The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-07-15

ton is not confined, it is said, to the
conferees representing the house.
while all the Republican senate con-
ferees voted for the measure when it
was put in the bill it is known that
som of them would not be adverse to
dropping it i'm conference.
Another Objection
Strenuus objections were raised by
the house members of the tariff confer
ence today to the senate provision in
the maximum and minimum feature
OF the bill which gives to the presi-
dent authority to employ such persons
as he may desire to aid him in en-
forcing the tariff laws and which will
he useful to congress in tar'Of legisla-
ton III the future. This opposition
was all that prevented the adoption of
practically all Of the sections dealing
with administration.
The provision which provides for
the establishment OF a court of GUS
toms appeals was adopted. 1t is in
tended that this court shall deal with
all cases of appeal from the board of
general appraisers and that its iudg-
ments shall be final. The salaries of
the five judges were fixed at $4,000
instead of $1,000 as provided by a SEN
ate amendment adopted after the court
feature had been reported from the
senate committee on finance.
The senate maximum and minimum
provision was discussed throughout
the afternoon session. When an ad-
journment was taken, this provision
had been agreed upon tentatively as
substitute for the house feature,
with the exception of the provision
for the employment of tariff experts,
Ihe house conferees took the posi-
ton that the ways and means COM
mlttee and the senate finance COM
mittee have the investigation of tariff
matters as their special province.
Several of the senate conferees
made the assertion that President Taft
desired to have the right to employ
such experts for the purpose of assist
ing him in the discharge of duties inn
posed upon him by the maximum and
minimum feature. They declared also
that the president favors the appoint
ment of a tariff commission These
arguments were not sufficient to in
duce the house conferees to abandon
their objections.
The senate administrative act, which
was drawn for the purpose of pre-
venting under valuation OF imported
articles not in common use in the
country OF manufacture. also was
adopted. This feature provides ma
chinery for the ascertaining of values
when there is no foreign market to be
used as basis. Customs officials are
authorized to determine the value of
such imports in this country and To
make deductions covering transporta-
ton and insurance cost of making
sales or commissions, according to
whether the goods were bought out
right or were consigned to dealers in
| this country.
The Drawback Clause
The drawback provision is still the
subject of dispute Agreement tha.
the provision of the Dingley law
should be re-enacted in the place OF
the house provision. had almost been
reached when the house conferees in
sisted that provso should be added
requiring expectations to be made
within three years in order to gain
the benefit of the drawback This
feature was part of the provision
adopted by the house which also had
eliminated the necessity for identity
ing the imported raw material in the
manufactured product offered for eX-
port.
The senate conferees insisted that
the removal of the Identification clause
opened the door to fraud and that the
three year provision narrowed the
drawback in such a manner that it
would work a hardship to manufac-
turers who availed themselves of the
drawback privileges. The conferees
representing the two branches of con-
gress split upon this question and il
was laid aside for consideration lat
er. The house provision allowing a
drawback to the amount of the inter-
nal revenue tax paid on domestic al
cohol used in articles such as per-
fumes and cosmetics manufactured for
| the foreign trade was agreed to tenta-
lively. 1t will be incorporated in the
drawback provision as finally adopt
ed.