Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-12-31

nate from honest importers, and are
brought to the attention of the treas
ury department at Washington by
special agents. These undervalua
tons of imported goods, either pur
chased outright in the European
markets or consigned to the
American market for sale, operate in
iuriously in three several ways; they
defraud the United States government
of its legal revenue, put profitable
competition by honest importers be
yond the pale of possibility, and
spread the virus of lying dishonesty
through whole sections of mercantile
society. Each of these issues is a ca
lamity against which the instinct OF
self-preservation and patriotic public
spirit seek to guard. For this reason
consular officers of the United States
resident in foreign countries are
charged with certain duties, in the ex-
ecution of which, it is alleged, some
of them are unjustifably remiss.
While it may be conceded that the
protection Of American citizens travel
ling or domiciled in foreign countries
is the primary duty of consular off
GERS, it is no less true that protection
of the revenue is one of their most
important functions. In the exercise
of this duty they are required to ex-
anime into the truthfulness of state
ments contained in the invoices OF
goods presented to them for certifca-
ton. The intelligent fidelity, OF
otherwise, with which they perform
this office is of vital moment to the
welfare Of their employers, the Amer
lean people.
The truthfulness of an invoice may
be approximately determined by what
the consular officer learns of specific
manufactures in his own district, of
the prices of raw materials, wages of
labor, cost of machinery, manufacture
ers' statement of prices, merchants
printed circulars of prices, average
market prices, commissions and bro
kerages and by whom paid, and local
business habits and pecullarities. II
in his conscientious judgment the in
voice contains false statements, the
Consular official certifying the same
must note upon it his own estimate of
the true market value, and must also
communicate his corrections, with the
reasons therefor, to the authorities at
home, Much of his information is
not infrequently obtained from the
special agents of the treasury work
ing in his vicinity, with whom he is
legally obliged to cooperate With
out some degree of honesty it would
be impossible to conduct international
commerce to advantage; and mer-
camille probity is not yet quite so
scarce that consular officers and spe-
cial agents can not find upri ght men
on whose word and ledger they may
safely rely. From these, as well as
from the general facts of manufacture
and market, they gather much of the
requisite knowledge.
But another source of information,
and that not the least valuable, is
open to American officials. Pieces
of goods-say of silks, for example
about six by four inches in size,
cut from the goods invoiced, must
be deposited with the certifying con
sTlar officer. Of seventeen, more or
less, different pieces, closely approach
ing each other in value, two may be
analysed and valued, and the worth
OF the remainder he estimated from
the result. In conducting the an
alysis, the cost of the organIzine warp
of the tram or wool, of the coloring
matters embodied, of the Wrapping,
weaving, finishing and ironing, is es-
timated by able experts. There may
or may not be added TO this estimate
IN adequate percentage for capital en-
ployed, wear and tear of machinery,
etc, etc. Thus the prime cost per anne
or metre is readily ascertalned, and
means of correcting a fraudulent in
voice obtained. This method may be
employed on as many Of the pieces
invOiced as is deemed necessary. It is
also applicable to satins, velvets, rib
bons, etc., and to any fabric in which
silk Is the chief element of value.
Embroideries are also subjects of
suspicion and of frequent valuation.
The principle of valuation employed
in tie appraisers department comes
the nearest to specific duty of any rule
for deciding Gd U0Z0renl imposts. It
is derived, first, from the cost of the
basic material; second, from the cost
of bleaching; and third, from the cost
per 100 or 1000 of the stitches, as as
certained from ten or a dozen of the
best houses occupied in that particu-
lar manufacture in airy given locality.
Ten per cent. is ordinarily added to
the sum of these respective OUTLAWS,
and the foreign market value is thus
decided
All these and similar precautions
are absolutely needful in view of the
fact that little or no reliance can be
placed on the sworn statements of
some foreign merchants Or shippers.
Free-traders themselves, at least SO far
as their own productions are concern
ed, they do not hesitate to deny the
right of the United States to impose a
protective tariff. As an oath exacted
from helpless victim by a powerful
oppressor is not held by ethical philos-
ophers to be of binding force, SO
these gentlemen are ready
to perjure themselves as often
as sworn declarations to the truth of
their invoices are required, and to JUS
tify the perjury by the uncomfortable
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