The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-16
FRONTIER PORTS PROTEST.
THhY ASK An INTERPRETATION OF
THE DINGLEY LAW.

me BOARD or GENERAL Appraisers Mearn hrEu-
rnents az to tho Meaning or That Fart OF
the new Tariff which Relates to the
lmpositiop OF DETERMINATIONS Duties.
That part Of the Dinrley law relating to dis
eTininating duties was the subject OF Argument
yesterday before the Customs Board OF Classin'
cation OF the Board OF General Appraisers, con-
siptinR of Judge Henderson NJ. Somervillo.
Chairman; Charles II. Ham and George 0.
Tichcnor, In q case=involving thirty protests
from Suspension Bridge, Detroit and other
ports on tho Canadian frontier. Charles ..
Hamlin, ex-Assistant Secretary OF the Treasury,
appeared for those who protest against the 10
per cent. discriminating duty imposed upon
roods imported from Canada. He argued for
m Interpretation Of the section, such that tho
discriminating duty would be imposed;
j. On all goods, wares and merchandise I'M
ported into the United States In vessels not of
the United States and not entitled to tho bono
at Of treaty stipulations, no matter in what for
eign country the goods were produced or manu-
featured, and.
O.. On oil goods, wares and merchandise pro.
Auced or manufactured in . foreign country
not contiguous to the United States and i'm.
ported, into the United States. In wholesale
quantities, from q contiguous country, no mat.
ter what may have boon the character of tho
vessels in which they wero brought to that
country.
.This construction. - said Mr.. Hamlin. (which
ve are satisfied IL the true ono, II we arc to DO
ruidcd by tho usual and legal meaning Of tho
language employed and tho nature Of tho evil
to be remedied, exempts from tho discrtminat-
inR tax all goods, wares or merchandise which
merely pass through q contiguous country
under consular seals, on their way to our ports,
and does not. destroy the fair and legitimate
t sssn c whlsa t Sn IN E f sSss m ns%e &C. t * y great e "a:
vantage of our merchants and transportation
In reply, A. x. Tingle of washinston, repre-.
senting the Government, commended that all
goods the production or manufacture Of any
fsS snsss, i SSpnss1sd 9 rom sG saos eont, 81 aaS oo Snnssy
Din these cases Canada) were lieale to tho dis
s g ess aSs,s ssty Ct Ct tSe p Vessel Ssnt n i TSiaRs shss
were imported to Canads or other So@ntign9us
u Gas E sE,of FEE RfSpafSs sie y o aa%iSti snS with The foii.
owing passage showing tho eject which re;
taliatory measures on Inc part . oanao"" outo
.The official statistics show that tho value
annually through our seaports and carried to
that country BY American railways, and the
By American railways to our seaports for o..
portation to other countries, 10 about So ,ooo.-
Soeso Th into th tho ea1 Ueit Ss ~ st sns "s tSTonR6 Mo lnt.
real, st.. John, Halifax, Vancouver. and other
S So1 sss4, d pSaTts s. ags.ng ot sne G ysa a inai rsilw SS1S
was only S7,663, GIG. The value Of our do
m0stio products exported to other countries
through Canadian ports is comparatively very
small, and the greater part OF 1t Is transported
ada amount to $l1s,0 900, 900. of which tho
United States furnish $685. o 900, leaving
$50, 600, 900 to come from all other countries,
and of this 49,, 900, 900 imported from other
ports and is carried BY our railroads, amounts
r. value to sboTt s2o'ooo'ooo. or only a little
"Retaliatory legislation or regulations by
the Dominion Government would at once trans.
fer q tonnage amounting in value to at least
railways OF that country, and when the course
of the carrying trade has been changed 1t Will
require q long time to restore 1t to the old
channel, even II all discriminating legislation
of such serious import to our interests should
not be heedlessly provoked, nor should now
causes of Irritation and business disturbance be
unnecessarily created at any time. and espo-
a prosperous trade at home and abroad seems
about to be realized. In view of the large
interests involved, tho unusual circumstances
connected with the origin and enactment. of
the section in question. and the serious compli-
cations likely to result from its enforcement
advocates. we respectfully insist that II there
ia a doubt as to Its intent and purpose, this
doubt ought to be SO resolved as to preserve as
far as possible the present status until Congress
ject deliberately in all its aspects. and declare
In plain terms what policy shall be adopted.
No revenue will be lost In the meantime. be-
cause none can be collected under a statute
T ,hd shv destroys 2! e the bs , very business from which
By request Of counsel, the hearing was post
poned ut tho opening Of the afternoon session
Cor ten days.