The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-10
V|RG|N|A'S BIG PORT
CONSTANTLY GROWING
Norfolk's Business Is Now Second
Only to That of Port of
New York.
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS GAIN.
Collector Norman r.. Hamlton's Re-
port to Treasury Department Shows
Great Strides Made During Last
Fiscal Year.

Nre2a1 SFlueS MADE During Last
Fiscal Year.
Norfolk, Va. Sept 9.--Showing ex-
port valuation of sl07,524.s27. i'm
ports valued at $12,s9l,ssl tonnage
tax collections of s196,als-second
only TO New York in this respect--ani
other data emphasizing the ports
constant growth, the most prosperous
and eventful year for the Customs
District or Virginia is detailed in the
annual report for the fiscal year end
ing June 80. 1915, OF Collector Nor
man r. Hamilton. just completed and
forwarded to the Secretary of the
Treasury.
While the report shows increases in
virtually all departments Of business.
collector Hamilton takes particular
PRIDE the fact that Virginia, winch
was second In TONNAGE tax coljec-
tionS In l914-15 strengthened its hold
on second place In 1886, LEADING
all American ports blu, New York.
turing the year 1914 this district
stood ninth and in the year ended
June 80. 1915. it jumped to second
place, with tonnage tax collections
amounting to 3133,b3o. During the
year just expired the collections &C.
count OF tonnage tax were 1856 yls.
an increase OF II per cent, or about
- per cent of all the tonnage tax
states during the last fiscal year.
ny way of con'ras- New York
stood first with receipts of :s12.0Is.
Norfolk Newport News second, with
slse.sls: Baltimore third. with &l1s.-
eSl. Philadelphia collected sas.s7s
from the same source, Boston $50 1se,
New Orleans s75,aj7, and San Fran
cisco s40735
me value of dutiAbIe imports for
the year amounted to ss12.Os5. as
against s940,794 TO- tho previous year.
and the value Of free imports amount.
ed to $12.o7s.57s. for 1876. as against
s4.sss:7s6. for 1913. The value OF
Newport News TO- the year amounted
to s1l.342.s57 out of the total inn
ports for the district If sla.69l.ss1
Gain in Exports
The exports foe the year totaled
slo7, b24.S27. as against sSa,355.ss
Tor the year ended June 30, 1915, IA
increase in export values for The Yea.
Just ended Of 81, 1851. over tie
pfev'hos year TIE en,Ir, district ex-
ports amounting tn s'o..5.4.xa7 were
from the port of Norfolk Newport
News.
This constitutes the largest years
foreign business in the history Of RI.
ports OF Norfolk ana Newport News
The growth of the foreign trade o.
these Hampton Roads ports in recent
years in notably brought out when
compared with figures Of IS years
ago, showing exnorts for the fiscal
year en- led June 80. ssl. o. *lt.46s,-
81, the latter figures, too. having
b"el considered not phenomenal at
the me.
Du ing he year just ended 1879
vases entered from foreign port.,
an Increase Of SAT over the year he
rue. :.e02 vessels cleared for for
e'rn ports. an incrs.se Of 27s eve.
the year before; 2.5ei vessels cleared
for domestic ports. an increase Of
10Y; 2.91s vessels entered from do
mestic ports and 1857 documents
were issued to vessels.
Marine Work Active
From the above figures /: can be
seen that marine work OF The year
was enormous IN this district. Not
withstanding this fact, dispatch Of
business was given with but nominal
increase of exoense. and general sat-
isfaction expressed by those served.
Ihls all, howeTe.. required dihgent
attention to duty ~ the part Of the
entire force of the district, and Col
lector Hamilton especially commends
the personnel generally for faithful
attention to duties and loyalty 20 the
service
or the customs receipts for the
year just ended. totaling f9S4.ss0.G7.
there was collected in estimated du-
ties s97l.725; increased duties 81
3e6.46' additional duties .si3.i.: Luz
ties. including fines IN articles inn
ported through the mails se.a.a5:
hnes. penalties and forfeitures
1883. 40; sale of blanks. S15aol. with
all other customs receipts amounting
to sl0,2s1.24.
There were a total OF 5,525 entries
OF merchandise reported This, how.
ever, does not include the larger
number OF warehouse withdrawals,
handled at the ports of Richmond and
petersburg, nor show tn. work in.
cident to checking out and forward
ing in bond the large out.,ut Of the
bonded manufacturing warehouses
located at Richmond and Petersburg
The total expenses of the district
amounted to ss4.06s23, of which
s49,04l.07 was for the collection ct
revenue s13-62716 for the enforce
ment or navigation laws and 400
for the compilation OF statistics OF
the total expenses $4.5o4.1T was re-
imbursable to the government for ser.
manufacturing warehouses.
The cost OF collecting each dollar
of revenue was $.053
During the year there have been
esta blished in this district by tho
British American Tobacco Company,
Ltd. another bonded manufacturing
warehouse for the manufacture OF
cigarettes and smoking tobacco This
is located at Richmond. Va. and 10
now operated on very extensive
scale, II having been necessary 70
provide therefor two storekeepers,
whose salaries are reimbursable to
the government. The capacity Of this
new bonded manufacturing ware
house is s,000.0 900 cigarettes per day.
and this maximum In frequently
reached. The business at Richmond
is growing with outlook for an en-
largement OF its plant.
The output of the British Americas
Tobacco Companys bonded mannf1c.
turing warehouse At Petersburx has
also been greatly increased. Tho
Petersburg plant now has q capacity
Of from 100000 to 100000 cts-
arettes per day, with an additional
output Of 100000 pounds Of smoking