The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-10-04
Secretary Shaw
on Drawback.
Continued from first page.

Continued from first page.
quite an important thing to the Ameri
can farmer.
# 9 In this connection, think
ought to tell the farmers of DakotaNol
/ think the Senator left it out of his
speech, though he knows it is true unless
he has forgotten)that the millers onl,
make an average of not to exceed cents
per barrel on the flour they produce
even for the American market. While
the Treasury Expert was at Minneapolis
thirty offers of flour at less than cost
were cabled to Europe with no sales. OF
course there was no sale because they
were grinding one dollar wheat in COM
petition with eighty cent Canadian
wheat exported and ground IN Eiver-
pool.
10 The distinguished Senator is
mistaken in his facts in another place,
He says; SIN the midst of the wheat
shortage of 1904, the Millers Association
commenced importing frosted wheat
from Canada under Treasury Regula
ton admitting free of duty certain ma
terials for feed. An investigation show
ed that almost any kind of wheat could
be brought in under the frosted wheat
subterfuge." This, too, is erroneous in
every particular. First: The Millers
Association did not import frosted wheat
or any other. Second No wheat of any
kind was imported under Treasury Re-
gulation such as he describes. Third:
The Treasury Department never made
any regulations concerning the importa-
ton of material for feed. Fourth: In
vestigation did not show that almost
any kind of wheat counld be brought in
under ''the frosted wheat subterfuge,"
for neither the distinguished Senator
nor anybody else ever made an investi-
cation of the matter.
II The incident concerning which
the distinguished Senator makes so
many objectionable errors, is wholly I'M
important. 4 grain dealer in Minnea-
polls imported some frosted wheat and
sought to enter it as a "nonenumerated
manufactured article dutiable at 10
per cent ad valorem under Section 6
of the Dingley Act. The importer claim
ed that not a kernel of the stuff would
either make -four or terminate The
collector assessed the duty at % cents
per bushel regardless of this claim. The
importer filed his protest, and the Board
OF General Appraisers sustained his con-
tenton that it was not wheat within
the meaning of the Tariff Act. There
upon the Secretary of the Treasury,
whose official acts the distinguished
Senator from North Dakota seems de-
termined to misrepresent, promptly and
on September Dist, 1904, ordered the
case appealed to the United States
Circuit Court. l took the proposition
that as long asst was Wheat, it was du
tlble at % cents per bushel and the
Court sustained my position. l quote
from the opinion. "The single question
is whether this article is wheat. No
distinction as to grades of wheat is
made by the tariff \ sample of the
article shows the grains of which 1T is
composed, and any person looking at
such sample would unhesitatingly pro-
nounce it to be wheat, somewhat injur-
ed If the distinguished Senior Sena-
tor had investigated the matter, as he
incorrectly says he did, he would have
found that not bushel of frosted wheat
was ever admitted without the payment
Of duty.
II My only excuse for making this
letter SO long is the we'll known fact
that recklessly incorrect statements can
be made in fewer words than it takes to
proveltheir falsity. The distinguished
Senator from North Dakota and have
been fastsfriends for years. He is a
good.fellow and he probably ought to be
returned to the Senate. OF course his
whole attitude on this drawback ques-
tlon has been antagonistic to the farm
ing interest of his State, but l assume
that thisis because he is unable to un-
derstand the proposition. If he would
Just take the time to investigate, he
would save himself much embarrass.
ment,
And now my dear Mr.. Editor I hope
you will publish this letter. 1t is of in.
terest to your people not because it is
controversial but because it will explain
to them the real issue involved in the
drawback question.
Very sincerely yours,
L. NJ. SHAW.