The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-02-14
agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
Alleged Fraud on Wool Growers and
Manufacturers.

Alleged Fraud on Wool Growers and
Manufacturers.
Mr.. James Dobson of Philadelphia,
writes to the Practical Farmer that,
During the latter part Of the year 1869,
several invoices of foreign goods were i'm
ported, as COW and calf's hair cloth, but
previously as seal skin cloth-sad goods
always paying a wool duty it was never
presumed that they were otherwise. Our
wool tariff of 1867 shut these goods out
entirely, and made room for goods of
American production, the duty being SO
cents per pound and 80 per cent, ad "a
lorem.' And that large quantities of
wooden clothes are now imported under
the assumption that they are made from
calf or cows hair, and are entered at a
duty of 80 per cent when, in fact, they
are made from wool and wool waste with
only an admixture of calf hair,
Mr.. Dobson proceeds to say, 'On June
6, 1870, the Secretary of the Trcasury's
attention was called to this fraud. He
issued an order that they should be class
flied as wooden goods, and pay duty as
such. On the 18th Of June, upon the
representation of certain importers of
New York that patent had been obtain
ed for making these goods wholly from
COW or calf hair, (which representation
was false,) he modified the order of June
6, saying that certain form of affidavit
should be made by the shipper of the
goods, saying they were made wholly from
COW and calf hair, and if attached to each
invoice, they could be entered as calf and
COW hair goods; but made it incumbent
on the appraiser to have each invoice ex-
amined, and if anything other than calf
hair or cotton were found in these goods
Notwithstanding the certificate attached
to the invoice, that no WOOL wool waste,
shoddy, worsted or worsted waste made
by the shipper of the goods, last order, l
am informed, was not issued to either the
port of Philadelphia, Boston or Balti.
more.
In the early part of November syn
opsis Of decisions, issued by the Depart
ment at Washington, was received at the
port of Philadelphia, which after descrb-
ing the character of the goods in question,
says that if they 1.-THE invoices are ac-
companied by certificate of the shipper
Of the goods, that nothing but calf hair
and vegetable fibre are used in the manu-
facture of these goods, then they shall be
liable to duty at only IS per cent
making it absolute on the appraiser, no
matter what the goods are made of, it &C.
complained with the above named certif-
cate, to pass them as manufacturers of
calf or cows hair.
What is the result of this during the
last year? We find our markets for wool.
en- skawls entirely destroyed the mills
which have been making heavy coating
losing money, and many of them have
had to fail-simply because their own
markets have been supplied with foreign
made goods.
In my letter of September II, | stated
400 invoices had been certified to by the
American Consul at Hudders6eld, during
the current year. Since that time the
CONSUL has called the Departments at
tention to the frauds being enacted upon
the revenue by these calf hair certificates
attached to invoices Of certain importers
and shippers. 1t should be borne 10 mind,
that nine-tenths Of these goods are shpp-
ed by one house in Huddersfield England
who have an agency in New York. The
American Consul at that place latter Civ
ing his reasons for the grounds of suspic.
ion of the fraud being practiced by this
house in question:, says: my attention
having been drawn to the fact that Ger.
tain manufacturers of this district have
refused to give calf hair certificates to the
goods sold this firm in question, because
they knew them to be false and did not
wish to perjure themselves for the sake of
gain, however the impression gained
ground that the sworn certificate was on.
ly matter of form. was led to infer
that this house in question must be the
house who had so misled the manufactur.
err, and the Developments have reached
such form that | feel it incumbent on
me to call the attention of the revenue
officers at New York to all the invoices Of
this firm, which have passed through this
Agency" Extracts of a letter of the
United States Consul at Heddersfeld
Sept. 80, 1901
After all this unquestionable proof oil
the fraud being practiced upon the revenue
what do we find since July /, to Nov. 7
1902 There have been passed as cali
hair goods, 2S5 invoices, aggregating il
value over $500, 900 sterling,or so 200,
900 in gold. The duty alone would have
been, in addition to what has already beer
paid, one or two millions of dollars il
gold. Between the months specified, W,
find II invoices of wool, astrachan clotl
made wholly from worsted, no hair il
them; then we have 60 invoice carriag,
robes; the balance, 1873 invoices, are va
rious kinds of goods-all of which ar,
part wool, part shoddy, part calf hair
all of them, if properly entered, shout,
pay duty of so cents per pound and 81
per cent. ad ralorem.
These 285 invoices are not all that wa
imported. More than twice that amour