The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-11
GOODS IN BONDED CARS.
THE QUESTION OF HI E1TRA 10
PER CENT TURNS ON n
No Opinion Vet from the Department OF jas
tice-Tho volume OF tho Trade Invoived-pta
the Prraident's Proclamation OF jar. =,
lssB. AbroEats the Treaty OF WanhinEton'

No Opinion Vet from tho Department OF sns-
tice-The volume OF the Trade InvoiVed-"ta
the Presidents Proclamation OF Jan. !,
lssS. AbroEate the Treaty OF WashinEten'
WASHINGTON, Aug. 10.-Attorney-GeneralMc MO
Kenna did not receive tho papers presenting the
question as to tho imposition OF q 10 per cent
additional duty on goods imported Into the
United States in bonded cars, arriving from
Canada, until nearly noon to-day. As he expects
to start tomorrow on his vacation, 1t 10 likely
that tho construction of the language Inserted
into section % OF the Dingley Tariff law by the
c%onferees will DO the task of Judge Richards,
the new Solicitor-General.
In view of tho vast Importance Of the inter
csts at stake n hasty decision by the Department
Of Justice cannot be expected, and yet by rea-
son of the Importance n decision must DO
reached MS early as possible.
As soon as the papers were laid upon his desk
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS began an examination OF
them, and the officials in the Treasury De-
partment look for a reply to their question with
In a very few days.
1.-THE meaning Of the provision" said Assist
! ant Secretary Howell to-day. seems to depend
largely upon the word from Tho law rays
that this discriminating duty OF 10 per cent
shall be levied upon goods the production or
manufacture Of any foreign country not contigu-
GUS to the United States which come In from q
contiguous country.
Now take this case: You have just como
homo frou abroad. I ask where you CANE
from, and you say, from Japan But, I re-
spond, you told me that you came
over the Canadian Pacific Railroad; therefore.
you must have come from Canada and
not from Japan Such a construction
of tho language in an ordinary affair Of
life would DO far-fetched and strained. But we
cannot tell, OF course, what the decision Of the
Acknowledgement will be, and whatever 1t Is, 1t
will be binding upon the customs officers until
9 fSsF fbs % By p the cs S9nf duty u do ss s sosl ap aSS'a to
the question may never be raised in the courts,
accept that obstruction"
The statistics of the traffic Of the Canadian
roads. which were referred to in to-days SUN.
by no means cover the entire field. The
5000, 600 pounds were goods and merShandise
shiIpSe bed from nnrt one rpp port in the iSro wRl,ed 6 Staaes TO
territory on the way. 1t is said at the
Treasury Department that n the far great ,bst
which lands at North Pacific ports. and is
shipped thence, in bonded cars under consular
In the course Of business hitherto no sta:
t%istics have been kept Of this part ,S Of
upon the department last year for Information
on this point It was discovered that no data
We're Te,e at hand and upon ln1Toc Which n 70 70, fT nnrts t = reply;
which such business passes; so that when the
question comes up again in Congress that body
will have the figures before it..
The statistics for the last three years shows
that the volume Of traffic originating In the
United States and passing by Canadian lines to
other ports in the United States runs very
evenly. The business starts from the
ports Of Buffalo p psm9ina; Plpp or;s
Me-. st. Adams, Detroit, and ,ogdensburg. In
1893 there were 45O. 595 cars shipped. with con.
tents. weighing. s,149,799 pounds; in 1894
425, 500 cars. with contents, weighing 7,S4I ,Oos
pounds; in 1895 430.67S cars, with contents,
| -;.l; O nnl 40 ,,,rla
The diamond case. in which the attention
of the Department was first called to the
new provision OF the law. is an inter-
esting one. 1t came from Ogdensburg. A
% Tsorqhhn' Of diamonds from Europe. q The
invoice being consigned to a bank in Mon
treal. He received the stones in person from
the bank, and had them in his possession when
he reached Ogdensburg. He was willing to pay
The &Hty Of 10 per cent cent. b but objected ,Ss do t. ; the
thought ought to be paid, and so the
question was referred to the Treasury Depart.
ment for settlement. The importer commended
that the discriminating duty should not be
levied upon the diamonds, because the Language
of the section reads:
This discriminating duty shall not apply to
such foreign products or manufactures as shall
the course of strictly retail trade
may pass upon in his opinion is: ibid the Presi.
rogate the treaty of Washington 7" 1t
is by virtue of the provisions of that
treaty that the Canadian roads, enjoy
and from ports in tho United States without
breaking bulk at the border. The Treasury De.
partment has always refused to express an
opinion on that point. and the practice has been