally, at the ditferen,
ports, is believed to be impossible.
lhat the standard Of value al anv two
ports is precisely the same at anv given
lime. is wholly improbable. The ia.
ci!ltles afforded TO frauds upon the rev.
snue are very great, and il is apprehen.
lended that such frauds have been and
are habituaIIy and extensively prac.
iced.
As the standard Of value at evcrv
port must al last depend upon the nv.
rage OF the invoices that are passed
here, every successful attemp, at nm.
Ter valuation renders more easv eli
mat follow II. The consequences are.
not only that the revenue suffers ,ha,
certain sum is in effect annually Given
by The public among dishonest imnori.
'rs' as premium for their dishonesty,
out that fair American importers NAV
De gradually driven out of the business
ana 'heIr places supplied by upknown
ana Inscriptions foreign adventures
AS long ago as 1901, Mr.. GaUat;,
urged the extension of specific du,ie,
on the ground now repeated-oC H.
prevention OF differentiation. In hi.
report of that year he used the follow
ing language: Without anv view "a
an increase OF revenue, but in order r.
guard as far as possible, against the
value OF goods being underrated in ,ho
invoices, 1t wonld be eligible 10 lav
specific duties on all such articlas 49,
paying duties advalorem as NAV be-
susceptible of that alteration Ai,bo. 20
time specific duties were already 49,
on spirits and wines, sugar. m1josses
tea coiiee' salt, pepper, steel, nails and
spikes hemp, coal, cordage. a,ld several
other articles. 'af
The Sth Section of lha act or qor.
July, 1916, made il the duty of the ooi
ieclor, within whose district mercban
disc may be imported or enterod -.
cause The duliabIo value of sncb ~, 70
ports to be appraised, estimated and .s
cer'aIned IN accordance with the rro.
by lhe "a section of the act of ,o,h
August .SI6, it is provided ,b,, 81 81"
aaPPrSislag all goods at anv Dart Of ,ha
cn!ied States, heretofore subjected 80
sPecIhc duties, but upon which sd
Talorem duties are imposed bv tho ~,
OF The thirtieth July last, entitled an az, @
reducing the duty on imports and ror
o'her purposes, references shall be had
to values and invoices of similar GOOD,
imported during the last fiscal year,
under such general and uniform regu.
latlons for the prevention of frauds or
undervaluations as shall be prescribed
by The Secretary of the Treasury"
Ii will be observed that these la,
recited provisions do not authorize ,ho
Ievylng of duties on The value of sim;I,r
merchandise in any preceding ysar
but merely a reference 10 snrh ysIn.