New-York tribune., 1883-03-15
INTERPRETING THE TARIFF LAW.

| ltlE LAW.
AN APPARENT CONFLICT IN THE METAL SCHEDULE
WHICH WILL CALL FOR TREASURY DEcIs-
| ION.
| BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
| WASHINGTON, March 14.-Of course the enact
ment of a new tariff law throws a heavy burden of
wqfs upon the officers of the Treasury Department
who required 10 construe its provisions. Manu-
facturers and importers study carefully every line
and word which may affect their interests and are
not slow to perceive any Catch" of which they
may take advantage, whether IL be the result of q
| paucity redundancy of punctuation marks, the
ambiguous or obscure language of clause. or of
what appear to be. and in some cases are, conflict
ing and inconsistent provisions.
The Treasury officers have already discovered as
shown IN TRIBUNE dispatch, that, while the new
rates of duty become operative only at the
beginning of the next fiscal year, the repeal of
the duty on packages. charges, commissions and
inland transportation absolute aud took
effect Immediately upon the approval of the
law. That this was the consequence of haste and
nadvertence and contrary to the real intention
of Congress- is conclusvely shown by the fact that
by section eight Of the law the form Of oath
qured of the cOnsgnee. agent or importer modi-
fled, emitting the clause which required him TO
swear that the invoice value included the cost of
transportation, packages etc.. but the amended
l.
meantime the importer will still be required to SUBJ
scribe to the old form of oath. although the reason
for requiring it no ouger exists. Section of the
new law provides that all goods in bonded ware
houses on the day when tho act takes effect shall,
except as otherwise provided pay duty according
to the new rates. The Treasury Department holds
that this applies to duties ON charges commissions
ETC., on all goods that were in bonded warehouses
on March 3.
Another question has arisen, which at
the proper time must result In very
important Treasury decision affecting the
rate of duty to be collected on "iron
or steelrvet screw nail and fence wire rods round,
IN coils and loops, not lighter than No. wire
gauge valued at gig cents less per pound.n As
thus classified the rate imposed by the new law is
6-10 of l cent per pound. These wire rods when Of
iron. however, fall also within another enumerated
class of manufactures of iron. as follows: Round
iron In coils rods, less than 7l6 of one inch in
diameter. and bars shapes Of rolled iron not
specially enumerated provided for in this act,
in another place that " if two or more rates of
duty shodld be applicable TO any imported article
1t shall be classified for duty under the highest OF
words " not specially enumerated or provided forD
% the second provision quored exclude therefrom
he articles enumerated IN the first pro-
islon Isl quoted the Treasury Will probably de;
ron wire rods must paw 2-10 cents per pound-a
Inference OF Sl3 A per ton, or exactly 100 per
ent. In the case of steel wire rods it seems proba-
,le that, IT valued at less than cents per pound,
hey may be required to pay duty of As per cent
ID yalorrm instead of 6-1O of one cent per pound.
I so the duty on ton OF steel wire rod valued 40
l2 cen s per pound would amount to $50 20 per
on, instead of $13 Al per ton-a difference Of
2l "a per ton,