Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-07-27
FRENCH ELUCIDATES.
Information for Commissioners by the
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.

LOT commissioners Dy Tic
Assistant Secretary of tho Treasury.
LONG BRANCH, N. j., July 26.-The tariff
commission held long public consultation
this morning with Henry F. French, assistant
secretary Of the treasury. lie stated he had
made a few brief notes as to the Importance of
simplicity in the arrangement of tables and
classification, especially with view TO avoid
ing antiquities. The duties of customs
officers were essentially the classification of
goods and valuation of goods. The
first WAS the duty of the collector.
The second was the duty OF the ap-
praiser. From the decisions or collector
there was an appeal to the secretary of the
treasury He (Frencb) had charge of those
appeals as assistant secretary, aud generally
directed them in conjunction with the head of
the custom division, but where the point in
volved was OF great Importance he submitted
it to the secretary of the treasury, who If in
doubt takes the opinion of the attorney gen.
eral or solicitor general The matter is fire.
quently brought for final decision to the
courts and the result was often different
in different Jurisdictions. That is, in New
Orleans there may be one decision of uues-
ton, and in New York there may be a different
aud contradictory decision. He thought the
commission should be able to arrange duties
ION iron. and steel for instance) SO there should
not be the Inconsistencies which now exist.
Referring to the question of the tariff on
silk, which provides duty of 60 per cent. on
articles maze of silk or in which silk is a
component part of the chief value, he re-
marked that it appeared simple enough, and
yet it had given the department great diff
Guilty. 1t was hard to find out the actual
proportions OF silk and other materials
in an article, and then the question arose as to
what the chief value meant. Did it mean a
majority or plurality? That is, must the
silk be of more value tnan any other material
in the article, or must it be more than all the
material In it, Finally the depart ment had
given Its decision in the first of these PROPOSE
tons, but it might be set aside by the courts.
There was another difticulty-in regard TO cot.
ton goods-which he detailed. He thought,
while a new tariff might not escape
similar difficulties, still the list of known
antiquities in the present tariff might enable
the commission to avoid these old questions
at least. He exhibited specimens of cotton
goods and explained how the custom house
had tried to classify them and how Judge
Shipman, of New York, had set aside that
classification and laid down quite new rule.
He apologized for using SO much time on
these preliminary matters but he thought il
well to have them understood in advance.
He proceeded, to speak of the immense
holioSh Va oPpCoio SCihibE up HUH tuS GUS
tom house to the secretary of the treasury.
During the four years that Sherman was sec.
rotary there were no less than $4,000 such ap-
peals.
The consultation with French was sus-
pended until tomorrow.
Among the communications received to-day
was one from the Illinois Watch company
asking to lave the eramel for watch dials
placed on the free list.
Dewitt c. Ward, chairman of the United
States Maltsters' association made an argu-
ment, claiming that the present ad
valorem duty of 20 per cent. on malt does not
protect the maltster, but that the duty
should be specific one of 25c per bushel of
thirty-fOur pounds. He gave several advantages
that Canadian maltsters had over American,
and said in one year he himself had lost $780,
900 by reason of under valuation and under
selling of Canadian malt.
Charles A. Stadler, secretary to the associa-
ton, gave the annual import of Canada barley
and Canada malt at from six to ten million
bushels, and stated that the
Canadian government levied a
specific duty of "a cents on each bushel of
American malt against 20 per cent. advalorem
levied by the American government on Cana
dian malt. The request was that the duty be-
tween the two countries shonld be equalized.
Phillip A. .Bour, representing the Pennsyl.
vania salt manufacturers industry, spoke for
the alkali industry of the county.
John Campbell, representing the importers
and manufacturers of analine OF colors and
dye stuffs made an argument in favor of the
reduction of duties on these articles.
Everett Spooner, repr, senting the New York
Free Trade club, addressed the commission.
What he and those with whom he co-operated
understood as free trade was fair trade, an
impartial and equitable system of taxation.
The great object which they had in view was
to relieve the manufacturing interests of the
country by diminishing or abolishing alto
gether the duty on raw materials.