The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-23
THOSE TOBACCO REFUNDS.
MR. HIHLIN GERS soSE INFoRMA-
TION Ar FIRST HAND.

ne Goes over che ousation % Wrappers
ssa FIner. aud Dutis- with the Collector
sna Other Custoss Experts-Ths Dscisio.
Against the Govern meat A wrnnais
over n Treasury Agents Seizure.
All the Custom House people had . busy
time yesterday. Assistant Secretary Hamlin
had come on from Washington for talks with
Collector Kilbreth and Appraiser Bum and
the members Of the Fairehid Commission.
Mr.. Hamlns visit. like Assistant Secretary
Curts's visit week ego. was in search Of in
formation.
All the high Federal oficials we're glad to
see Mr.. Hamlin. and II was the general COM
ment that he might run over more frequently
The criticism was general that the Assistant
Secretaries OF the Treasury Department have
relied altogether too much on the Inform alton
i'm parted by Com missioner OF Customs Pugh
and Chief Clerk OF Customs Comstock and
their friends the Treasury agents In Washing
ton. II 10 believed that Mr.. Pugh and Mr..
Comstock and the Treasury agents have GER
tain theoretical ideas which a single visit OF
Mr.. Hamlln to Now York city would oblIterate.
Mr. Hamln and Mr.. Kilbreth had lunch to-
Rether aud niterwsrd. with Mr. Bum and
Deputy Collector Phelps. they talked about
the tobacco aud hat trimming refunds.
These tobacco refunds are disturbing Sec
aS SS case s'' are that under the old tariii
act which was in operatiou from March ).
which seemed med to declare that II more than IS
per cent. OF the TOBACCO imported was suitable
for wrappers should DO dqtlabs Ut 90 sen It's
ministration Of Secretary ,Falrchiij The inter
on the tobacco shos ai0 be taken pro rata
that is, according to the percentage Of fl!lers
II 40 per cent. OF the importntions were wrap
pets and ~ per cent were fiiiers, the 60 per
s4 cent should ray g cents pound Sn The
General Board OF Appraisers appointed By
sSss b. h
Importers protested against. this interpreta-
unit Of Classification that IL. that each bale
shonid pay either 80 oents or 20 cents; accord
inter probation OF the statute
A test case case vas . tried before Judge Wheeler.
was was tried before Judge Shipman e Of conneSti.
cut. who also sustained the importers, The
government appealed to the nited states
Wheeler. Accordingly on June II last Score;
the Port Of New York to make the refunds on
the basis OF the Interpretation handed down By
Collector Kiibreth on his advent as head OF
s pert t9os the matter isst and So has
bacco importers OF New York are entitled to
$500. 900 from the Government on Judge La
porters Interested have demurred against Mr.
kilhreth's figures. with the , eexxeePtion Of i'm.
They have accepted, Mr. KiI6reths figures and
already 81 l2s has been paid to the i'm porters
Who rsiuse t to accept Mr. Kibreth's figures say
that by Judge Lacom be's decision they are en-
titled to larger refunds than the Collector Is
between $1,000, 900 ana S. o00. 900
Hamlin and the collector and the Appraiser
and Mr.; Hamlin is to report to Secretary Car
frauds on the Government In the matter Of
those refunds The Government, IL was said
however, will Iay al iqst claims and nothing
ana there are more
citizen has hairs In his head. But Secretary
how much money will be needed to meet these
refunds and the refunds In the tobacco cases
which he has asked Congress to allow.
Something like little riot occurred in Col,
talking with MIR. Hamiin. The Coilector sat at
his desk, hanked by lawgiver W. +. Phelps.
and The lawyer to come Henry De For;
were, ex;; Senator Charles i. MGClelland and
whole United states Government.
Mccoy had a few hours before seized
bales Of Havana tobacco from Stachelberg Il
Co, 100 and 1Ul South Fifth avenue. Mccoy
alleged that these z bales were part OF an
importation OF AZ bales made by the firm as
filters. whereas in reality they were wrappers.
Filters are dutiRbe AT 70 cents q pound and
Wrappers at So a pound. His story was that
the appraisers in looking over tho ~ bales
discovered that IL Of the bales contained
Wrappers. Ho couldn't hnd the IL bales on
the premises OF the firm. He found bales.
and those he seized.
McCIeiiand and Hess said that Mccoy had
perpetrated a high handed outrage. Hess
said that he would have punched Mccoy II Nc
Coy had come ard taken his personal property
as he had seized StAchelberg X Co.'S property.
and McClelland, waving his oratorical finger.
informed the Collector. And | would have
shot him."
The Collector heard oil the arguments and
decided that Mccoy was right In seiZing tho
tobacco on the ground that the firm had made
a false entry at the outset ayerrlug that all Of
the fOrty-seyen bales were filters. That false
statement alone. according TO the Government
statute. gave Mccoy full right to seize any
bales that contained another quality OF tohsc-
co. Hess and McClelland were angry, tho Col
lector smiled. Mr. lhslus adjusted his nose
Elasses with complacency, Mr. Baldwin got u
now point in customs law, Mr.. Meow became
more intense. and there was no blood shed.
New Corporations.