Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-10-10
DUTIES OF CONSULS.
OUR CONSULAR SYSTEM ABROAD is
SUSTAINED BY FEES.

COCt S7tsEH ~ y -E0s
Cumbrous Method That Is Expensive
For Importers Of Goods Made In other
Countrfes--wherein the Present Method
Of Procedure Faiis-
Every importation Of foreign goods be-
yoDd nominal value must be based on an
invoice presented TO and certified BIZ the
United States consular officer of the con-
sular district in which the goods were
manufactured or prepared for shipment to
the United States This invoice presented
to the consul by the shipper, must contain
among other things the name OF the ship
per, the name Of the consienee, the name
OF the ship in which the goods are for
warded, the Numbers and marks of the
cases, a general description Of the goods, a
statement Of their purchase price ormarket
value, the name Of the person from whom
| they were purchased, the value OF the
| crates, boxes or coverings in which they
are shipped, an itemized statement of the
| expenses involved in packing and shipping.
the freight, insurance, commission, broker
age. eic. Three copies must be prepared.
and fourth il the goods are destined to an
| interior port of entry. Iettcrpress copies
are not allowed. 50 that each copy must be
written ont.
! 1t is obvious that the labor expended in
| the preparation Of these invoices il enor-
| nous, and that a knowledge Of the multu-
!, dinous and vexatious requirements Of the
law can only be acquired by considerable
study and experience. In addition, the
shipper must be acquainted with the course
of business obtaining at the consular Office
! Of his district. The result is that every
!, foreign house engaged In the American
trade is compelled to employ clerks ac-
quainted with the preparation Of consular
1 invoices, and il the trade of the house is
large several clerks must be employed in
this useless labor.
! According to the report OF the fiftn au-
: ditor. there were 345,007 Of these invoices
certified by our consuls during the last fis-
cal year. 1t Is safe to say that each OF these
invoices cost 8, SO that the system necessi-
tates the expenditure of about &, 900. 600 an
! nually. The amount is SO large that the
System should not be continued unless it is
clearly essential to the administration Of
our tariff laws. 1t is impossible to main
tain that it is so essential in the face of the
fact that while nearly every nation of the
globe collects duties on imports none has
ever found it necessary to resort to any such
device.
The consuls certificate of value is not
conclusive upon the appraisers. md it is
practically disregarded. IL the tin. of the
consul consumed in certifying invoices was
! used in ascertaining the current market
value Of the goods shipped from his dis
trict, be could make reports to the various
collectors that would be of substantial
value to them and effectually accomplish
the object for which the invoice system was
devised, but confessedly fails to effect
The law as it stands imposes on a con-
sui an impossible task. 1t forces him to
stultify himself every time he signs such a
certificate, for he must certify that the
value of the goods covered by the particu-
lar invoice is as stated therein or as correct
ed by him. Now, it is simply impossible
that he should know the value of the goods
without inspection. and inspection is OF
course out of the question. Fancy our con-
sular officers in London actually inspecting
, all the goods that are shipped daily from
that port to the United States. Appraisal
without inspection is obviously absurd, but
that is Just what our consuls are compelled
to do.
To secure inspection goods would have to
be brought to our consulates and there un-
: packed, or our consulE would have to stand
at the wharve5 and havesthe goods IN
packed at the time of shipment. 1t is OBJ
vious that either course would be impossi-
BILE. The simple fact is that no consul does
. know the values which he pretends to certi-
, fy, and no consul ever can, however well
, qualified he may be and however anxious
to perform his whole duty. The certificate
of the consul being yalueless, it is difficult to
perceive any justification for this elaborate
system, the only apparent object of which
is to obtain such certificate.
1t has continued - long simply because
congressman are unacquainted with its
practical working, and because the men
who know the most about it, our consuls,
) can hardly be expected to be actively hos
tile to a system which returns them SC
!. many personal fees A further obstacle &c
, its abolition lies in the fact that our con
: sular service is almost wholly supported
by the fees received from invoice certifs
, Gates. This will be of course very effect
i've argument against the repeal of the
law. 1t rests upon the common and in
: veterate delusion that whatever the for
eigner is compelled to pay for the privilege
, of trading with US affects the foreigner
, alone 1t is certain that the American con
sumner ultimately pay these fees, and it is
only question whether we shall support
our consular service directly or indirectly.
If we must resort to this roundabout snd
clumsy device for supporting our eonsuls
we ought at least to eliminate its useless
/ features. If it is simply a system of taxa
ton, the law should be amended to that
end. 1t is not the payment Of the fee t.
which the shipper objects, for he is Away:
able to recoup himself for that. 1t is tn,
annoyance, delay, uncertainty and waste
full labor which the system occasions. /
we are compelled by an overruling necessi
ty to support our consuls by taxing tn,
, shipper, we should repeal the present Law
and compel the shipper TO present his or
, for the counter signature and seal of on
consular officer and pay the present fee.
Let the declaration of value and cost b
made at the time of entry by the agent o
{ the shipper, or the PURCHASER, as is done il
other countries Require our consuls L
+ make frequent reports to the various col
e lectors of the current prices of the good
r commonly shipped to the United State
| from their respective districts. By such
t system our tariff laws would be admins
. tered with the least possible hindrance t
Y trade, and our consuls would be of real as
v sistance to the appraising oficers.-Ney
York Post.
The Growth of Metropolis.
Things seldom seen in New York now
G adays: A runaway. man trying to as
certain where he is from the sign on
. lamDp0st sheen or steers beinp driven L