New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-01
THE TARIFF COMMISSION.
VIEWS OF A TREASURY OFFICER.

VIEWS OF TREASURY OFFlCER
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRENCH on THE DIFFICULT
TIES AND ANTIQUITIES OF PRESENT LAWs-THE
SUGAR AND QUI~EE QUESTIONS.
Long BRANCH, n. j., July 31.-The Tariff
Commission began its morning session to-day with
continuation Of the hearing Of Assistant Secretary Of
the Treasury French in regard to tho difficulties and
antiquities OF existing tariff law He began by CIV
ing his views OF the importance and necessits OF the
crea ion Of tribunal for the speedy determination Of
the disputed questions arising from time TO time In GUS
toms He had circular read from secretary
Window to Chambers OF Commerce and Boards OF Trade
throughout country calling for an expression OF
their views on the subject This circular showed That
there were $4,000 custom suits pending. These OF
course did represent many distinct questions but
owing tho laws delay the importers had to continue
bringing suits on every Importation Owing to the
death OF President Garfield and the changed Cabinet.
Mr. WINDOWS plan had fallen through. IL hSd been OPP
posed Also by lawyers who Interested In those
| utigatons and who represented that IL was q new
scheme OF the Treasury Department to get advantage
the importers And when bill for the creation OIL
such introduced in the Senate by Mr. sher-
man it denounced a new scheme OF the Treasury
TO wrong the importers in some way or other
In point OF fact the scheme for the benefit OF i'm
pOrers instead OF being Tor the purpose OF giving
power the Treasury 1t proposing To part WIN
all the power which it had over Che subject Every
body in the Depar sired to get rid OF these con-
troyerses and the labor. One plan to arrange the
very much the valuation OF goods is now ar
ranged. IT, 1t to the decision OF the aI
prser aud let their judgment DE fual Another plan
(and the which he himself favorod the creation
OF Custom Court composed OF experts and OF one or
two eminent lawyers the members OF the Court to re-
ceve $1,000 $4,000 year. more to hold their APP
pOintments permanently, and to sit In New-fork. lie
would the decision OF that court final One obec
ton made that plan its but he thought
that II the country could afford to give Sl9OOOOOO to
the improv OF -puddles it might not bcgrudgo
$4,000 $4,000 year to the maintenance OF TINS
court which would the present enormous cost OF
| litigation.
Another proposition to give jurisdiction OF all
these questions the Court OF Claims. That would GER
tanly be a great improvement on the present system
THIS was very important matter and he hoped that the
Tariff Commission would take up the question and make
some definite recommendation the subject.
Passing on TO the sugar question Mr. French gave q
history the law fixing the Dutch standard OF color as
the test OF value and of taxation; how that standard
had fashed by tho arJi, al mode of darkening
coors; how the poarscOpe adopted by the whole
trade as the just criterion Of the value Of how oh
| lection was made by the sugar importers 10
| is being adopted by the Treasury Department,
and how the nigh qualities OF raw sugar now
come Ia at low rates. being arttfcialy
discoored There had been time, he said, when
the importers rendered to the Committee on Ways
Means any agreement To the best mode OF collect
ing the duties on sugar They could not agree among
| themselves about it, He suggested that perhaps the
best way out OF the whole sugar difficulty would be to
apply the adj yaloren system 10 H. re housnI ma h
COME seed that there something in tho pOlarscope
! which was a scarecrow TO most Of them There were
practically two questions he the Commission, One
whether the tax should be lowered or IN
creased retained IA it Is the other was now Tue az
feent grades should be graded and ascertaned
Sugar PAID the largest amount OF revenue to the
| Government. The amount for the fiscal year ending
June 3d. 1881 over S4s000,000, aud tlat for the
Last fiscal year would probably exceed S3o,0OO00o lie
bad nothing to as 10 the prOprey Of diminishing or
increasing the taxes on sugar That was not one OF his
| functions.
NewYork lie SAID that ne had been in the drug and
chemical business for great many years He had no
personal axe grind bur he had -rsonal grievance
to IL appeared to be that Ia 1962 when MT Nor
tivcs the drug trade, himself among the number and
told them he wanted them TO prepare The isures ior
taxation OF drugs AID chemicals, ard that they
must put the figures nigh az possible,
promising that. the necessities passed
away ne would his influence 10 have the tarh ON
drugs reduced. They ha done For fifteen years he
neither Mr. Morrill, nybody else had undertaken TO
the tarf except To take of tax here or u one
there to Vance some private end lie gave various
instances OF the taxation Of drugs and chemicals to show
how absurd tariff them and now individuals
have taken advantage Oh prompltlse rates hi "a
large fortunes III the manu- acture OF such drug ana
! chemicals. ,...
| In regard TO essential oils he complained that the
duties had taken oil some ami retained on others
without any other than personal lnterests. III
they had all been treated alike. ana put on the Tree list
there would have been some reason ia IT, lie showed
| how by the OF duty on opium ana morphine the
nrn6tS%and he mentioned one OF them MIR. Powers
who mad died recently S7.O0O,OOO Then, rs TO
! 0uiulne and cuchOnu bark he complained That the
REPRESENTATIVES OF chemical interest who appeared
| last week before the Commission had trcu To
create impression that not true He Thought that
Mr.KObbns disiugcnuOus IN ing that MS hrin
had invested 100000 In pant Tor the manufacture OF
uuininc (Ar DIX did not believe that there was 80
lnucn money invested III tie plant OF the Whole five
duuine factories in the country ana az 10 her giving
they employed onet hird of that number No business
In country could wed afford have ls pronts cut
| down - Ousinrss of making quuine.
M. OiycT-DO they have IA Large prOnt at ~ an
| Ounccl
SIR DIX believe that the present price OF bark
they los ng money at - al ounce.
QIs there large STOCK VI quniue held IN TINS cOun-
try AIT the present ate OF demand there Is large
| There to be an unusual freedom from ma
| laral Diseases AT present
| Q-ls it not well enough for the Government to
courage manufacture Of quline in TINS country
! that II he here III time OF war Most GER
tauly. yes. would grant them every possible facility
IN lrttlng every material tree. would give
them small percentage OF pIOccuOD-nOt more than
per The igI Of bark result OF
| "A T., winch VIII cOrrtcl itsgli very speedily.
Mr.. McManOn-Mhat II the objection " putting duty
! of 20 per cent Oh qulnine
Mr.. DiX-lt wound stop any Importation.
Mr.. Umd. rwOOd-N nat Is the pIOnJ now IN the manu-
! facturc Oh outline
Mr. DIx-Ihcre is not any profit in II, If you take the
price Dark today ana the plrc OF qunlue to-day
DIN requested 10 Scnd 10 the Commission a
list OF tho articles, when ne would recommend TO Dc
paced he free list. He sald lac would do So aud
mentioned olive oil article which should the
free list, IT being largely used by clotn manufacturers.
j.. l.. RauIcJf, OF Orleans representing the New
Orleans Cotton Exchange aud also representing South
manu- acrng interests, made an argument III favor
placing butts and iron cotton les free
He asAed to have Manila anG sIsal COR Mexican
hemp and aTgcntIf put the Tree list.
Tue Commission adjourned unul tomorrow.