The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-21
coRsETs AND CUSTOMS.

APPRAISER KETcHUN's INVESTIGATION con.
cLUDED-ANxIEry OF .DEALERs AS TO THE
REsuLT-xxPEmExcE OF A. 7. srEwARr :
Yesterday the examination was continued In tho Gen.
eral Appraisers Offices, corner Of Hubert and Washing
ton streets or The merchants whose invoices OF Ger
man woven corsets have lately been undergoing re-
valuation BY experts in the trade Messrs Dieckerho
Ranloer Co., OF No 4sl Broome street, s wormscr 4
Co and l. schieIe Co wero the three firms repre-
scned and they made final argument In favor Of the
liberation ofther seized goods and against
statements Of the experts General Ketchum, head OF
the Appraisers department. told tho HERALD reporter
that the inquiry might be considered concluded e FAR az
his department was concerned and that the report
would be at once made and submitted TO Collector
Arthur for his decision
The General would not state what were the conclu-
sions reached by himself and Merchant Appraiser
Constable and everybody by the reporter at the
Custom House pleaded ignorance. Yet some Of tho evil
doncs gwen during the examination was procured BY
the writer, and II certainly seems to indicate TINT
combination Of German manufacturers OF woven cor
sets with American importers did exist But Il also
seems 10 show that some OF the manufacturers proved
rccreunt rvposcd thcm ny the importers
II believed when Tho corseis now In the public
store seized and held for feappraisement that
basis their valuation could be procured here But
within u few days A. T. Stewart 4 Co. have furnished
win it is asserted by importers outside
OF tho alleged ring, be accepted aa
true by the customs Officials stewart Stewart go = Co
woven corsets from one OF tho manufacturers IN Ger
many alleged be pledged sell goods only to Ameri
About corrupt combnaIion' was bosh II il were not
for the fact that A. r. Stewart Co. having purchased
and tho corscts tho lowest possible 10
them we're aitcrward informed by certain firms exclu-
svcly engaged in the corset Importation, that they
could sell them here ut much lower figure than that
IL No npr1I
port them. An investigation proved this assertion
TO be true; and then, Il seems the gentlemen con-
nectcd with A. T. Stewart & Co. learned Tor tho nrst
time that certain fow importing houses controlled the
trade foreign corscts, and driving all other
trms rom H. pIqued at this A. Stewart
how it came about II was discovered that firms
trolling the business entered At tho Custom House, at
valuation of less than &c. goods which they subse-
quenty sold for from $12 to sl6 per dozen and at
than $l2 which they sold Tor from $40 to $32
The discrepancies between the invoced and selling
values were too great not to excite suspicion. Very
II was announced that none but the prosperous
sellers here could purchase the woven corses IN
Germany and import them direct Then the
idea that combination had been formed for the
rupt purpose OF deraudng the customs duties Of the
Ses here 'A 4 T. stewart Co. had discovered dur
ing their Investigations that they had been
strangely, favored in that they had been
int they kept The TACT to themselves. When
the invoices OF corsess for Mcssrs Dieckerhon,
Ranlocr Il Co., s. Wormser Co and L. Schicle 4 Co
were stopped at the Custom House and detained for
apprascinent by exports Me,srs A. T. Stewart 4 Co.
procured samples OF each grade Of the goods and
pared thcm with German woven corsets imported By
themselves. Tho result OF these comparisons were ex
traordnary Several grades OF corses invoiced the
importers at ~ marks tS5 24) were declared by the
buyers for Messrs. Stewart 4 Co. to be worth 81
marks($7 39 q marks $50 44l and SO marks ($7 S6)
Others invoiccd rs marks S5 96), declared
be worth to importers 40 marks ts9 54l and in
one sample invoccd At Is marks
1917 sSl was appraised at 40 marks 1928 62l Thus
1t was determined by the experts OF A. T. Stewart h
Co. that the imports had been undcrvalued In each
grade at average Of about 10 marks Isl 3Sl When
report Of this made to Mr. Stewart he ordered ha
experts their valuations ut average OF
per cent, saying that some importing houses can pF
chase to better advantage than Others and that IN
fact should be taken into consideration.
II reported that nothing known or this action
the part oil Stewart Co. until the schedule OF lu
voice valuations appraiscmcnts and reduced appraiso-
ments was presented to General Kcichum, tho APP
praser, and his coadjuor Mr. James NJ Constable,
tho Merchant Appraiser II is also said that the sche
ue caused the greatest establishment and chagrin
among the so-called ring importers.
The announcement of the conclusions Of General
Ketehum and Mr. Constable awaited with anxiety II
they should declare that the corsets in the public
stores invoiced differentiation proceedings
will be begun TO compel the payment Of proper duties
only upon them but upon numerous other lots that
have been imported during the past i've years.