Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-30
A WORSTED DECISION
Just Made by the New York Custom
House Appraisers That
DESTROYS THE TARIFFS EFFECT.
The Ruling Has Created CONSERVATION
Among the Mill Owners.
AN IMMEDIATE APPEAL TO THE COURTS

| PHILADELPHIA, Oct. pa customs
decision which robs the manufacturers o.
worsted goods in the United States of the
benefits which should be derived from the
Mckinley tariff bill, places them al
the mercy of their English competitors, in.
wolves monetary losses that cannot be COM
puted, and may, if it stands, result in the
shutting down of all the worsted mills OF
New England, bringing general disaster to
the entire industry in this country, has just
been rendered by the Board of General
Appraisers in New York.
Under the ruling importers of worsted
goods will have to pay duties on their in
voices at the market rates, plus "a per cent
commission. Appraiser Cooper, of New
York, raised the valuation of the goods be-
cause there was a difference between the
market value and the importers invoices
The general appraisers have ruled that here
after duty of A cents pound and 90 per
cent ad yalorem will be charged on the total
amount of the invoices, plus 2H per cent for
purchasers charges in England.
THE MEANING OF THE DECISION.
In this city where there is a vast amount
of capital invested in the industry, the
principal manufacturers are Thomas Dolan
& Co., Penn Woolen Company, Edward T.
Steel & Co., James Doak, Jr, & Co.,
Joseph Greer & Co., and the Camden
Woolen Mills. Among these and other
firms the effect of the decision was widely
discussed, and, as stated by leading mem
Der of one of the most prominent companies,
with this result:
The meaning of the decision is that the
Board of General Appraisers have sustained
the prices at which the goods were imported.
The only change they make is that they dis
allow all rates charged for commissions
which are in excess of 21% per cent on the
goods that the commission is paid, not being
dutiable, and that 21k per cent being the old
charge the invoice when on direct value, has
been disallowed to the extent that the COM
mission has been increased. The claim was
that If the goods even were purchased es the
price at which they were invoiced they
were sold abroad at less than the cost of
manufacture. and, therefore, less than mar
ket value, which, as expressly provided in
the customs administrative bill, must be the
Wholesale price of the merchandise at the
time of export to the United States in the
principal markets of the country "whence
the same has been imported"
The prices are made special in England
tVh shto country ana are made way DeloW
the prices charged to the English people
than to other foreign countries except the
United States. In order to maintain their
hold on this market the English manutac-
turers were willing to make these sales at
these special prices in order to keep their
machinery fully employed, thereby suffer-
ing smaller loss than if their looms were
idle. A positive proof that this is the case
is shown in the fact that the duties on
worsted goods are increased from 30 to go
per cent over the duties of the tariff of 1883,
which was in force up to the time that the
McKinlev hill became operativa