New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-02
IMPROVEMENTS OF THE CUSTOMS SERVICE.

SUGGESTIONS BY A COMMITTEE OF THE CHAMBER
OF C0MMERCE-THE ANNUAL ELECTION.
The first meeting of the Chamber Of Commerce
held in its new rooms In the Mutual Life Insurance
Company's building yesterday, was the annual
meeting. Vice-President James NJ. Brown pre-
sided. The special committee to whom was re,
ferred certain allegations made to the Secretary OF
the Treasury by Special Agent Charles h. Gray re-
spectng undervauations OF merehandlse, ana a
bill now pending to mrroHe me UnSIo ION C Ser
gress to provide for the abandonment of damage al
fowances With regard to the bill reviving the priD-
ciple of the mOiety law which the Chamber mas Ire
onently condemned, the committee admits the diff
fcuty of ascertainng the dutlable value In the I'M
portatlon of merchandise on which is imposed an
I'D yalorem" duty but 1t is qqestiCa as TO now w
the Treasury thinks that II can be done by lncfeas-
Ing the penalties, and giving an additional stimu-
LIANT TO the officials and Others in the shape OF 20
per cent OF proceeds OF seizures but the committee
does not think so.
The committee. after inviting large number of
importers to give their views, prepared statement
which IT thinks eiectually disposes OF the aGcnsai
tiOn made by the Treasury that the most sklllul
expert cannot be depended upon to TX values win
absolute correctness" The committee also de-
caTes that, while the total advances III Valuation
reported are carefully ascertained and displayed
by the Treasury, the total original valuation upon
winch the total advances were made Is not set
forth is the relative percentage OF the t0t&l ad-
vances stated; and 1t believes that II the blu pc
comes a law il will render impossible the lmp0rta-
ton of every kind of merchandise. The committee
is also of the opinion that the powers OF
the customs ofnclals III rtgaTu 10 INC
Advertisement of imported merchandise
are already ample, If not excessive, and III some re-
spectS are exercised arbitrarily. The committee
agrees with the merchants that the only two
methods for dealing with undervalgation dlineul;
ties are a change from " ad valOrem" TO specihc
duties or a surrender of the merchandise 10y sale 70
the Government
The report was accepted, ordered TO be printed.
and will come up for final disposition at the next
meeting A resolution was adopted approving OF
The memorial 10 Congress of mere hantS, shlp0wn-
ors and others interested in the commercial pros
perty of New-YOrk, praying that Congress take
early action toward deepening the channels, giving
a greater depth of water on Sandy Hook BAR and
otherwise improving the approaches 70 the port
The bill now pending in Congress- prohibiting the
udulteration of drugs, was also approved.
The following officers were elected:
James NJ. Brown, president; Charles s Smith and
Josiah NJ. Fiskc Vice-Presldents; SCION Humphreys,
treasurer; George son, secretary Executive Commit
tee. Cornelius y. Bliss y. g. Arnold oliver Hartman
Morris K. Jesup, and Henry Heutz; Committee on
Finance and Currency, George Coe, Cyrus W. ficd, T.
" COres. George H. Potts, and " L. st. John; Commit
tee Foreign Commerce and tie Revenue Laws James
W Elwel W. II. Guiou, Gustave SchWab John L. Alex
andre, and OsgOOd Welsh