The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-04
CARGOES WAIT ON
NEW TARIFF LAW
Estimated sloo,Ooo,oOo in Mer-
chandise Held in Bond and
in Ships Holds.
OLD LAW IS YET IN EFFECT
Until Conditions Are Adjusted at
Ports of Entry, Former Tax
Will Apply.
tSpecial to The Times Dispatch.

Especial to Tho Times
washington. october 3--In bond and
an sh'ps lying outside various United
1'''es ports with cargoes. ready to
ike advantage of the reduced rates
OF INC Underwood Simmons tarif law
me treasury Department estimates
'hcre arc goods and merchandise VAL
ueu at 500 100000. Three .ourths of
thls enormous sum will enter through
,he port OF New York. the remoindor
neing scattered among the ports of
boston. Philadelphia. Baltimore ana
moro southern points
FROM the moment the law became
effective all merchandise was subject
10 assessment under the rates or thc
new Democratic tariff. AS n m,tter
81 lact' however. these rates will NOT
be collected. Tho government always
lakes inc advantage to make sure that
us revenues are properly collected
ana no chances of loss under the new
bill will be taken.
Benents Are DcInycd
Not until the collectors throupbou,
inc country are thoroughly nostad
win regard to the new law and no
detailed regulations of the department
nave been received by collectors in tho
rcmotest portions of the country will
importers receive tho Immediate and
uirect benefit of reduced rates Col
-tihue assessing the duties under exist
ing law. withholding final liquidation
uhtil later period to he fixed bv the
department Through this plan the
government will protect itself and tho
importers money wifi be tied up until
such tlmc rs tho department may or
der rebates 10 he paid REPRESENTING tho
difference between the old and the nov
law ''e"
This arrangement will be OF advant-
age to importers, as it will prevent anv
delay in getting their goods through
INC custom house and on to the shelves
OF the retailers. and thence into ma
hands OF the consumer Experts Of tho
Treasury Department were unable Ia
begin the revision OF the Treasury req
u!ations until the new rates Of the new
tariif law were officially known, and
these were not known until the confer
cncc report was agreed to. While
these experts have been busy dav and
night preparing for the change in the
customs laws. II will be another week
or ten days before the results have
been officially verified and new reru-
lations placed in the hands of col
lcctors.
Even then it is claimed the new law
VIII be enforced only In Il general man
ner. 1t may be weeks before the
changes in all their details and intrica-
cics have been worked out. and the
new customs duties can be assessed
from day to day AZ invoices from
abroad arrive With the imports.
Adjustment Takes Time.
Meanwhile. as has been stated, all
importers must liqu!date their duties
on the basis Of the Payne Aldrich law
until the government believes IL has
its new system in perfect working
order.
When the tariff bill was under con-
sideration in the Senate a proposition
was advanced to assess all goods
shipped ahead OF time and held in bond
At the rates OF the Payne Aldrich law
This was not agreed 10 for the reason
that large importers in New York and
other Atlantic ports notified the com
mittce that IL this We're done the goods
would be removed from bond shipped
| back TO Europe ana rcahippcd after
the law went into effect.
The committee learned that the i'm =
portcrs could do and save money.
so they abandoned the idea Of collect
ing the higher rates Of existing law on
goods now in bond.