The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-10-06
POURS
PRODUCE IN

Washington, Oct. 6.-Estimates
made by the customs experts of the
treasury show that as a result of Sat
urday's business in the different Gus
toms houses of the country, approx
mately $40, 00O,0 900 in duties which
would have been collected under the
law that ceased to exist Friday, will
be RENTED to importers of goods on
which duties were reduced in the new
tariff measure signed by President
Wilson.
The customs section of the treasury
was flooded with kilograms making in
quiries as to rates of duty and meth
DDS of procedure. A" the customs of
ficers were instructed to liquidate i'm
portations on the basis of the old law,
that is. estimating what those duties
should be and making preparations for
refunding any surplus duties which
may be collected when the details of
the new law are in the hands Of the
customs collectors.
In Full Force by Monday.
Preparations made by the treasury
department. for sending the new law
out to the customs houses were being
rapidly perfected yesterday. and 1t
vas stated at the department that by
Monday all customs houses on the
Canadian border, the Atlantic and gulf
SoCSIo SoSI VI IIlC Nl ASSlSS1Jpl IL
would have the new law. and would
be able to make allowances of the re-
auctions in duties Hereunder. It Is a
great time for speculation. Wherein
the speculation m Is In the ability
displayed by importers in keeping
close track Of the character of goods
transferred from the dutiable sections
to the free list, or on which reductions
in duties were made ranging from 25
to SO per cent. Vast sums Of money are
to be saved by the importers who
bought on the terms known to the
Payne law period Inc are able now,
having placed these goods in bounded
warehouses, to obtain the benefits of
the reductions in duties.
~ Field for Speculation.
The sweeping reductions made IN
breadstuffs and provisions. live cattle,
ETC., in their transfer to the free list,
or on which the duties were reduced
500 or more, afford a great field for
speculation.
kilograms were received al the de-
pertinent to the effect that large num-
bers of cattle from Canada were being
transported across the border to take
advantage of the early markets under
the free list provisions of the bill.
Wheat exports from Canada are also
coming In to take advantage of the
\ IA oIAS 40 IL d
bushel down to 10 cents a bushel.
Feeding stuffs also will be rushed in.
in hundreds of thousands Of tons. to
take advantage of similar reductions
amounting approximately to 1879 on
bran and kindred products.
Iron and Steel Lead.
The treasury officials have no de-
tailed reports from customs officers as
to specific quantities of the various
kinds of goods that have been placed
in bonded warehouses, but of the ap-
proximately $15o,ooO,Ooo worth that
have been imported and w~arehoused.
awaiting the reductions in duties, by
far the largest quantities will be such
items as pig iron and rough steel prod
ucts that are transferred to the free
list, and such items as hurlap for bag
ging. 1t is estimated that the total
loss of revenues on burlap alone will
amount to S4,0O0,O00 a year, even d
part of which would be a considerable
saving to the importers.
Rough estimates made by the Gus
toms officers are that approximately
SIS. 000,0 900 will be lost on duty reduc-
tons and free listing and the only
means whereby the treasury may re-
coup these duties will be on Increased
imports. The savings to importers
however, on the articles brought In IS
settled SO far as they are concerned.
Customs Officers overworked.
The customs offices throughout the
country will be overworked the coming
uponsthe market, the receiving ofgcus-
toms duties and RENTING of the saw
ings to the importers out of the s1O.-
100000 lost to the government on these
speculative imports, being very largely
! goods imported for that purpose.