, 1870-07-15
if they know Of such cases Of omission, give
information Of them in time TO have them
| rcrrncfa1
ATElUMPH FOR CHICAGO.

Congress has rendered the principal in
terror ports Of the country very important
service by passing the Port of Entry bill as
m amendment to the bill for the reduction
Of ta1ation- In view of the fact that this
bill WIS first demanded in these columns,
and that few months ago it was seriously
opposed by the Secretary of the Treasury
and prominent Eastern journals, it's passage
affords us qualification which we had
scarcely expected to receive at the hands Of
thepresent Congress. We have not yet
received copy of the bill rs passed, and
we assume that it enbodies the substantial
features Of the two bills of Senator Trunl-
bull and of Mr.. Judd. It, in effect, con
verts every interior port into seaport, 30
far as its facilities of importation
Of foreign goods direct are con-
cerned, by allowing imports to be trans
ported, by bonded railroad and transporta-
ton companies, from the seaport where
they are received to the interior port where
they are to be sold, and there to remain in
United States bonded warehouses without
the payment Of duties until they are with
drawn for consumption. The effect Of this
will be to cause direct importing and job
bing wholesale trade in foreign goods to
spring up in Chicago, Cincinnati and St
Louis, and, TO some extent, in the other
cities named in the bill. A part Of this
will be a transfer to these ports, of business
heretofore done in New York, and a part
Of it Will be net increase in the aggre-
gate importations nf the country.
Chicago is estimated to distribute S70,-
600, 600 worth Of imported goods per year,
or one-sirth OF the entire importations of
the country. But at present these all tex
cept about $1,000, 900, received mainly
from Canada must pass through the
hands of New York importers, Chicago
| merchants being purchasers from the lat
ter, instead of importers direct This ne
cessity has arisen from nothing in the ma
ture Of the trade, as Chicago purchases
foreign goods in many lines in quantities
that would amply compensate her ner-
Chants for sending their agents to Europe
and making their purchases direct from
the manufacturer, or would make it The
interest Of the manufacturer to establish
his agencies here, and sell direct to our
merchants. The obstacle has heretofore
been that the New York merchant could
leave his goods in bond, in the custody of
the United States, without paying duties,
aud sell them by sample, leaving his pur.
chaser to withdraw them for consumption
and pay duties. The Chicago merchant,
however, could not remove his goods to
Chicago without naying duties. AS the du-
ties average II per cent of the selling
price Of the goods, the New York merchant
would need only half the capital which
would be required by the Chicago ner-
chant, to transact the same amount Of
trade. In other words, the Chicago zner-
chant WAS taxed. relatively to the New York
merchant, to an amount equal to the inter-
est On the whole capital Of the latter.
Very approximately, therefore, has Congress-
removed this incubus on our trade as part
of a general act reducing taxation, The
drtias o,, mn animal ;ypnortatior of S-n