The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-12
GLOVE MERCHANTS HARMED.
rgE IyTOICES or THREE PROMINENT
rfKuy ADVANCED 10 PER CENT
.,u,on. In the Importing Trade Anected by
n peci.iou OF Collector MERRITT In the APP
n..i for IA Reappraisement-Ths Spring
Trads Ruined aud the Fnii Trade Lost.

neal for Renppraisement-The spring
Trade E,uined aud the Fall Trade Lost.
In March last wilmerdng, Hoguet &
n had AN invoice OF about t25.00O worth OF
rr6,oussc's ladies' two-button kid gloves con-
s,gnel 10 them from Paris. At the same time a
lorgs consignment OF Perinot's two-button
sloyes was sent to Iseln. Neeser & Co.. and in
AprnA T. Stewart Co. received about s35. 900
ror,h Of Alexaudre's two-button gloves. The
Invoices we're all Of gloves Of the first quality.
and were inyoiced at forty-two francs per dozen
,,ir loss SIX per cent. This had been the in
,ols,A valuation for French gloves OF the first
quality in numerous previous lmportations. but
"a correctness had been disputed in Treasury
and Custom House circles. A long controversy
MARKED the dispute. in which several importing
b,rses were accused OF undervaluations to de-
fraud the revenue. On the three invoices named.
Mr. silas 3. butcher. the Appraiser. made a
formal appraisement. and reported the gloves
70 BE- worth nity -four francs per dozen pair-an
increase " twelve francs over the value OF the
importers. The merchants took exception. and
demanded Il reappraisement. and 1t was de-
clded 70 make the question q test one
IN determining the foreign market price
ofkid gloves Of the first quality Mr.. James VI.
Constable. Mr.. Hugh Auchincloss. and Mr..
James II. Dunham were named as merchant
appraisers TO make the reappraisement. with
Gen. Alexander p. Ketchum. the General APP
praiser acting for the Government. A great
many witnesses were examined here. and vol
luminous testimony was also taken in Europe.
The investigation lasted for several months. in
which exhaustive information about the history
Of the manufacture Of kid gloves was obtained.
The main object was to find what was a fair
foreign market value for the imported gloves.
The merchant appraisers and the General Ap-
praiser finished their labors and rendered their
report some time ago. Tho case then went TO
Collector Merritt as the final arbiter.
The Collector gave his decision yesterday;
n favor OF sustaining the invoice values OF
ioriy-two francs and that the General Appraiser
had found the gloves TO be worth forty-nine
francs. The Collector sustaius the General
Appraisers valuation MS against the merchants
al the appraissment q Mr. butcher; When
was not In shape 20 give out. Subsequently he
said that he had not made any written report
Of his views on the question. and that
concurrng with Gen. Ketchum so that
there mgl, be offlcial authority for the future
action Of the Customs authorities This was all
the law required him TO do. He said that he
had carefully read the reports OF the merchant
STiie. Of the merchants attorney. Mr. COOK. be.
fore reaching conclusion. On being asked
what the effect VI the decision would be on Gus
the value q about 10000 dozen pairs Of kid
gloves that nave been lyiug in bond for months.
Tho merchants were afraid 10 take them out
while the test question was pending.
The decision n the INVOICES Of 4; T. Stewart
4 Co.. isslin Assser C9.. and Wilmerdins.
ty per cent on the value Of the gloves. Ii Is
the first time in the history Of A.. T. Stewart
Co.'S long iransacuOns with the Custom House
tnat the firm has been adIudged liable TO pay n
penalty .or underya!uation. The first time WAS
last winter. and was also in connection with the
General Appraiser Ketchum said that his re-
port covrret ll5 ps&gs o. letter paper TWAS
II the possession OIL the Collector; Much Of It
inporiers ana he doubted il the Govern.
ment would cousent 10 have II published.
Nearly one hundred Witnesses were examined.
The d-positlOns of the French manufacturers
oi the gloves was obtained. and statistical in-
FORMATION was got through the l nited states
Consuis The Government exhausted. every
means 70 get al the history Of the manufacture
The sales here and abroad. TO enable
L to net Justly and fairly with the merchants.
Gen. ketchuin SAID that X seemed clear 10 him
al the close Of 'he investigation that the gloves
had not been inyoicel here NJ a fair market
value. He had decisions Of Judge BatchfOrd
tutc market value. He did not think that the
p,,,isi1n would teretroact.ve.
Mr.. James II. Dunham. Of tho firm Of Dun
lam. Buckley X Co.. wholesale dry goods mer-
shanis at $40 Broadway. gave an account oi his
experience Us a merchant appraiser Early
prais-ment of the Jouvin 4 Co. and the widow
Jouyin Co gloves. the former imported by +.
y,
Grant Il CO. IIe examined various experts
In the trade, From the most accurate iig-
sFts H. &c eouid get he estma'ed that t5s
cost SO francs a dozen. Estimating that 2i
pairs of gloves were made from every IL skins.
BE- fixed the cost OF material for Il dozen pairs
Of gloves ~ ~. francs Adding 10 francs Tor
making muce III" total cost u dozen pairs Of
gi2yes a, Tie IA tory IN, France s2,. francs.
a. "a valuation Of ~ francs which. Mr.. Durham
Moaeht allowed NE manniacurer good
prght he trc9rdingiy appraised the goods at
- francs u dozen pairs.
In rezari 10 the last lot of gloves OH which
tue Collector Is said 20 have increased the mp
klalsmsni 81 the merchant appraiser. Mr.; Dun
nam 'nai' The following explanation: In March
lasi ih" Appraiser raised the appraisement on
hr,i quality kl loves that bad been invoicrd
ai2 frame % doz,a 20 "A francs u dozen The
merchants requested "a r-appraiseTnent which
"'ia nude about t"j moths ago. Mr.. Durham
rAtnin.i ur F.rlnot glove Imported by IsellG.
A'ss'r Co.. Mr. Aurhinel0ss the Alexandra
,,nprri7l ,i 4. T. stewart \ Co.. Mr. Constable
.ir 4rrloNsse imported by Wllmerding, Eoguct
70 me r"pots ~ the merchant APPRAISERS
w'r9 ne same. fixing the valuation at the in
NStts' VIE y ireuos.
MI. pll.tu hl.i not heard what had been
WIZ 'lh 'Ai~ report John sherman, he said,
inn p"en lnc-h md arbitrary. as lawyers gen
rta.i ni~ j. D"a.iug with such cases. HcN FIRST
f'Tr" tl'n" 'uis from the merchants for
49, Tax Il the Invoices, but finally
mr. !'lsn-r the goods and retain ton
!"it'Nhiis ~ere Shy about accruting Ms il
reat reai7 Mrn liao.e to twenty per
r...l -."..' .4 'e~t the HkprAlNcucnt WAS
,.n.vl py w" T. y;rument. Mr.. Dunham snid
iSWT ". ~. NAY Nti tts Government lost heavily
T. II ''II7" "a ms matter but the glove trade
TaL o'sA A'hry ruined. First, the spring i'm
d., W." s Wss l9eked ~, and now the fall trade
MT liam Libb-y. OF A. T. Stewart Co.. In
'N"S 'uise ~ ons statement said
rsyM w. INt ~ the Goyernment only two wit
p'sWsr- W werr produced. Tho first was Mr. Thos
- ~ = "l the llrn ~ flsk. Clark 4 Flagg, who
~, oN@Hs'd IN tho Manufacture Of gloves in
E'.' souhlly. am whose Interest IL IA 10 protect
t.s o"L hanuinrturc Of gloves in this country
II ln'tehslAs ~" duty on imported gloves
n's hhoWedSco Of market value OF gloves may be
u"HiheI ny ~ follows from his own testimony;
a. a. 'Ns not been 10 France since 1870 his figures
~ ~ u 3iis are based upon iurts IA they then
,fN.N.'l 10 iAs not Imported any gloves for
vr ,,r p"s' hFe years has no knowledge Of their
FI' FrI' '7 tained from printed price lists in
go 't.H T "Ip Ahs made no purchases OF similar
si',ps' ~ gives the cost OF manu- ufacturing
h'nes "a II was egut years ago land has no
pWUeI Information. He Imports skins and pays
KS ans per a"l"n which has been the priceto
80" r. w loi tllr past two years.
NJ ~, opposed 10 the elEht-year old facts OF
IL. .Nl"It' lNFie y presented the evidence Of
Ga9sls. nrEQet II Nilmerding. Hoguet x Co.,
N,VTult, Wells. HagadOrn Srligman. Troutet
W. e't} cooper. and myself. the representa-
haie Oh NE manufacturers and importers
s,",t Named and all actively enKnged
Ills I'm" dealing in gloves which
fsn"s lnul INC prl'e OF skins during 1877