The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-12-18

says:
The practice e adopting ad va;o-
rem duties adds TO the ease and quick.
ness with which legislation may be
pre- AIRED; but that is its only helpful
| Quality-and that lonely quality has
/ its palpable drawbacks. Ad valorem
duties lead directly to the great ma
iority OF all the frauds upon the rev
enues with which the treasury depart
ment has to contend and they do all
they can to drive honest importers out
OF business. They add exceedingly to
the expense and responsibility of ad-
ministration and are responsible in
/ largest measure Tor whatever demoral.
| ization exists in the importing and Gus
toms business Theoretically ad va
i loren duties may have an appeal, but
/ in practice they are a delusion and
snare"
The principle OF scientific revision"
of the tariff Mr.. MacVeagh continues,
/ should be applied not only to the
| question of duties, but also to clarsi-
| fication of articles and the language of
the law so that there may be no doubt
as to the intent OF congress. When
/ the scientific method and spirit of
! lnu glnt inn f, naI
to practice, covering all features of
the tariff law affecting its ready in
depreciation, the secretary declares,
an expensive element of it's admins
tration and a large amount of litiga-
ton will be automatically eliminated.
Also, he adds, many vexations of hon
est importers and vast mass OF un-
der-valuations and frauds by dishonest
importers will disappear, he adds:
There can be no question: he
concludes ON this subject, that the
need of rendering the administration
OF the customs business of the coun-
try simple, prompt and certain, with
a rational saving of useless eXpendi-
ture is an additional reason of great
weight for the enlightened method of
tariff legislation to which the lest
sentiment of the country has been
looking forward for more than quar-
ter of a century.
There can be no question" he con
cludes on this subject, that the need
of rendering the administra lion of
the customs business of the country
simple, prompt and certain, With a rat
ional reason of great weight for the
enlightened method of tariff Legislation
to which the best sentiment of the
country has been looking forward for
more than a quarter of a century"
Mr.. MacVeagh recommends the ap-
pointlnent of commission, consisting
OF representatives of congress and the
executive departments, to evolve a
budget system fol the government.
This is necessitated he says by the
widely scattered and disintegrated
responsibilities governing estimates,
appropriations and revenue.
The abolition CT all the assay Of
fees, except the one at New York is
urged by the secretary. They cost
the government SlS5,OOO yearly, and
the whole amount is thrown away
he adds.
Declaring that the work of rehabil.
itating the customs service has been
vigorously prosecuted, the secretary
says that developments as to under.
valuations and frauds" continue to be
most impressive and to make it evi
dent that the end of the reform is not
yet in sight" He hopes to complete
the reformation within year
The customs districts are being re-
organized and the secretary announces
that he will ask congress later to
abolish considerable number of use
! N % anu thpChoiN' NuolOlho OhItNS.
Other recommendation of Mr.. Mac.
Veagh include: y contributory system
of civil service retirement; transfer
TO the classified civil service of nun.
Der of customs off fficials from collector
down; the imposition of the nominal
fee of s100 for protests to the board
of general appraisers in customs as
sessments; extending the one hundred
dollarr exemption from duty granted
l eturning residents to include articles
for household use, souvenirs, .curios or
sifts: provision for at least two YES
sells year for the revenue cutter SCI
vice: authority for the use of certified
checks in the payment of all dues to
the government; revision of the sink
ing fund law so as to make it some,
thing more than Practically dead let
ter. laws adequately prohibiting the