The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-12-06
FOREIGN TARIFFS
FOR YULE GIFTS
Many People Who Contemplate Send.
Ing Presents to Other coun-
tries, Lax About
Regulations
INQUIRY Is BEING MADE
Treasury Department Has Issued Bull
letIn Which Gives Some
Hints ~ to the
Procedure.
INQUIRY Is BEING MADE

Mduy WechS III NUVduC0, The pT0pdrd-
lions are made for the international
tours Of Santa Claus. Americans who
are planning to send Christmas pres
want to be sure that those who re-
ceiye the gifts will not be compelled
to pay any charges. Many letters
come annually to Washington. asking
what to do to avoid any difficulties.
Communications have already begun
to arrive, and are now being answered
by the bureau Of foreign and domestic
commerce. department of commerce.
The writer's Of these letters which.
before the end of the year. will have
come from every part of the country,
are particularly interested in tariff
rates which must be paid on gifts in
the lands to which they are sent.
Many express regret that there should
be such thing as foreign tariff in
the season of generous giving. Some
indicate that they think the charges
are really omitted. They believe that
during the holidays the barriers are
torn down.
The truth. however, must be told in
replying to these inquiries; and the
bureau is compelled to inform it's cor
respondents that whatever the GUS
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class Of presents, that tax is collected
in every season.
Many persons who write, to Wash
ington, asking for tariff rates in par
ticular countries, fail to specify the
kinds of articles that are to be sent
abroad as Christmas gifts. It il quite
necessary that such, details should be
given in order to learn the amount of
the tax. The bureau cannot send out
an entire tariff schedule in answer to
each letter, and even If it did, very
few persons would know what to do
with it after they received the docu-
ment.
Depends on Classification.
The first of the 1915 letters arrived
on November II, and was addressed
to the treasury department. The
writer asked for the rate on Christ
mas gifts" to Canada, and the bureau
of foreign and dom este commerce, to
which the matter was forwarded, was
unable to reply until it was known
whether 1t was some mechanical toy
for child, diamond stick pin for
an absent friend, or warm garment
for some deserving person, that was
to be sent as gift across the national
boundary. A large proportion of the
letters usually received have this
same defect. They are sent to vari-
Gus departments in Washington, every
Christmas season. But all come even
tually to the bureau which has the
desired Information.
Many persons in the past have
asked what method should be adopted
in order that the tariff charge might be
paid at the point Of shipment In this
country, by the giver of the gift All
such queries has been answered uni
formly with the statement that there
is nc direct way In which the import
duty charged by another country can
be paid here, but if the package is
placed in the charge of an express
comp any, provision can be made for
payment of duty by the express agent
abroad.
Although there is no exemption
from custom house charges for Christ
mas gifts, there are some conditions
under which certain gifts going from
country to country may escape pay
ment. Some governments rule that
wedding presents brought in by sub
jects shall not be taxed. Some also
exempt possessions that are part of
an inheritance. But the season of
universal giving is not on the tariff
calendar as one when the pathways
between the nations shall be cleared
of distractions