Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-02-17
lis HEN 4 BIRD?
| IS UP TO COURT
ARE EGGS THAT HAVE BEEN
SMASHED, EGGS OR
H., ALBUMEN? In
FUNNY QUERIES
New Customs Court VIII Have
Many Odd Questions to
Decide.

|
Many Odd Questions to
Decide.
Washington, D. C.-N hen Is not
q bird, why is pair Of rubber boots
an article of wooden wearing appareiY
Simply because the highest customs
authority of the land held that because
the boots had Innings in which there
was an appreciate quality OF wool
they should bear the rate prescribed
for wooden apparel. That same high
est authority decided that frogs legs
ure dutiable as poultry. not because
frogs legs are physiologically the
same as the drumstioks Of the do
nestle fowl. but simply because by
yuch a decision the treasury Of the
United States was made richer than
4 they had been admitted as some
thing else.
The board OF general appraisers
once was the highest authority, but
the last word hereafter will be selo
by the customs court, new judicia!
body that is just getting under way
here. Hereafter there will be no ap
| peals from the board OF general ap-
praisers except to the customs court
except such as were On their way
through judicial channels of the time
the new court was organized. This
new court is the final Judge as to mat
| ters OF fact and law.
The court already has many casea
that will excite the disabilities of the
public. One of the first questions the
court will have to decide Is whether
the domestic hen Isl bird. Orn1th-
ologists withoM hesitation will say
she is, but the court is not composed
of ornithologists. II the court can be
induced to decide that the hen is .
bird down goes the tariff bar thai
makes every importer of edible eggi
pay five cents for every dozen brought
into the country. Birds eggs ara ON
the free list.
Another case is one In which the
que ton Is whether hens eggs thai
have been broken up shall be taxed
as eggs or albumen. Chemically the
mess ready for making omelers is al
bumen, but If the court holds that
they should take the albumen duty
1t is feareu every importer will see
to it that every imported egg is
smashed before 1t gets to the custom
house. The cracker trust would
doubtless be pleased to have such
decision made
A hen may not be bird. but an i'm
porter in New YORK hired a lawyer
to prove that capers, the things uset
In caper sauce, sauce tarbar and othe
things, are a crude drug and no
pickles. He takes issue with the die
tionary, which says they are pickles
He admits they may not be crud
irug, because they may be little az
: yanced over the crude stage, but
drug they are to him, and he will no
, pay the highest pickle rate until tn
customs court says he must, If at al
Ia half a duck, imported fror
China, two years ago, and still use
J as an exhibit in the courts, Bit c
preserved meat or dressed poultry
, The government insists it is the form
!, er and the Chinese importer insist
) that 1t is not.
When is an artificial flower not a
: artificial flower? When it Is an a
4 ticle of manufacture Of metal an
9 dutiable at As per cent. At least ths
q Is what the importer contends, bein
DESTROYS of avoiding the heavy dut
t His contention Is based upon the ia
d that the flower has been coated wit
= gilt or silver, but the customs off1cia
: see their wives wearing them upc
: their hats, wherefore they insist tn
r the imitation Of flower is really 9
4 artificial flower and should be take
y rs such. The customs court will ha'
the last guess.
A man may not know featherstitt
n braid from a copy Of the Roset
: stone. but the customs officials said
! wa ga braid and not q binding or tap
m There are hundreds Of cases On tn
10 point.
Is artificial horsehair, wherewi
), the national guards decorate the
m helmets, a cotton or q silk par
r The rude collectors Of customs 81
- that by similitude it Is silk yar
= though they admit it Is made Of C
ton.
= Another nut to crack: Is an aut
~ mobile a household effect? Patrio'
;. Americans returning from motori
in Europe will be pleased to have t
y court say it is. Under such q dec
- ion they could take over with the
~ a few real household goods, set
1o light housekeeping for while, b
81 a French automobile, and then retu
~ to this country and do it all for X
than the amount Of duty on hi
=" priced automobile made in Europe
The vol schedule has been I
NJ most sacred thing in the tariff l
:" for so years past. That's why a
-. Of rubber boots with wool linl
t.. becomes a wearing apparel Of W
5. the minute it lands in the custo
house. The duty on manufactul
~. rubber was 30 per cent. until the
les cent bargain day in tariff rates, WI
10 Senator Aldrich marked It "doV
Tor to IS.
1t Because Of the scantity Of t
'ut schedule the God Bless Our Hor
pie notices are also articles q wear
apparel OF wool. Tho letters
,k Water For Colds.
,ce Not everyone knows that the drill
ing of large quantities Of cold wa
he lis an old fashioned remedy for col
,ut In an old prescription book OF
Al nous physician of more than 100 ye'
he ago, this curious remedy for cold
ha | found ct at va natient who feels