Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-11-04
DUTIES OF CONsULS.
OUR CONSULAR SYSTEM ABROAD IS
SUSTAINED BY FEES.

~ NUmpF0Ma 8E&Wea Ats%s -
For Importers Of Goods Made In Other
countriss-wherein the Present Method
of Proeedur. Fails.
Every importation OF foreign goods be
You'd nominal value must be based on III
invoice presented to and certified by the
United States consular officer of the con
sular district in which the goods were
manufactured or prepared for shipment 70
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 consignee. 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 or market
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, etc Three copies must be prepared,
and n fourth II the goods are destined To an
interior port OF entry. Letterpress copies
are not allowed, so that each copy must be
written out.
| IL IL obvious that the labor expended In
the preparation Of these invoices Is enor-
nous, and that knowledge OF the maltn-
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 Ia that every
foreign house engaged in the American
trade Is compelled to employ clerks &C
quainted with the preparation Of consular
invoices, and II the trade of the house Is
large several clerks must be employed In
this useless labor.
I According 20 the report of the fifth au-
ditor. there were 3s5,007 OF these invoices
certified by our consuls during the last fls-
cal year. IL Is safe TO say that each Of these
invoices cost s., 30 that the system neeessi-
/ tates the expenditure of about e 900. 900 an
nually. The amount Is so large that the
system should not be continued unless IL is
clearly essential to the administration Of
our tariff laws IL il impossible to main
tain that IL is 80 essential in the face of the
fact that while nearly every nation of the
globe collects duties on imports none has
ever found 1t necessary to resort to any such
device.
The consul's certificate of value is not
conclusive upon the appraisers. md it is
practically disregarded. II the time Of the
consul consumed in certifying invoices was
used in ascertaining the current market
value OF the goods shipped from his dis
trict, he could make reports TO the various
collectors that would be OF substantial
value to them and effectuaily accomplish
the object for which the invoice system was
devised, but confessedly fails TO effect
The law as 1t stands imposes on a CON
sui an impossible task IL 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 In as stated therein or as correct
ed by him. Now, 1t is simply impossible
that he should know the value of the goods
without inspection, aud 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 consuls would have to stand
at the wharves and have the goods un.
packed at the time of shipment Ii il OBJ
BILE The simple fact il 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 yalneless. 1t is difficult to
perceive any justification for this elaborate
system, the only apparent object of which
is TO obtain such certificate.
II has continued so long simply because
congressman are unacquainted with its
practical working. and because the men
who know the most about il, our consuls
can hardly be expected to be actively hos.
tile to a system which returns them SO
many personal fees. A farther obstacle 10
its abolition lies In the fact that our con
sular service is almost wholly supported
by the fees received from invoice certili.
Gates. This will be Of course very effect.
i've argument against the repeal of the
law. II 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. IL Is certain that the American con
sumner ultimately pay these fees. and IL Is
only question whether we shall support
our consular service directly or indirectly.
IL we must resort to this roundabout and
clumsy ueNlce LOT supporting our consuls
we ought at least to eliminate its useles.
features. II II is simply system of taxa
ton, the law should be amended to that
end. Ii is not the payment Of the fee e
which the shipper objects. for he Is Away.
able to recoup himself for that IL Is I'll.
annoyance. delay. uncertainty and waste
full labor which the system occasions Il
we are compelled by an overriding necessi
~ 10 support our consuls by taxing tn,
shipper, we should repeal the present Law
and compel the shipper to present his or
binary commercial invoice or bill Of ladint
for the counter signature and seal of oul
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 purchasher. a. is done IN
other countries. Require our consuls Il
make frequent reports To the various col
lectors Of the current prices OF the good
commonly shipped 10 the United State.
from their respective districts. BY such
system our tariff laws would be admins
tered with the least possible hindrance I.
trade. and our consuls would be OF real as
sistance 10 the appraising officers.
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