The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-07-27
Mats and Canoes Entered
Free Of Duty.
BROUGHT IN BY BARBARIANS.
They Appeal From a Decision of
the Collector.
THEIR PROTEST IS SUSTAINED.
The Board of Appraisers Find a
Precedent for Its Action in the
Huntington Case.
BROUGHT IN BY BARBARIANS.
THEIR PROTEST IS SUSTAINED.

Among the attractions provided By the
amusement and edifcation Of the public
was band of barbarians from the Island
of Butaritari. The natives on their ar
rival were clad in their national costume,
consisting Of a sealbroWn complexion and
a fringe of grass. Some of them also wore
an air of simplicity. They brought with
them canoes, mats of grass and warclubs,
which the Collector of the Port was asked
TO admit free of duty.
Collector Wise was anxious to please
the untutored islanders and their enter
prising manager, but in his opinion the
Mckinley act, which to the Democratic
mind is the ''direful spring of woes un-
mum bered." stood in the way. The act
provides for the assessment of duties upon
articles manufactured of grass and articles
manufactured OF wood. 1t was clear that
TO the former class the savages' mats be-
lOnged, aud that their canoes were in
cluded in the latter. He referred the
N after to the board OF appraisers. Ihey
pOndered over it for several weeks, and
finally came TO the conclusion that what is
known as the Agnes Huntington case was
a precedent which they had a right to fol-
low. Miss Huntington is an actress who,
after q long contest with the Collector OF
Customs at New York, induced him TO
admit certain scenery imported by her as
tools of trade or implements of profess
son." The board gave Its decision in the
case to Collector Wise yesterday.
The protestant. il is said. brought into
the port of San Francisco, April 9, 1894,
company of natives from Butaritari, one
of the South Sea Islands. for the purpose
of giving exhibitions at the California Mid
winter Exposition illustrating the manners.
customs, exercises and ceremonies OF the
natives. Among the articles brought by
him with his com panY for the purpose
aforesaid were .clEbS, spears and various
other things, including several canoes and
a quantity of grass mats, all of which are
necessary for said purpose and used ID
their performances. Duty was assessed
upon the mats as manufactures OF grass
and upon the canoes as manufactures of
wood; free entry is claimed for the mats
and canoes under paragraph CSC as profess
SiOnal implements, instruments and tools
of trade, occupation and employment In
the actual possession of persons arriving
in the United States.
"WhIle the mats and canoes upon which
duty was assessed differ as widely from
the properties which were held by the
court in the Huntington case to be entitled
TO free entry, as the performances in
which they are to be used, still we are IN
able to find upon principle there is any
real difference in the merits of the case.
Tine nature OF the performances require
in one instance the minimum OF apparel,
in the other substantially none; in the
one painted scenery, in the other grass
mats. We do not think it would be be-
yOnd the scope of the judicial decisions to
hold that the articles assessed for duty are
under the circumstances entitled to free
entry. The protest is sustained"