Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-12
NOT TAXED UNDER LAW
Articles Placed on Free List
by AIdrich Tariff.
PICTURES AS INVESTMENT
Secretary McVeagh Expected to
Treat Art Literally.
MANY FAMOUS COLLECTIONS
Advance in Prices Paid for Works of
Great Masters-Notable
Instances.
MANY FAMOUS COLLECTIONS
~ WILLIAM r. CURTIS.

~ WILLIAM r. CURTIS.
Written for The star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
There are many important provisions in
the free list of the Aldrich tariff. IL in
cludes coffee. cocoa, tea. bindng-twine.
copper ore. uncut diamonds, undres.ed
furs. medicinal plants OF all kinds, fish
caught by citizens of the United States
animals for breeding purposes, animals
for exhibition. long list OF chemicals
hooks. maps. music, engravings and
photographs which have been printed
moro than twenty years; which are in
languages other than English, or are in
tended for the use of educational, scien-
tiic or literary societies. libraries or
schools, or belong to persons or families
who have actually used them abroad for
NOT less than one year and are bring
ing them home for personal use and not
for sale
Personal Effects Exempt.
The personal effects. the usual and
reasonable furniture of persons or fami
lies from foreign countries. actually used
abroad by them not less than one year"
are also free. And the provision for
travellers and returning tourists permits
them to bring in articles purchased
All professional books, implements. in
struments. tools of trade and occupation,
etc, admitted free provided they are
not for sale and do not include machinery
other articles imported for use I'm any
manufacturing establishment; nor shall
this provision be construed to include
theatrical scenery. properties and apparel,
although such articles may be admitted
for temporary use and not for sale under
bond that they shall be exported again
within six months.
Bologna sausages. raw silk, spices, sui
phur and all forms of manufactured
chemicals, tin ore, bars blocks and pigs
of tin: all forms Of cabinet wood. logs
and round manufactured timber, in
Guiding pulp wood, fire wood, handle
bolts, shingle bolts. hop poles. ship tim
Der and ship planking.
Works of Art.
Works of art / discussed i'm a recent
letter. The free list includes philosophical
and scientific apparatus and instruments,
newspapers and periodicals devoted to
the current issues of the day: paper stock
Of every description. rags, waste and old
clothes. Ice and India rubber: all kinds
of dye stuffs, gold. silver and nickel ore
and all other crude minerals, gutta-
percha, guano, all grasses and ibers. jute
and jute butts. all kinds of vegetable oils
used for manufacturing purposes, and not
for food: spices of every kind. stone and
sand: petroleum crude or refined benzine,
naphths, gasoline and similar articles pro-
duced from petroleum. 1t is interesting
to know, also, that leeches and turtles
snd lizards vivi-divi dragons-blood, balm
of Gilesd and mama are free. So is
binitrochIorbenzol. Observation-Disclosures
acid. naphtyle minSulfoacid, paranitran-
lin, xylidin and fence posts OF wood.
1t may be OF value to some people to
know that skeletons may be brought into |
this peaceful and prosperous country
without payment of duty. but the law
does not say whether they must be
living or dead.
Liberal Interpretation Expected.
You may he sure that Secretary Mac
Veagh. who has jurisdiction over such
subjects, will make the regulations gov
erning the importations of books, pic
lures and other educational material as
liberal as possible, because the intention
of Congress, and. beyond that body, pub
lie opinion is undoubtedly In favor of
the dissemination of information and the
distribution of educational agencies as
widely as possible. There is no neces-
sity of protecting knowledge or restrict
ing the communication of facts. old or
new. and that principle should have been
applied to the tariff on paper. While II
cannot be said that all newspapers are
printed for the public good, or that half
of them promote mental or moral i'm
provement. nevertheless, II will be admit
ted that the government should encourage
the diffusion of knowledge instead Of re-
stricting it, AS matter of fact, this
question did not enter into the contrO-
versy, and did not have any weight in
determining legislation on this subject
last spring.
The enormous prices which have recent
ly been paid for famous pictures and are
now asked for conspicuous paintings that
have recently been offered for sale in
this country demonstrate the value of
works of art as financial investments, re-
CARELESS of the satisfaction Of possessing
them, or their importance from the ar
tistic and educational standpoint.
Prices More Than Doubled.
The prices OF the works of the great
masters have more than doubled during
the last ten years. and every auction sale
of pictures or books shows a rapid and
unvarying advance year by year.
The Gainsboroughs, the portraits Of
Sir Joshua Reynolds, the gems of Mil
lett. the landscapes of Corot and other
pictures which are in the market today
are held at figures - to 100 per cent
higher and. in a case of several modern
paintings even 1000 per cent higher than
they were five years ago. King Leopold
and other people who are disposing of
their collections are realizing enor-
nous profit upon almost every work OF
art they own.
Real estate and securities i'm special
cases may advance more rapidly because
of some particular influence. hut do not
know of any single line OF investment
that has increased in value SO generally
and so steadily within the last few years
az pictures.
For example. the collection of the late
Charles A. Dana OF New York cost its
owner about $1aOUO IL was composed
largely of ceramics and was gathered
i,,An IL tie