Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-07-28
THE TARIFF COMMISSION.
Assistapt.seeref.ry French Concludes
his slssenent.
The outu,u..n.ksrsAi Also Put I'm a Plea
for Prstessisn.

LONG BRANCH. N. J, July 1.-THE Tariff
Commission opened n session this morning
by giving a bearing u James Headrick, of
the Albany IN. 70 Anime FACTORY, who
gave a history OF ne business.
French, assistant rcfetxfy OF the treasury,
continued his explnsI'oas and suggestions.
They sbouId be al 1khsr nd valoren or all
specific. Aub;euitisof language shonld be
avoided and ali loo @erms and aefnitions
such az acoods III Ike description and
goods for similsr use.' These were
perfect trans 10 c1tch lawsuits. Am
biguitv often arose also from articles be-
ing put under different classes. The third
suggestion which be made was the
importance of The avoidance of prac-
ticable distinctions. On this point he men,
toned the CAGE OF riekel, which pays
tax Of thirty cents onthe pound; and nickel
aiioyed with copper men Pays only twenty
cents per pound. Wien tnst Dill Was passed
an ALLOW Of half cepplr and hall nickel was
being imported. and dat was the reason for
the distinction: but ia order 10 evade the
law impoy{ations are being made of ninety
Eve per cent. nickel sDd five per cent. copper.
That was evidently fraudulent evasion Of
the law. and vet under the decision of the
Supreme Court in he sugar cases, it was
doubtful if the fun duty of thirty cents
per pound could be legally collected.
The drift of all then suggestions was that
the commission sko1ld consult experts
and eliminate as ma1y - possible OF these
contradictions and d2culhes. On the ques-
ton OF specific and 81 vuloren duties, the
form il better for sach particular article
under cousideratios II could not be said
that, as a general ling, specific duty was
better than an ad pafren enc or the reverse.
No general rule coulf Be applied BY. which I'D
ralorem duty could hentirely avoided. The
general Impression uzs that specific duly
was better than ad salorepa duty, as being
much more simple. much more easily adj
justed and less lisbls to fraud. He next
pissed to the QUESTS of foreign valuation,
and read the law requiring the valuation of
imported goods 70 = their price in foreign
ports. He argued ihsf the proper valuation
would be that of IL eoods in the principal
markets of the Uniied States.
Amber suggestsd the reason Tor foreign
valuation was that hom6 valuation would
include duty, so that would be tariff upon
tariff.
McMahon remarked that another reason
was, that often goods we're imported which
have at first no market and no valuation, to
this country, as, for an instance, Japanese
goods which have BoR such large sale, but
which twelve yean ago were unknown in
this country.
French confessed that it was a practical
difficulty, but az equal difficulty on the
other hand was The absence of foreign value
for goods made sppciaily for the American
market.
Z c. I. White, q Nv York manufacturer of
the American ntnnfacturers of quinine
we're entitled to faiE. share of the privi-
leges and advants1es allowed other interests.
Consequent on the umoyal Of the duty this
country had falhn from being the fra pro-
Queer of quinine in the world to being only
the third. OF the quinine consumed in this
ne-third will be imported this year.
Ten per cent. would be a satisfactory duty,
if the tax on articles used in its production
were removed; ahl fifteen per cent. if that
tax was continued.
C. s. Robbins, Of New York, made an ar
gument in the sans line. He gave the total
Of quinine as 4, 000, 000eounces
per year, Of which 1,600, 900 ounces were
consumed in this country. Robbins did not
think the reduction of duty would make any
Material difference in price to the consumer.
Underwood--Tten Why do you want duty
put on?
Robbins-Because it would help our COM
petition with forsign producers. Robbins
gave the number Of persons employed in the
OF quinine as 500, and the
largest quantity manufactured in one year
in the United States as LOCO, 900 ounces.
That was the year Immediately preceding
the abolition of duty.
s. g. Rosengazter, Of Philadelphia, spoke
in the same Interest, but differed with Rot-
bins as to duty nol Increasing the cost of the
article. He thought twenty per cent. mod
crate duty on qninine.
McMahon inquired the cost of making an
ounce of quiniae, the price OF which is 81
per ounce.
Robbins replied that quinine was put up
in ounce bottles; The bottle cost abeut
eight cents, so the price actually received
per ounce was 81 %. At the present
price of bark, quinine could not be made
1T that price. At the price of bark four
weeks ago an ounce OF quinine cost the
81 81. Its average retail
price was one-haf to two cents per grain.
There were 437& grains in -n ounce, so the
apothecsries received from IS to So per
ounce.
A. P. Kursheedt, Of New York City, en-
gagged in the mannfzcture of neckwear, laces,
borders, and trimmines, exhibited samples of
-uches, tuckinss embroidery, fannels, etc.,
and argued the rate Of duty on any finished
article should nof Be lower than the Fate
imposed on any materials entering in it.
Everett p. Wheeler, of the New York
Free Trade Club, continued his argument,
md promised 70 give the commissioners his
ables of the estimated amount of the RED ac-
ion OF revenue contemplated in his argu-
nent.
The Commiauion adjourned.