New-York tribune., 1910-07-17

nature are marble onyx. alabaster and jet
all grouped, and taxed as "earthenware,
! glassware, etc, - in spite of such authorities
! as cyclopadias and dictionaries, which list
/ them minerals, etc.
Less questionable is the classification OF
automobile tires as manufactures Of cot
| ton" It may account for the way they
act when one is far from home on de-
serted road, though the description would
be nearer to the hearts delight IL they
were called manufactures Of punk.
Laces, enbroideries and braids that have
an attractive tinsel thread glittering through
| them are manufactures OF metal" just as
relentlessly as bicycles are. in spite of the
fact that their softness deceives the sense
of touch. And sometimes one is astonished
TO find neckties coming In manufactures
of wood" That is. when they are made of
nice fine wood pulp and not silk as adver-
tised"
In fact, things are classified usually under
their most important ingredient, although
there is a noted exception IN cigarettes,
which come in under the high tariff rates
OF tobacco-hardly fair thing when the
chemical analysis is recalled which decided
that they were 90 per cent wood pulp
One more thing strikes the eye before
closing the tariff book" and that is that
mummies, not frequent article of import.
of course, yet occasionally brought in for
various purposes are taxed as ''unenumer-
ated raw articles
The tariff book is pages and pages long,
and you would think it covered every con-
tingent and emergency, yet nc day passes
that appraisers and importers do not lock
horns over the urnpi-e's decision as 10 what
things are The importer naturally wants
his goods listed under a cheap title till he
gets them past the customs although later,
when ne advertises them TO the public for
sale, ne does not mind giving them nicer
names.
There are numberless cases now pending
in the courts which show interesting sug-
gestions from importers to the naming
and proper taxing of substances. One man
wants crushed prunss TO come in : jelly. I
Another claims that-i in weighing his cases
of salt herrinEs the government should de-
duct twenty-eight pounds out Of every rs
pounds for salt and dirt-both OF which lat !
ter commodities are duty free Another I
wants his sheep skins 70 come in as wool /
even though the unsuspecting purchaser /
next seasonewin buy them as fur" The |
pork merchant who exports his carcasses
to Europe TO have them picked there and /
returned wants the said picked meat 10 /
come in duty free on the ground that Ameri- /
can goods taken TO Europe and brought
back without having had their condition
in any way shall be entered free.
Now, whether a pig Is improved by being
picked or not is obviously matter of |
opinion, and il will be interesting to see
what the decision of the court this sub
iect will be
Another question al issue is this; Are
canned tomatoes prepared vegeta ables," as
the government contends. or are they. a.
he importers declare. crude vegetable
the same straw. roots,
flowers. etc?
A tourist ras lately conJrIVed to stir Up a
-umpus b. bringing in his automobile as
a household effect" The courts have not
yfver their answer on this as yet, but they
nave a striking precedent in the fact that
, well known citizen and newspaper owner
If New York once succeeded in bringing in
lis horses and carriages as household
fleets If that i allowable, why not an i,
Lutomobilec
But you cannot always he sure Of the
ourts Ther have to be so wonderfully
echrical and above prejudice that il is
ard 10 follow them sometimes. Even the 4
the- day the Supreme Court. being called 1
pon to determine the nature OF rice pud- I
ing gave out its solemn dic1un hat rice g
rIddinS was pastry. And pastry it is nov :
Dr. ali time. So that restaurants who gen
rally advertise all kinds Of pies when
hey have nothing but apple can now
witch over rice pudding from the other
ounter TO swell the. actual pie list