Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-07-27
TARIFF QUESTIONS.
Second : ssistant Secretary French, Of
the Treasury Department, Be.
fore the Commission.
Various Inconsistencies Pointed Out
The Duties on Iron and Steel,
Silk and Cotton.

LONG BRANCH, July 26.-The Tariff Com
mission held q long public consultation this
morning with Henry F. French, assistant
secretary OF the treasury. He stated that he
had made few brief notes as 10 the i'm
portance OF simplicity in the arrangement OF
tables and classification, especially with a
view to avoiding ambiguities The duties of
customs officers were essentially two-the
classification of goods and the valuation of
goods. The first was the duty of the collec-
tor, the second the duty of the appraiser.
From the decisions of the collector there was
an appeal to the secretary of the treasury
He (French) had charge OF those appeals as
assistant secretary, and generally decided
them, IN conjunction with the head of the
customs division, but where the point in
VOWED is OF great Importance he submits it
to the secretary Of the treasury who, il in
doubt, takes the opinion of the attorney
general or soiiciror-seneral. The matter is
frequently brought for final decision to the
courts, and the result is often different in
different jurisdictions-that is, in New Or
leans there may be one decision of ques-
ton, and In New York there may be differ
ent and contradictory decision. He thought
the committee should be able to arrange the
duties on steel and iron, for instance, SO there
should not be any such Inconsistencies
as now exist. When the tariff on steel wxs
formed, in 1864, the general idea was that
the rate should be from thirty-fve to forty
i've per cent. Oliver reminded French
at that time that gold was at a high pre-
MUM, so the duty was really as high as
that, but. said that it was yeIy
hard to bring these facts together al
this time because steel was almost unknown
and the cost OF steel was about seven cents
per pound. "A specific duty of two and one.
quarter cents per pound was equal TO about
thirfy.fve per, cent. ad ualoren,. Bessemer
steel now costs only about one and half
cents per pound, and the ad uaLorem rate of
thirty-fve per cent. would be a very small
tax. 1t was this which made go much con-
troversy. As 10 the classification between
steel and iron, he illustrated his meaning by
reference TO the articles, cut hooks and cot
ton ties, and by detailing the controversies
over the decisions of the custom-house au-
thorities as to rates of duties to which these
articles were liable. He gave these details to
show how important such little questions
become, and how necessary it was to avoid
ambiguity and unce ertainty in the tariff. Re-
ferring TO the question of tariff on silk, which
provides tariff of sixty per cent. on articles
made Of silk, or in which silk iss the COM
ponent OF chief value, he remarked that it
appeared simple enough, and yet it had
given the department great difficulty. 1t
was hard to find out, first, the actual pro-
portion of silk and other materials in the
article, and then the question arose as to
what the ''chief value" meant. Did it
mean majority or plurality; that it must
be silk of more value than the other mate
rial in the article, or must it be OF more
value than all the other materials in it.
The department had given its decision In
favor OF the first of these propositions, but
it might be SCI aside by the courts. There
was another difficulty in regard to cotton
goods which he detailed. He thought that
dificuliies, stiIl List Of The. ambisHifisa in |
the present tsftf might enable |
the commission to avoid these old 4
questions st least. He exhibited specimens
Of cotton goods and explained how the GUS
tomhoue had tried to classify them and how .
Judge Shipman, of New York, had recently |
set aside that classification, and laid down
quite different rule. He apologized for |
so much time on these preliminary |
matters. but he thought it we'll TO have them
understand in advance an attempt to
formulate tariff. He presented as another |
question the point of South Amer |
ica as to whether Peruvian sheep pro- |
duct should be classed as wool. French |
doubt as to whether that deci- |
sion would be received as sstis- |
factory. He then proceeded to speak |
Of the immense number of appeals |
coming up from the customhouse to the sec
retary of the treasury. During the four |
years Sherman was secretary there were no /
less th an $4,000 such appeals.
Consultation with French was sus-
pended until tomorrow.
A number OF others were also heard, |
representing various industries.