The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-17
VALUATION OF SILK AND VELVET.

APPEALS TAKEN FROM THE RECENT REAP
pRAIsEMENTs- OF FIGHT IN THE
COURTS.
Tho statement that appeared in yesterdays HERALD
about the alleged undervaluations in silks and vel
vets and the thorough investigation being made into
the relating thereto in the Appraisers Depart
nent caused considerable excitement in customs
and importers circles. reporter waited upon Mr..
Silas B. butcher. the Appraiser OF the PORT in order
to ascertain particulars than have been CLEANED
from the reports and rumors circulated outside Mr..
butcher rather retcent, but said that the In
vestigation was by no means new thing On the
contrary, it . continuation of those of 1876 and
1877. The silk importers, especially those having
goods sent to them on consignment. have, rs gen.
era thing acquiesced In the advance made upon the
foreign price by the Appraiser especially upon such
silks as we're sold in open market in London.
Paris and Vienna, upon which the market value here
is based.
was not we'll fortified with accurate Information
nor with the requisite number OF samples. conse-
quently the importer was victorious and the authors
ties failed to make out case. At the same time the
investigations then made were upon falling mar
ket, with prices very much unsettled. In the pres
snt this Is =. change une of
silks and velvets. the silk crop is short and the
price of the raw material HIGH consequently old
invoice prices are not adaptable TO the present im
portations.
IMPORTATION.
Mr.. butcher says:-'As regards the importatons
of silk work Is going on just as 1t has been for
many months. The advance In raw silk has, OF
course, caused some advance in silk fabrics. Many
importers add more less to their invoices on
entry This is the season tor importing velvets.
The officers of the Appraisers department as well
as the special agents. took hold of the vclvets in
season, gathering all the Information they could ON
the subject. German and French velvets are mostly
all consigned. In view of the fact that there are
no purchased German velvo,s the question of UNDER
valuation must yet be determined inasmuch as the
market value must be ascertained In comparison
with the English and French markets. The agent
of the foreign manufacturers take their orders here
and advise their principals what rates to figure them
at when shipped"
Upward OF three hundred cases Of silk and cotton
velvets are now in store awaiting reapprasements
the invoices thereof having been advanced all the
way from ten to forty per cent. Five rcappraise-
ments will be held to-day and number were made
some days ago, but the result has not been made
public thus far. The force in the Third, or SILK oil.
vision has been entirely inadequate for the rush OF
business there. The Treasury Department granted
Mr.. butcher two additional examiners, wherenpon
civil service examination was ordered TO be had on
the 18th inst. TO I'LL these two places. Some eight
applicants competed Tor the positions, which were
gained by Messrs. Chester and Wiswall. VINO were
duly appointed, and went to work yesterday. Ono
case, where u reapprasement was held on Silks the
raised value cost the importer $9.0OO, TO which was
added twenty per cent in penalties In TINS rs well
in all other cases, an appeal has been taken, anu
there o fair prospect OF protracted hight Ia the
courts.