The times., 1897-08-04
CALF SKINS ARE DUTIABLE
Treasury Officials Settle the
Question by a Ruling.
CLASSED AS HIDES OF CATTLE
Collectors Notified of the Decision
which Means "A Big Saving to
the GoverrIaeDt-Ioop IN the
Tariff Act Giving Advantages to
Importers Coming TO Light.

Assistant Secretary Howell yesterday
naaae an official ruling on the subject OF
calf skins, as predlc.ed in The Times sey-
eral Gays ago Undcr this ruling calf skins
WAL not lie permitted 10 come into Tie
Unilad states under the clause of the Tree
lisl admitting raw skins free. Immediately
aner the new law went into effect the
iaDortcrs of leather at Boston made the
point that calf SKINS were nou dutiabie under
tie Law ana the collector of the port agreed
vith them 10 Lheir olsconsfiUure, how
ever, UfIe atepartinenJ oyerruled The collector
ana directea him, pending final aisiaosl-
ton OF the question, 10 collect The cuty
Tire decision OF yesterday settles the
problem for coed. The department spent
s1nfe tine investigating the subject an
an effort TO reach the correct solution of
tire pFol5lem. An examination OF the tariif
act showed that in the imposition OF outaes
upon cat1le and animals the law recognized
the existence Of calls as cattle 10y assess
ing q duty OF 50 head on cattle OF less
than one year CID, and fixing the duty
on cattIe Of more than one year accord
Ing to the value per head.
1t was also shown that in Che trade calf
skins were commercially known as hides
OF cattle, so that the department he
hevcd 1T WAS carrying out tine intent CT
the Congress literally when it ruled THAT
caIfskins must pay duty OF 10 per
cent ad valOren. Letters Were forwarded
last evening to all collectors notifying
them of the decision. This conclusion
means the saving Of at leasta a million aud
q quarter dollars of revenue TO the Gov
eminent.
The department has also reached the
Differentiation that il win he impossible
for ii o. interfere 60 cure the blunder
caused by the repeal OF section 23 OF
tlIe Wilson till. This section made it
necessary for customhouse brokers 10 pro-
cure licenses, and gave tie Secretary OF
the Treasury jurisdiction over them: but
in repeating some OF the sections per
tanning to the administrative features of
tie old law this was accidentally repealed.
Several OF the old-estabIisIfed caston-house
brokers who want their business protected
from those who may he irresponsible and
who may go into the business by reason
OF the revocation Of the law have asked
the Secretary 10 establish regulations that
VIII keep such individuals ont. The mat
ter has been given consideration, but the
Secretary is unable TO find any way 10y
which to correct the mistake that has been
made.
AS soon as Congress o0nvenes it VIII be
asked 20 pass resolution re-enacting the
old provision. The Treasury Department
has found several evidences Of the haste
in which the bill was considered during
the closing hours OF the conference and
win have a number of recommen da1iuns
20 make, With view OF Still further Inodi-
flying the administrative features Of the
new law
Somebody interested IN the Importation
of onyx got in Ills fine work when tie
bll was up fer consideration in the Senate
ard the para graph devoted to that article
is directly reversed from the general
principle apon which the law is based
Onyx in the block, rough or squared. Is
made dutiahIe at 81 30 a cubic foot. while
the same article sawed or dressed, over
two inches in thickness, is taxed only
SLID cubic foot. The committee had
Its attention called TO this inconsistency,
but declined to correct it. With duty
or 40 cents a cubic foot lass on the dressed
than the rough article no one win import
tie rough O. block onyx The business OF
cutting onyx in the United States viii die
out and the importers win be the gamer
thereby.
In ri,ing the duty on watches the Watch
Trust rather orerleaped itself 10y seeking
70 put stiff duty on high grade watches
SO as 70 keep out the importation Of swiss
and French novelties In this line Watch
movements, whether imported in cases or
not, are. subjected TO varying duty. the
lowest being 80 cents each and % DER
cent ad vaioretn il having not more than
seven jewels, and the highest being So
and 25 per cent IL having more than
seventeen Jewels. Watch Jewels come in
at j Q per cent. If any manufacturer We're
50 tadiscTcet as to put the fun number
OF jewels in a high grade watch, and the
manifest or invoice showed that fact. he
would have the highest rate OF dufy to
pay.
The fact j., however, that so long as
the BinEley bill remains in force no watch
viii contain more than seven Jewels. and
whatever additional nuTui,ei may beneeded
VIII be put in after the goods arrive. bv
The importer. The saving thus made on
each watch viii be S275. a very neat
item when ir comes to the payment OF
duties Oh o considerable number of watches
Curing the course OF wear
As the DAYS 70 by the various trades
are catching on to the little looaholes
that are found in the bill. and it win
soou be arparent that the Dinglev bin
VIII rot he that abundant provider ef
revenue that has been promised for if.