The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1905-11-06

From the stirring events OF the day
we are compelled to turn aside for q
brief moment occasionally. The revo-
luton In Russia, the upheaval In Pail.
adelphia. the mix-up In New York. ths
disturbances In the Philippines. and
other matters Of like nature must rest
while We drop . small tear over the
perpiexitiss Of the body OF public SER
wants known a. the Board Of United
States General Appraisers. whose duty
1t il to solve the intricate questions
connected with our tariff business.
For these questions are as intricate
and pushing AZ they are important. 1t
has been but . short while. as all VIII
remember. since this Board was called
on to classify and iocate imported
frogs legs. Frogs. let It be kept In
mind. form an important article Of diet
In some countries, and as the taste for
them has grown on this side the water
the importation of their rear legs De-
gan to assume proportions that put 1t
up to the Treasury Department and its
attaches to classify them and afiix the
rate Of duty to be charged.
But then came the dead wall TO
bother the authorities. Unfortunately,
in formulating our blessed tariff the
trainers thereof strangely neglected to
consider frogs as an article Of imported
food, probably produced by cheap for
eign labor. and. therefore, to be guard
ed against and taxed in the interest OF
American producers.
But here was the rub. Frogs may be
important objects In some lands. but to
what class of animals do they belong!
They are neither FISH nor flesh, nor
good red herring" nor yet are they
fowls. still they must be taxed, and
after much cogitation. much consump-
tion of brain power and much CONSUL
tation of authorities. they hit on So
luton. I'VE will list them as dressed
poultry" declared the Board. That
settled 1t. and thereupon an import
duty of Ave cents per pound was Inn
posed.
No one. we presume, will undertake
to fathom the depths Of reasoning by
which this conclusion was reached A
frog is not q fowl in any stage OF his
evolution. and poultry. either dressed
or naked, belongs to the fowl family,
or our natural history is of the track.
Therefore. and consequently. no method
Of ratiocination. outside Of the Treas
ury Department ofiicials. could right
fully designate the hind legs of frog
as dressed poultry" But the matter
is settled. and we may not disturb It,
else the country's done for.
Now, however, the oficials are up
against another snag. That 10 bas-
kets. and It Is said TO be zone Of the
most puzzling classification cases to
come before the Board OF United states
General Appraisers for many months"
Now, the ordinary human will say that
a basket Is basket, and let 1t go at
that. but that doesn't solve the conun-
drum. Our observation-disclosures tarin
imposes duty on willow for basket
makers of 20 per cent. advalorem, and
on willow manufactures, not elsewhere
specified. of 10 per cent. The ques-
ton at issue. they, state, els whether
baskets composed wholly or in part Of
willow. grass, palm-leaf straw and
other materials. are to be deemed du-
table at 40 per cent. as claimed by
the Treasury Department. or at only
10 per cent, the rate insisted on by the
There we are again, and there's where
he trouble comes in. II baskets can
De shown to be made entirely of willow
The duty of 40 per cent. would I'M
apply, but If they are COM
posed partly OF willow and largely of
else. are they willow bas-
kets," in the meaning of the tariff? II
so, what percentage of willow must
enter into their composition to bring
them within the 40 per cent. schedule2
In the discussion of the matter, 1t APP
pears that chip Willow for making
baskets is really willow itself, and that
what is known as Chip is the waste
made of this waste. Consequently, IL
the officials wish to collect the higher
dhty. they must show that no waste
enters into the composition of the ar
ticles. As The New York Commercial
puts it, "the chief difiiculty appears to
lie in deciding where the line of de-
Is to be drawn between
of chip willow and man
ufactures of chip"
Just SO, my lords and gentlemen, but
who is to draw the line?
The Poet Butter tells us. speaking of
one of the characters In Hudlbras, that
He could distinguish and divide
A hair twixt south and southwest side,
but these tariff adjust9fs have before
them finer job than that. However.
a Board which can metamorphose
frogs legs into dressed chickens ought
to be able to settle this matter good
and easy. and 50 as to get the higher
rate of duty,