Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-01
$40, 900, 600 DUTY
PAID ON AUTOS
MANY. CARS IMPORTED INTO
COUNTRY
Industry Has Grown Greatly During
the Last Few Years, and Large
Sum Is Paid In Each
Year

In 1905 the treasury department and
the customs officials found 1t neces-
sary, owing to the great number Of
imported cars brought into this coun-
try at that time, to arrange a new
ciasslncatlon FOR this particular kind
of product.
Previous TO that time no separate
record of automobiles was kept by the
customs officials, the goods passing
through under the classification of
manufacturers metal' at duty of
DO per cent ad valorem, but the amount
of revenue received compared with the
number of packages drew the atten-
ton of the treasury to the growth of
this industry.
From records which have been kent
by the Association of Licensed Auto
mobile Manufacturers it develops that
up TO 1906 France led the world in the
greatest output of automobiles, many
of which were finding a market in this
country, but the records which have
just been completed by the licensed as
sociation show that 1906 was evident
ly the banner year for imported cars
as the records for 1907 show a mate
rial decrease in the number of inn
ported cars and the value thereof.
Whether this is caused by the Amer
lean people realizing that in the Amer
ican product there can be found as
good cars, If not better, than those
imported, or whether the vast, amount
of duty which has been paid has
brought them to realization that In
paying As per cent duty it has been
necessary to pay nearly $11,000,000 into
the Golfers of the treasury deartment,
for which they may not have received
returned value in difference In quality
of the cars, is vet to be determined.
More Imported Each Year
In 1902 265 cars were imported, with
total value of $3,5S1, 800; in 1903 267
cars were imported, with a value of
S.. .927 sos, the difference between 1902
and 1908 showing a falling off in the
price of the cars, as there were two
more cars in 1908 than tho preceding
year, with a total decrease in value of
$654,4 4S2. In 1904 COS cars were brought
in, at a value of $2,240. 900; in 1905 1854
cars were imported, at value of $3,-
972,29S; in 1906, the highest year of any,
1888 cars were imported, at a value of
Sc. 500. 900.
In 1907 there is a decided falling off
in the number of cars imported, and
the value of these cars there having
been brought in about 1917 new cars.
which were dutiable, and 2S3 used and
secondhand cars, on which no duty
was paid, making a total number of
imported cars of 1900 as against 1883
for 1906, or a decrease of 1873 cars. The
value of the 1917 cars brought in in
1907 was $2,930, ,S59, as against the value
of $5500.000 for 1906, or a decrease in
value of $2569,141
This does not, however, include tax
icabs and busses, as up to January /
there were 231 taxicabs and ten busses
and one amphibiouS automobile, the
latter being In this COUNTRY in bond.
The total value OF the cars for the
six years is $21,152,654; add to this As
per cent for duty and 5 per cent for
freight and it gives $31,72S,9S1 which
has been paid for foreign cars Ly
Americans since 1902, $10,576,S27 of
which has been for duty and freight
alone.
or the 1900 cars brought into this
country this year by importers and in
dividuals one company imported 225,