The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-10
MUST PAY The
EXTRA DUTIES
An Important Question
Raised by a Tea
Shipment.
Feeders of the Canadian Pa
Cific Road May Suffer by
the New Law.
A Clause Intended as a Slap at
Canada and Its Bearing Upon
transportation.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Aug. 9-Col-
lector Russell of Chicago has called the
attention of the Treasury Department to
a case in his bailiwick which may have
tendency TO revoutionize transportation
methods now practiced in this country by
the Canadian Pacific Railway. A train
load of tea from Japan as been brought
into this country by the Candadian Pa
cifc for the purpose of distribution
throughout the United States. There
are upward OF 1000 chests of tea involved
in this particular transaction which has
given rise to a construction of the recently
enacted tariff law. According to section
% of that statute Collectors Unjust i'm
pose discriminating duty of 10 per cent on
merchandise which being the production
or manufacture of any foreign country
not contiguous to the United States sha
come into the United States from such
contiguous country"
What the Chicago Collector wants to
know is whether or not he is to impose an
CONSIGNMENT of tea over lines which are
feeders OF The Canadian Pacific. This
question has been referred to Attorney
General McKenna for his construction of
the tariff law relative to products brought
into the United States.
1t was in the closing hours of the extra
session of Congress that it was injected
into the bill, which is destined to prove so
troublesome 20 railroad corporations out
side of the United States. For many years
there has been a provision in the tariff
laws OF this country THAT a discrimina-
ting duty of 10 per centum ad valorem in
addition to the duties imposed by law
shall be levied, collected and paid on all
goods, wares or merchandise which shall
be i'm ported in vessels not of the United
States"
This section was amended and adopted
by Congress at the session just closed by
the addition of the following words: "Or
which being the production or manufact-
ure of any foreign country not contiguous
to the United States shall come into the
United States from such contisuo
country"
This last clause is a direct slap at
Canada, for according TO the customs
bureau of the Treasury Department it Will
not be permissible hereafter for freight
trains from that country TO go direct to
points IN the United States without the
consular seal OF the cars being broken.
AS it is now the Canadian Pacific starts a
train from Vancouver or any other point
in British America and has it sent intact
under a consular seal to New Orleans
Charleston or any other port in this coun-
try with which the Canadian Pacific may
have direct railway connections.
Id
session of the FlftY-tiith Congress-, all
merchandise coming into this country
must undergo q customs inspection and
the imposition of an additional tax OF 10
per cent. This will necess tate breaking
seals, consular and otherwise, to ascertain
what further duty shall be imposed upon
goods brought into the United States from
Canada or contiguous countries. Repre-
sentatives of the Canadian Pacific are
astounded TO know that such condition
off affairs exists as the present complica.
ton presents, and they are moving heaven
and earth to have the mischief undone if
possible. They recognize the fact that it
will make big difference in their trans
portation business, which has hitherto
been sent through direct 10 its destination
after the United States Consul had affixed
his seal, showing that the proper duties
had been paid.
Pending decision in this case by the
Attorney General instructions have been
sent to Collector Russell at Chicago not to
detain the consignment of tea in question,
but to MAKE an arrangement with the i'm
porters for the collection of the additional
tax if the tariff law shall be construed as
the customs officials think it ought to be-