The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-09-08
WOODS AND WASTE.
Acting Secretary Bachelor to Columbus De
lanO on their Proper Classification.

WASHINGTON, Sept. Acting Secretary
Bachelor has written at length to Colum-
bus Delano, secretary of the National
Wool Growers association at Mount Yer
non, in reply to his letter inviting atten-
ton to alleged frauds practised in the i'm
portation of secured woods under the false
designation of waste. In his letter the
acting secretary says the question as to the
proper classification of wool imported and
invoiced as different kinds of wooden
waste, has been the subject of careful con-
sideration by the department since the in
coming administration. Reference is made
to the decisions made since March last rel
alive to broken wool tops, lap and garnet
ted waste, and it is said the subject has
recently been thoroughly investigated at
the ports of New York, Philadelphia and
Boston, and it has been definitely settled
that these decisions of the department res
tricting the classification of such material
to wooden waste contemplated by the $ tat
ute. are being properly enforced.
The published statement of the bureau of
statistics, to which one of the correspon-
dents refers, shows quantity of wooden
rags, shoddy, mungo, waste and locks en-
tered, but does not specify what proportion
of such commodities was waste, and it is
impossible to tell how much of this quantity
was properly waste, how much was secured
wool, and what proportion was found by
the appraisers to be dutiable at higher
rates I'm this connection it may be men
toned, says Mr.. Bachelor, that nearly
all these impOrtatiOns of the year 1889 came
in under rulings of the department made
prior to the incoming of the present ad-
ministratiOn Also that large proportion
of the so-called waste recently brought in
under the guiSe of broken top, lap waste.
or garnetted waste, was entered for ware
houses and had been exported because of
said decisions of the department above re
ferred to. Naturally that portion which
was entered fer consumption and subjected
to higher rates of duty by the officers of
customs, was put upon the market at once
to avoid further loss, ndhence the unusual
quantity offered in the market.
The statements given of alleged eXportG
from England furnish no indications of the
actual importation into the United States
AS to thread waste and ring waste so
called, they are named in the decision of a
court at Philadelphia in suits to which ref
erence has been made, but as to the latter
commodity, the department is now investi-
eating the matter for the purpose of caus-
ing it to be classified as secured wool, if
such course can be legally taken. 1t may
be further stated that as a rule the deci-
sions of the department now in force ex-
clude all classes of wool from classification
as waste except what is actually wasted
or refuse material properly provided for by
law, as such, dutiable at a rate of 10 cents
per pound.
"The repres 3ntatiOns of wool dealers and
wool SPECTATORS at the seaboard who NAV
have an interest in putting out alarmist
statements with a view of depressing the
market for Interior purposes, should not be
accepted as conclusive unless confirmed by
satisfactory proof"