New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-05
INTERPRETING THE NEW TARIFF Law
,upopT.Nr DECISION BY THE BOARD OF AP-

.,,,oDr,xr nrrrsroN BY THE BOARD OF AP-
PRAIsERs on THE wooLsoRT1NG CLAUSE
The Board of United States General Appraisers yes
to-day handed down an important decision Oh uo WI
strnction of the woolsortng clause Oh the he" Aa'
IN paragaph 3s3, which has recently DecoHo nv
ubiect OF controversy between the wool gro"e.' '"
obt and the Garnet manufacturers Of New Eng ana.
SotoD &c the rsult of a hearing recently given
-. tho BOARD IN which the questions involved were
thoroughly examined and ably discussed by counsel
The opInon was handed down by eXJudge oonieIS i0'
d after declaring that the leading purposes OF the
nararraph under consideration Is to prevent la'us
On tbe revenue by changing the ordinary character OF
condition of wool In any OF the MODES speoin0 oO
N increase the endorsements attending Its classli-
ian ord the estimate of It's market value" reaches
the following conclusions:
FIrst-That the 'sortlng clauses referred TO IN para
graph 1873 apply TO all woods, including WOODS Vi WV
third class II generally wool OF the sheep
or hair Of the camel, goat aapaca or o'her hAe SN''
and makes exception OF any class
socond-"Sortlng" as commercially defined means thaS
process preliminary to wool manufacturing, necessary
III the article for textile purposes, when cohsl'os III
classifying by separation the nbres OF the heeces chpped
from the sheeps body, according to length, hneheSS
elasticity and soundness OF staple" But Che phrase
(Which has been sorted Increased In value oy inc re-
lection OF any part of the original fleece must DC con-
.rued I'm connection evil intended to be cor
roctod which is known be the practice OF importing
the suocror parts Of wool Of this kind, ootahed Oy re-
ectlnp the inferior parts Of the fleece sorting Is heF'
in effect defined by statute to be process OF epafE
on which Increases value by rejection Of part OF tne
original necce; f. it above the average value
rer Mound Of the fleece in It's unsorted condition
Third-Tast India woods OF the kind covered bY inc
ts have been imported for thirty years past asSorO
a. 70 colors; and this kind OF sor5ng although IL may
increase the value white woods, Is not subject 70
penal duty. ~ ,, - .,r,oo
Fourth-The phrase in paragraph 1888, shan be Twice
the duty 10 which IL tthe wool or hair would DC o'hef
wise subject" means that the duty on the sorted WOODS
Oyben sepaaced otherwise than TO color and ncrseu
r., vane shall be twice duty to which the fleece IN us
upsortcd condition would be liable.
Ffb-..skrtcd woods" excepted from penal duties
unacr said section which embrace woods with the
skrts~ or stained inferior locks removed Whlch are
,akon from the belly legs neck.
sixth-Any sorting manipulation OF woods MADE WIN
,b ,nent to eyade lawful duties is fraud upon the
% and subjects the merchandise to the penal duty I'M
posed. -, s,-io a., both
The Board reverses the Collectors decision In DOM
90 tho ca,es under consideration. holding That the
Gray and yellow woods of L. >. Higgins Co. mad
ian assorted ONLY as to color, and the assessment
On The white woods had been made on an ERRONEOUS
Isis In the case OF Thatcher Co.. the separation or
oraIIcd sorting had decreased the value OF the I'M
nortatlon below the value per pound OF the orlgil
Hcece and this under the decision did not make IL
tioh IN doubIe duty.