The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-10-30
HARVEST TINE FOR IMPORTER
NEVER BEFORE HAS BUSINESS
BEEN so PROFITABLE.
Since Tariff Laws Went Into Effect
Rush Has Been Greatest Ever
Known at American Ports

Washington, ID. c., Oct. 29.-Now
importers. Never before, customs
officials say, has business been so
profitable to this class of merchants.
Ever since the election of Woodrow
Wilson upon platform pledging
downward revision of the tariff on
some articles and free trade in 9TH
ers, the importers of this country
have been living in joyous anticipa-
ton of enormous profits. They have
been busy for almost twelve months
buying in every other country under
the sun those articles upon which
they thought the tariff would be re-
duced, and either storing them at the
places of purchase or shipping them
to the ports of the United States,
where they were placed in bond in
government warehouses. to be held
until the Underwood bill should be
enacted into law.
AS the day for the signing of the
drew nearer, the withdrawal of goods
in bond ceased almost altogether The
importers withdrew only the kinds of
goods they had run out of and which
their customers were demanding.
Since the law went into effect, the
ruch has been the greatest the Amer
lean ports have ever known. The
records of the Treasury Department
do not disclose anything approaching
it.
The requests for Withdrawals OF
goods have been so numerous and so
pressing that large forces of extra
men have been put on at New York,
Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore.
The number of Withdrawals in New
York alone has run as high as 5000
in single day.
Customs experts in the Treasury
Department estimate the value of the
almost infinite variety of stuff taken
out OF the warehouses at the port OF
New York at as much as 100000
in single day.
The Withdrawals OF dry goods from
bonded warehouses in New York dur
ing the first week of the life of the
new tariff act were valued at S4,309,-
600.
The value OF the general merchan-
disc rushed to New York for the for
eign storage houses during the first
week was $15,3S5, 446 last week the
value OF these imports was $16,621,-
1874. Much of the merchandise has
come in free OF duty.
In the New York customs districts
there are forty-eight bonded ware
houses and goods to the value OF $73,-
100000, which would be affected by
the schedules of the new tariff, had
been piling up in them for nearly
year Practically all of these goods
have been removed since Oct. 4. when
the tariff was taken Off or reduced.
Customs appraisers declare that
the rush OF business with freight
steamships is without precedent and
that the holds of the big passenger
carriers are being utilized to the limit
of their capacity in handling this
avalance of freight. The monster
liners have more room for cargo in
their holds than the largest OF the
freighters have.
The White Star liner, Baltic, which
last Saturday came to New York from
Liverpool and Queenstown. carried in
her holu 5000 quarters of Argentine
beef, the largest shipment that has
come in since the duty on beef was
removed. It was shipped originally
to Southampton from Buenos Aryes
and thence transhipped to Liverpool
and New York. A large portion of
the shipment was consigned to Swift
& Co.
New York naturally leads all other
ports of entry in the value and quanti-
ty of goods withdrawn from bond.
1t is estimated that during the rush
which has been continuous since
October 4, that $160,000.000 worth OF
goods have been taken from bonded
warehouses all over the country.
These goods have comprised almost
every conceivable thing, the chief
things in store in the greatest quanti-
ties have been linens. cottons, furs,
woolens, silks. nuts, leather goods,
dried fruits. pickles. fish and leaf
tobacco.
Almost $1,OO0,OO0 worth OF jute bur-
lap was stored in the New York ware
houses awaiting the reduction in the
tariff.