New-York tribune., 1911-01-30
LOSS Of TOBACCO DUTIES
Technical Publication Estimates
100000, 900 in Two Decades.
POINTS OUT THE REMEDY
United States Tobacco Journal
Urges Specific Tax Upon
Imports from Cuba.

Basing its statement On tho story pub
lished exclusively in The Tribune last Mon
day that the customs revenue was suffer
ing a loss OF from s3oo.oo0 TO 10000 a
year because Of improper classification Of
Cuban tobacco imports The United States
Tobacco Journal in its leading editorial
Of the current number saws the loss I'm the
last twenty years must have heen between
So. Co0 co0 and 100000.
Although the public may stand aghast
al such statement published on1cislly
for the first time. the Collectors statement
may not he far from the truth" says the
editorial. and If Investigations were pur-
sued somewhat into the past the calculated
leakage In wrapper duties for the last
fiscal year might prove not 10 have been
an exception but rule since 1880. with
the enactment of the Mckinley tariff.
During this period OF twenty years the
national Treasury must have suffered a
loss of 100000. IL not 800 10000. in wrap
per duties under the indofersibIe differ
ential rates of the tobacco schedule OF
every tariff act"
Each tariff law. beginning with the Nc
Kinley law. The Journal says. has in
trade to commit customs defraudatlons'
as trade customs"
Collector Loeb's solution Of the problem,
which was quoted in The Tribune-viz.. a.
100 per cent examination of tobacco. that is
an examination Of every bale imported. in
stead of the present system Of one or two
in every ten-"The Journal" declares is an
impossibility. on three grounds. First that
II would delay the commercial handling OF
tobacco; second. that Il would destroy the
commercial value Of every bale of tobacco
and. third, that it would require an army of
examiners
According TO the records OF the trade
bale tobacco as handled ct present fire.
quently remains in bonded warehouses for
months. or far longer than the time needed
for examination. and. according to the
same records, the bales that have been ex-
amined find ready market
Though the present tariff law requires
the examination Of only one bale in ten.
leading importers. commenting on The
Tribune's articles insisted that even the
present system with single tobacco ex-
aminer at this port. there were examined
nearer two bales in every ten than one so
'''''' A'4i' VI di HlpSl Ulnf', more examiners
could apparently do the work If eAamina-
ton Of every bale was required.
The IDEAL way" says THE Journal" OF
preventing any loss to the government in
wrapper duties on tobaccos. as well as OF
rehabilitating in the trade the standard
Of strict conformity with the mandates
OF the law. would be the enactment of a
Uniform specific duty on all Cuban tobac-
COS. And this can be done without touch
Ing the tariff at all, n only our administra-
ton would he willing 10 do it by having
our special reciprocity treaty with Cuba
| amended or reShaped i'm that direction and
70 that effect That's the only way. and a
way that will save the country a superfIu-
i'v of officeholders in the tobacco division.
that would save intact 10 the trade every
bale nf Havana leaf and would turn into
the Treasury every penny OF duty due the
gcN eminent. \ UNIFORM specific duty on all
Cuban tobaccos is the most ideal. the fair
Get and most equitable way-it is the only
way"