Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-05-25
MI PREss AND THE. TARIFF DECKER.

THE PRESS AND THE TARIFF DlCkER,
+ 5 The. decker over tariff between this
country and Germany has neither sat
isHed nor contented this country , OF
Germany The present trade arrange
inent between the two countries ex-
pires Oh Jily !, and the new one.
which has been accepted both by our
government and by the German reich n.
IA, viii take effect then to- continue
Tor one year, and unless terminaatsa
ST that time on a six months notice,
vim go on indefinitely, until ended by Y
similar notice. It is therefore mere
temporary agreement a makes hiffs
some papers call 1t, INTENDED merely,
III trainers declare. to adjust the
eial relations between the two
IS until a comprehensive COM :.
Nh treaty can be agreed upon"
Literary Digest notes that an
i s. q Sis of the new agreement by the
vasious papers fails to reveal many IN
radical changes. Those varia tons
which are discovered are described as
ia the main concessions by this coun-
( try to retain the present preferential
rates accorded by Germany to our l exT
4 ports. It s.embodies all the concession
4 that could be made on our. part With nth
! out q formal treaty or a change in the
law observes the New York Journal ma.
1 Of Commerce. 1T carries the reducti Ion
1 of duties provided for in the third sec
ton Of the tariff law TO the utmost
limit But one other provision. which nj
rs widely noted and generally with with
favorable comment, relates more to the
Gust o1hs administrative law than to the
tariff rates. Heretofore there has been
much friction over the method by
which the valuation OF exports from
Germany has been arrived at. The De-
sssiot Free Press shows how the present
plan works and how the new agree
nient ii expected to Improve 1T:
ssThe customs law is administered on
the apparent theory that every foreign
( exporter is scoundrel and every AM
serican importer is obsessed by g desire
to defraud the government. This is
nothing short OF an insult to the bus
mess men in both cases.
I. ''The exporter goes to the American
consul nearest the point Of shipment
and makes solemn statement of the
value. Of the merchandise to be ex-
ported The importer makes equally
solemn declaration that it is the true
market value. Of which the selling
price is Of course the. best, altho not
conclusive, evidence. The appraiser.
Thousands Of miles from the market.
disregards all statements, and gives
expression to his own opinion. Like
that of the base ball umpire, it is final,
unless a lawsuit is desired.
EVERY ones liar but the appraiser.
and II he adds ten per cent or. more to
the entered value, a penalty Of two per
cent for each one per cent of the In
crease is added. which is additional to
all other duties at the. regular rate on
the total appraised valuation; an in
crease of ten per cent or more car
ries the presumption of fraudulent
valuation"
IN future, trouble OF this kind will
= n,,.tan5 ~, having snecfa1 nfffrial
agents in Germany to appraise goods
upon export. and these agents will be
Instructed, according to The Journal
OF Commerce, to accept certificates of
value issued by German chambers of
commerce as competent evidence to be
considered in connection with such
other evidence As shall be adduced4