Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-07-29


Hours Before Being Signed by tba
President-A Peculiar Situation
Washington, July 27.--The treaspry
officials have already discovered
number OF Inconsistencies in the new
tariff act, some of them it is fearoa
being incapable of reconciliation Il l.
pointed out that section 262 places
DUTY on plums at 20 cents per busboI
and section 264 fixes the rate At
cents per pound. Another section
fixes the rate of the duty on hides of
cattle at 10 per cent. advalorem ana
admits raw skins free. The question
involved is in the classification of
calf skins, it being contended thar
commercially calf skins are NOT
classed as hides of cattle ard hence
are entitled to free entry which is
liable to be contrary to the purposs
of congress. Attention is also caIlad
to the fact that the provision as to
licenses for customs brokers was. NV
nadvertence it is believed, left ont
of the act.
Circulars are in preparation con.
STRUNG a number OF sections of the
act. Persons entering this country
are permitted under certain restric-
tons to bring with them free of duty
usual and reasonable furniture"
This is interpreted to mean such fur
niture as would be reasonable and
useful for the personal use of persons
in their conditions in life.
A circular issued Monday from the
treasury department to collectors and
other officers of customs says THE
president having approved the tariff
act recently passed by congress, the
tariff act of August 2S, 1894, so far as
1t it has been superseded by the new
act, became void and of no effect at
midnight, July %, 1897 All mer-
chandise entered at a custom house
on and after July "a, under the rates
Of the act last mentioned, will be sub
ject to liquidation under the pro
visions of the new act. All existing
regulations relating to the importing
of merchandise and proceedings per-
thereto will continue in full
force and effect, unless duly modified
or revoked"
Senator Allison was at the treasury
Monday and in the course
of a conversation on the subject said
that in his opinion there is no reason
able doubt that the act covered all of
The day on which it became a law This
also is the view OF all the prominent
officials of the treasury department
including the collectors of customs OF
New York and several of the leading
ports of the country.
Sufficient data upon which to base
close estimate of the amount of duties
involved have not been received, but
it is stated roughly that it probably
will be between $1,000 and 100000
The internal revenue department prob
ably will save even a greater amount
by the ruling than the customs
" ANN Vi TIC otl WIG. I'il ms lllV h'C
days from Tuesday, July 20, to and in
Guiding Saturday, July "a, the inter-
nal revenue stamp agencies sold ap-
S., 1Sl, 800 in beer stamps
alone, and of this amount it is esti-
mated that not more than one-third
or 81, 727 266 reached their destination
before the act went into effect. The
saving to the government on these beer
stamps alone is expected to aggre gate
not less than S1S3,000
Commissioner Forman Monday tele-
gfaphed all stamp agents to settle only
d. the basis of the il creased rate per
barrel, and it is expected that these
Instructions viii Glply to all cases
where tie stamps were not actually
affixed to the packages before the new
rate became operative. No figures as
to the amount of cigarette stamps
disposed of have yet been received, but
{ is believed that the sales have been
large, as the tax on Gig
irettes, speaking generally, was in
'reased 100 per cent, or from 80 cents
Der thousand to 81, the inducements to
obacco manufacturers to lay in
arge supply We're even greater than in
he case of the brewers