New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-18
WORKS OF ART on THE FREE LIST.

Works of art are defined for tariff purposes
by tie Dingloy bill as follows: artistic paint
"ngs statuary and specimens Of sculpture the
professional productions of 4 statuary or sculp-
"tor only, etchings, drawings. engrayings. photo
"graphic pictures artistic works i'm terra Gotta,
'parian bsque or porcelain, antiquities or
artistic copies thereof in metal. marble or other
material" All these nav be imported. under
certain conditions, free Of duty "by any associa-
'tlon established in good faith and duly author
lied under the laws Of the United States. or Of
"any State. expressly and solely for the promo
"ton and encouragement of science, art or In
"dustry" This definition is presumably intend
cd to include colleges and would be so inter
preted So far so good. But what arc the con-
dtions under which educational institutions
may import these articles free: A great deal
depends on that Here is the answer: "For
public exhibition and free Of charge for at least
"onesixth of the time the same are on exhibit
"ton, Mt n fixed place" Further: Bond shall
''be given to the United States for the payment
"of lawful duty which may accrue if any Of the
articles aforesaid be Sold transferred or other
"wisc used contrary TO any Of the provisions In
This paragraph" And such articles shall be
Subject at any time to examination and inspec-
"ton by the proper officers Of the customs
1t cannot be considered absolutely certain that
this concession would be held to apply to edu
cational institutions, for in previous paragraph
referring to books, maps. charts, etc, the words
university" college and academy" are ex
pressly used to define its application. But, as
we have said the colleges would probably be
held to he included in the description. The fact
remains that the conditions are rigid and vexa-
tous The artistic collections of a university
are generally open TO the public at suitable times
But the models, casts. photographs, drawings,
etc, provided for the particular use Of classes
in history. art and archaeology are not and could
not always conveniently be on exhibition. Again,
the art department OF n university possessing
several examples Of an artist or school might
wish to sell or exchange one or more of them
and by that means diversity its collection. Such
exchanges in the case of prints and photographs
are not in fact uncommon. But transactions OF
this sort could not be accomplished without
making the college liable on its bond. Ard the
bond isclf-what inconvenience may that not
involve?
1t should be remembered especially that these
considerations relate only to the most favored
class of mporters-to associations for the pro-
motion of science, art or industry. The individ-
ual investigator, principal Of a school or pro-
fessor in a college could he. and probably would
he. excluded from the benefit of the free list I'M
less be rcSprted to some subterfuge, however
strictly he intended to use his acquisitions for
purposes Of instruction. The whole paragraph
needs to be revised in such manner as TO ac-
complish the intelligent and liberal purpose
which in It's present form it scarcely more than
suggests.