New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-09
WILSON TARIFF QUESTIONS.
OLD PROTESTS DECIDED BY THE CUSTOMS
BOARD or CLASSIFICATION.


BOARD or CLASSIFICATION.
The Customs Board OF Classification has decided
the case OF Mihalovi,ch. Fletcher & co. against
the Surveyor Of Customs at Cincinnati. involving
the proper classification under the tariff OF 1894 OK
certain cherries In spirits. over s2cn Involved
in the shape OF additional duties The principle
the lays down affects other cases TO much
greater amounts. In its different stages the case
has been handled by prominent counsei-W Wick
ham Smith. OF New-York. and ex-Attorney-'jeneral
Harmon. for the importers. and W. J. Gibson. OF
NewYork and ex-Judge Maurice OConnel. IN be-
half CT the United States
The goods consisted OF eight casks Of white
cherries preserved In spirits which were at first
assessed AS non-enumerated manufactured articles
at 20 per cent sd valorer but were subsequently
recassihed by the Surveyor. on the theory that
the merchandise rather TO be deemed ''brandy
containing cherries than cherries preserved N
spirits" This classification brought The i'm
portaton within the provisions Of Paragraph 20 OF
the Wilson tariff making brandy dutiable at 81 80
gallon. As tne appraised value o, the entire
eight casks OF cherries and brandy was only sS-5,
the importing firm Of Mihalovitch. Fletcher q Co
naturally made vigorous protest against the pay
men, Of an additional duty or over geo wnien
would make the entire duty somewhere between
i2SoO and s.. 80
Much testimony was taken az TIE hearing in
mervIlle. its chairman. holds that the Government
mas failed 70 sustain the correctness OF the sur.
veyors second classification. and it sustains the
importers protest and orders the entry 20 be liqu
dated In accordance with the surveyors crlglnaI
views The has watched VIII mucn
interest both ny the friends OF the Government
and III commercial community OF Cincinnati
Edwin Horrax before the United states Board
OF Appraisers yesterday protested aeainsi duties
charged upon goods entered et New-Ior IN May,
June and july Of 1881, described IN Involce : :
shaped slace" and "gace shaped" The goods
assessed for duty AT s. per cent ad 'alorenl
under the provision OF webbing In Paragraph
9,3 Act OF August 2s 1894 The pro.est8nts contend
that the stufi IL known commerc tally as cotton
skirt bands" or skirt bindings and that Il IL
dutable either al ~ per cent al yalcren under
Paragraph 25s as unfinished cotton wearing ap-
parel. at p per cent al vaioren manufactures
OF cotton no. specifically provided for under Para
fcatio- 81 United STATE General Appraisers hnds
that the material properly comes under the. IA me
OF webbing and that Ike material has been the
subject Of previous decisions The Board ruies
thnt the goods are dutsbls as assessed ard over
rules the protest
Ex-Judee Sommerville. chairman ~ the Classic.
cation Board. yesterday held variety CT tsriS
hearings. Importers OF rattan reeds used for
wh.ns and OTHER contend that reeds euti-
tied . free entry under Paragraph 100 Of the new
tariff law. This paragraph differs In no essential
from that covering this commodity in the previous
laws. ana importers testify that for twenty years
United States Appraiser ". + Wakeman has been
returning the reeds. on the grouri that they are
dutiable nufactused articles.
Judge LacOmbe Of the United States Circuit
Court recently decided OF this Sort holdir (
with the importers thai reeds should not be taxed.
Chairman Sommervic will make a thorough ex-
animation Of this and other similar cases.