, 1889-03-16
P R OC E D n G s
OF T2I
!. COLONIAL COUNCIL
FOR ST. CROIx.

End Member for Christiansted's Country
District (Heuitt): Before the Council
passes over to The next item ON the Order
of Day, he would beg to say a few words III
regard to the fixing of the tariff for exports
In fixing the value of Sugar as the basis
for calculating the export duty, 1t has
been a question Of dispute how the amount
for cOoperage is to be considered many are
under the impression that as no import
duty is collected on cOoperage, neither
should export duty be charged Oh exporta.
ton of produce in that cooperage; but OF
late wears, it has been the practice to coll
lect 5oLo duty on the value of the cOOperage.
To explain this he would state, that when
sugars are sold at the rate OF two dollars
and a half the hundred weight, that price
includes the value of the hOgshedd, Ill
which the Sugar is packed, and when
is about Is cents for every hundred pounds
Of sugar: hence the real value OF Sugar TOT
expectation is S24 when therefore duty IS
charged on $21 as the value OF the sugar,
it is evident that the difference of 20 cents
is the corresponding value of the hogshead.
When selling rum here, the price is gene
rally fixed at so much the gallon OF the Rum
and Sc for the puncheOn, but it is not so
with sugar, and hence the price given
covers the value of the h0gShead, which Is
about o. and calculating the hogshead to
contain 1850 lbs, the portion OF the value
OF the hogShead for every 100 lbs. OF Sugar
Is % cents, as stated already. His opinion
la that the practice now followed is not III
accordance with Law, and no duty should
be charged on the value of the hogshead.
The Governor said that he was not pre-
pared for the question, anti therefore he
could not say for certain Whatare the rules
followed in respect to the allowance for
"Thara" (Tare) on the expectation of Sugar
in hogshead from this Island but he sup.
posed that the export duty is only c~alculat.
ed on the nett weight of the sugar. If this
is so. the honorable Member would be mis-.
taken in his ideas.
2nd Member for Frederiksted's Country
District (Hewitt) said the nett weight is
one thing, the value another and there he
must maintain, that the value of Sugar to
the producer is but $24 pr. hundred weight,
since the price obtained, $29, includes the
value of the hOgshead, % cents for every
hundred lbs. of weigh. He had never adj
vanced that the customs are calculated on
the gross weight. When therefore the
Custom House collect duty 5 pr. ct. on two
dollars and fifty cents as the value of a
hundred pounds Of sugar, it must be in.
correct.
The Governor would repeat hat he was
not prepared to enter upon this whole mat
ter to-day; but he considered it certain
that there could be no objections to the
tariff valuation, because it changes accord
ing to the prices, as soon as any sensible
alteration takes place; whenever the prices
rise or fall 123 pr. CT. above or below what
the tariff was, then a change i'll the tariff is
made.
End Member for Frederiksted's Country
District (HeacitDwas afraid His Excellency
had not well understood him (the speaker).
he had never said anything of the weight
of a hogshead, but of the value, which is
included in the price obtained it is name
" so here, just the reverse of what is the
rule elsewhere, that the purchase sum 10
not fixed with a particular price for the
sugar itself, and then a price for the hogs.
head separately, but the purchase sum is all
in one, and this same purchase sum is taken
by the Customhouse as the standard to
calculate the export duty, hence the value
OF the hOgshead is included in the tariff
valuation, and we payduty on that. Some
difference of opinion on this head had arlS'
en- in one of the meetings Of the Tariff
Commissioners he was tOld ; but of
course the Councils Members were in the
minority aud their opinion counted for
nothing F; and thus it is we continue pay.
ing duty on an article which is not liable
to. duty. The Collectors and Brokers hold
together, and the other Q Members must