The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-29
HOUSE ODDITIES,
bme OF the Questions That Cause
the Appraisers Very Much
Trouble.
Watches so Large That They
Were classified for Duty
az Clocks.
Gems, Bnnnsrs and nsAding
Desks for Churches and Benevolent
6ocieties-Dend Bodies.

There il one thing that gives tho custom
nuse appraisers a great deal OF trouole,
sys the New York Press. and that y tools
ftrade,n In ono case Z turner brought
1er a work bench and claimad that u
hould be admitted frss Of tax ~ : tool
trade" but the collector ruled thatit was
art Of the fixtures of the shop and not .
Dol. and il paid 81 per cent as "a anufa
bred wood"
No allowance whatever ID made for short
10 or breakaRe. and If an importer opens
10 CASE Of wine in the custom house be-
ore he has removed II he will have to pay
he same duty on the empty bottle AZ upon
he full one. Nor II I case 10 stolen while
warehouse has he any redress from the
overnment. He pays duty Just the same.
The governments very often has occasion
b seize liquors in bond in states whore the
liquor traffic 10 Illegal. In Maine, for Il
nipple, the collector may not sell seized
liquors. but he must often hold them - IN
laimed merchandise.
Be careful Of your gun. II you lend II to
friend who Roes cunning in Canada II
rill have to pay duty over when it is re-
turned.
Coaching watches are large. in order that
they may be ssen at night. They are too
args to be carried in the pocket. On ac-
count Of their size the collector Of the port
Pecently classified them A. clocks. possibly
linking that, although they had Swiss
movements, were stem winding and stem
betting, they might enter into competition
With tho Connections clock makers. It re-
luired the testimony Of three Of the lead
nR jewellers in New York to convince the
BOARD Of appraisers that a watch was q
watch even il it happened to be large.
A silk embroidered banner was sent to
the Deutscher KrieRer-vericn, of Toledo, a
benevolent society incorporated in Ohio to
lid and support sick members. The So
,iety indignantly protested against paying
duty Of 60 per cent on it, but the banner
Was neither "reRslia nor gems" and might
At the head OF the hall now with its SO per
tcent duty paid. Almost every church that
Imports a reading desk wants to get 1t in
free "a 'reRalia," but the Law says mo"
The trainers Of the present tariff did not
pee why church reading desks should not
bbe made by American workmen.
Z In spite Of all the talk about carpet woods
1--we ship carpets of considerable value, and
ID single ward of Philadelphia now manu-
fractures more carpet than 10 made in all
England.
\ The Chicago importers won in their pro-
Hest against the classification of silk Cir
ldles, which must have delighted the ladies
lot that city. They were about six feet
equestion was whether they should pay 60
per cent a. silk wearing apparel or 80 per
lcsnt ~ manufactures of silk. Tho ap-
3praisers agreed that there was NO doubt
that they were intended to be worn around
1.-THE waist by ladies for the purpose Of CIV
ling shape to loose fitting garments, and 10
THE articles were "agcessories to. but. not
Hover rate of duty, otherwise the Chicago
ladies might have relied on the appraisers'
decision. that with ons of these Qirdlss they
had on wearing apparel.
A penalty of SO for every death of a
passenger on board q steamship landing at
American port is exacted. The Labrs-
Idor, of the Dominion line, touched at Hal
and a passenger had died the day before
Preaching Halifax. The steamship had to
pay the fine in Boston all the same.
The tonnage tax collected last year wal
onlo $685. 1888. of which English vessels paid
1907. 366 and United States vessels paid
$74,370: There were i'll American ports
from Brazil, Argentine n Ecuador one
vessel each, but the smallest amount paid
WAS 1892 for three vessels from Honduras
From Great Britain 6,636 vessels paid
the tax, and Ecuador was the only coun-
try that was represented by q sinelt
vessel. Forty per cent Of the totaI
tonnage Of the United States wal
collected at this mort. The tax 10 insignif,
cant in comparison with the profit to for
eign vessels and the money which they
make out OF this country. Our lighthouse
charges, with the best harbors in the world,
Rre small IN comparison with those Of othe,
nations. and the taxes and dues paid are a
p~ittance in comparison with the cost to rs
Of maintaining the lights and keeping the
harbors clear.
A duty Of Is per cent ad valorem was a.
sessed and paid the other day on a package
of 800 Canadian postal cards. They had
printed matter on the back, CANA by mail
in bulk. and were taxed AZ "foreign printed
matter" Tho Canadian advertiser paid thu
tax, of course.