The New York herald., 1877-12-19
The Mode of Ascertaining Values and
Assessing the Tariff Rates.
an INSIGHT INTO THE APPRAISERS DEPARTMENT.
Duties on Silks, Diamonds, PurS Liquors,
Millinery Goods and the Liquor Tests.
THE INFLUX OF JAPANESE GOODS.
STATISTICS FOR THE MILLION.

Few persons, unless they actual importers,
have the slig hesl oil the iptricacies with which
the cearances OF imports are surrounded All in-
voices OF merchandise, as soon as numbered are sent
from the Custom House to the Invoice Bureau OF the
Anpraisers stores OF witch Mr.. j. Bauer the chief
where they are distributed to the different divisions,
according the class OF merchandise they represent,
md when ali The goods examined and the quality,
ruantily class OF wares ascertalned aud deter
mined; also the true market value at tLo time and
place OF Shipment.
As the Appraisers Department is really the most
Important branch OF the Customs Department, where
the values OF imports thoroughly ascertained and
assessed the utmost system and efficiency IS requisite
and under present chef, Mr. Sias B. butcher, IT'S
organization is admirable The department. is divided
,nio ten divisions, each having allotted to It a
number Q articles for appraisement out Of the many
thousand desi snated by the law as dutable.
The first division is in charge of Mr.. William Allen.
Assistant Appraiser. The principal duties performed
here are the examination OF merchandise aud goods
damaged on the voyage oil importation, the examna-
ton Of baggage and personal effects sent TO
the pubic stores express packages, sample parcels
ard green fruits OF all kinds where any damage exists
the apprasement OF all seized goods also OF emgrant
baggage at Castle Garden
TRADE JEwELRY AND PRECIOUS STONES.
In the second DIVISION under the control Of Mr Al
bert Gilbert are examined the following numerous
and important articles OF merchandise -Antiquites,
brouzes, clocks fancy goods OF every description,
small aud fancy manufactures OF alabastcr. glass,
marble porcelain and SPAR fancy boxes gold beaters
skIn gold silver jewery Of all kinds, tho-
graphic stones nosacs ascai Instruments optical,
philosophical anu Photographic apparatus, precious
stones, regaias, toys, watches, watch materials,
watchmukers TOOLS artists materials, books, paint
ings paper, printed matter sealing wax. stationery,
types, works OF art
In the or the alirs OF this division,
having great scope or multiplicity Of articles,
complications hare arisen from the ambiguity OF tho
tarin In tho application OF the ad valorem system of
duties Take the question, for Instance OF mock jew
elry. Jewelry commercially known in the trade
embracing ali that class OF articles worn the per
son as ornaments whether made the precious
metals and precious stones or OF limitations OF pre-
cious stones and OF precious metals, compos-
tons and the like. Merchants in making
their mportations guided by CONNER
cial customs and com mercial designations and
insist that ali this articles utiable at the
rate fixed by law Tor jewcryto Wit, twenty five per
cent The department, however, has decided that
jewelry dutaDie At twenty-five per cent embraces
only that composed oil precious stones ana
precioas metals, aud that all articles com
posed limitations OF precious stones and precious
metals are duuable, not as Jeweiry, but as manu-
factures OF those precious metals, making difference
in uuly OF ten fifteen per cent In view OF the
condition business there never was greater guam
thy what called precious stones the market
than tine present time. 1t is apparent from the
imporatons OF watches that The American manu uiac-
turers are fast gcttin. control of medium quail
ties. Those brought INTO this country are gen
orally either very expensive or OF u very
low grade Tho competition IS such that they
are initiated to great extent, even In style
Of finish and shape OF the cases. The importa-
tion philosophical and scientific apparatus dimn
ishlng very rapidly as large quantiies 81 the hnest
make manufactured hero now.
TRADE
There large IN The products oil Japanese
goods, on most oi winch there is duty Of thrty-nve
per cent he portion OF this traffic comes here
by way o. San Francisco The trade IN fancy goods
between the United States and Japan since the Cen
tennai Exhibition has very largely increased probably
the extent Of 200 or 300 per cent Tho immense
amount labor the examination OF these japanese
goods is generally appreciated. 10 ascertain the
value OF consignment OF hundred cases, often
exceeding So 0O0 IN value thirty cases have
be examined, whereas u package OF diamonds or
any Of the same value could be examined
aud passed upon IN twenty minutes, whereas tie
thrty cases would require the attention five
for hours, ana the same may SAID with regard
TO the cheaper class o toys.
rRIMmIYGs
Mr.. Thomas W. Gioson Is the assistant appraiser oil
the third division, IN which the values are asceraned
OF stun buttons, embroiueries, except Of gold aud
silver. matters plush, laces and lace goods ol
description. ladies' wearing apparel to order.
SILK, raw, tram and organzlne, and ali man uiactui
silk trimmings In this division all fabrics OF silk
and trimmings OF every description passed. The
ana coored silks, black aud coored SIX
and salus; seeonu ribbons OF all xmas silks,
cotton goods, silk wearing apparel SILK hand
kercheis aud sc1ris SILK upholstery
goods; third, elk, cotton, worsted and bead lrIm-
mugs; aud fourth, cotton and linen embroderies
aces, six aces, reai and machine made, ana lace
Each OF hese divisions is under the super
vision OF an examiner, appointed specially US oelug
an oxpert on the articles called 10 pass upon,
the result Is that the books show an advance on
INVOICES over their stated value. From January /,
1876 to December l. 1871 lne large sum Of so47 900
hu4 n,eup li.cf nVup OK q
expenses. This does not include the goods cntered
for auy at MY per cent ana advanced 70 sixty per
cent winch likewise amounts 10 very iargo sum
Tie OF February s, 1915, usually called tue
"shS act" makes the assessment OF dusy Tor
miSed iabrics very oncrous and complicated,
compelling determination whether toe articles
have under twenty-five per cent IN vliue o.
cotton nax WOOL wofsted. Tnis can oniy he
tanned correctly ~ an analysis OF each artlce to be
assessed, aud tnen yaiulDg cacn component part IN
the oplnon OF Mr.. Gibson the provision oi ,hs act
should either be amended or repea ed, ~ causes
continual contention between COVER Mt officers and
importers IL enforcement desoIves on The assist
pialscr, who IS familiar with tho compon en Is
of ali textile fabrics.
LINEN FABRICS
Mr.. William bay, an old merchant, the Assistant
Aupraiser oi The Fourth division. The merchandise
assigned 10 him Tor examination and appraisc-
n.nl consist. OF textiles vt yvavlap,. atus yarns
threads ana lndIi ruUUer Tho conuLfiss ol produc-
Great Britain, France, swt7erIand, Germany
Russia Altogether there are l25 different
cations lor duty, win winch eacn examiner - he'd
10 be thoroughly coDyersant IN order maze his
turn upon examination OF the merchandise Manu-
compound rates. equal TO an average
about nlly per cent yalorem Ganu-
iacturars OF fax. hemp or lnie arc generally
assessed ad valorem rates oi 80 40 per centuu,
according to yauo per square yard. Buraps and IKE
manufactures are assessed ~ the ratio VI ~ per
hd vaI0rem. About tbree-iourtDs of al luen labrcs
from Ireland and scotland, tho remaining one-
fourtn principally from Germany and Austria. rhs
imports OF linen from France are at present mod
crate aud connned 20 line qualities. Imports OF
linens from Russia CONSIST of the ARTICLES
called crash, winch come from St petersburg
also coraaees, whicn arrive IN extensive quantities
from that port Cotton ia0rcs cotton threads are
chiefly from Manchester, England; Glasgow anu
Paisley, Sco,isud France aud Germany supply lae
qualities, OF q character sutea 10 the American de
mand. Manufactures IN purt of ndla rubber are
extensively imported from Leicester England.
France however, supplies textures oi INDIA ruOser
and silks The Hner qualities Manufactures OF iute,
called Duraps and DapsnS, as also yarns, come
almost exclusively from Dundee scotland, altho
the Two articles are extensively manufactured
ut Calcutta by European capitalists, VINO nave sstaD-
lghed works IA tDat country ~ utizc The East Inda
dDre. Until witnin three years a-o Jutc cxciu.
sycly ompioyed in manufacturing coarse oagging AID
cIoi { ! "A q ller yur