The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-17

pose penalties in order to enforce
com pliancc with the new regulations.
| Present legislation, the report says, Va
obsolete and by its very heavy pen
laities defeats it's own object. The
penalties should be moderate and
thereby easily enforceable,
In order that the Collector of Gus
toms may ascertain whether or not
statements in the manifest are correct.
this official should be authorized by
law 10 require the production of the
original invoice for the shipments in
question. In order 10 expedite the sta
tistleal tahuiatton. .nf exports and to
avoid the delay now necessitated by
sending shippers manifest to the
steamship company before II can be
ltahglated~ in-the New York Custom
House, a new system Is recommended.
To assist exporters in making correct
classification of their merchandise. 1t
ts suggested the official classification
OF commodities, known as schedule
"B," should be distributed as widely
as possible among exporters and for
warding agents.
Our statistics of imports are In
much better shape than the export
statistics The total value of these
statistics is probably an accurate as
can be made for practical purposes
but the value Of the imports OF particu-
lar com mo ODDITIES or out error amounts
TO as much as rs per cent. The chief
cause of the inaccuray lies in the
fat that in the large ports they are
compiled mainly from the entries filed
by the importers and before these
have been revised by the appraisers
and other experts in the customs SER
vice known as iquidators. A com
parison OF the import entries as filed
by the importers with the final ltnntda-
ton made by certain committees
shows serious discrepancies In the
classification, the value and, in some
cases, even the quality of the mer-
chandise imported.
How the Statistical Service May BE
Strengthened.
IT liz recommended that with view
to strengthening the statistical SER
vice OF the two departments and i'm
proving the statistics Of imports test
should be made at the earliest con-
venience OF fine officials of the New
YORK Custom House for the purpose
Of showing the present variations be-
tween the liquidated returns and tho
returns as ordinarily compiled by the
statistical bureau of the custom
house A sufficient number OF sta
tstical clerks should be assigned to
the entry division for the purpose of
making preliminary examination on
the entry and statistical slips and of
requiring that they be made up IN
the proper form before being accepted
from, and before a permit shall be is
sued TO, the importer or broker
The annual report. entitled Com
merce and Navigation Of the United
States" should be changed so as to
make II relate TO. the calendar year
instead of the fiscal year ending June
80. The broker or impoMer in all
custom house districts should be re-
quired TO file, as part of his deciar-
alton. the statistical list or slip, con-
tanning enumeration Of imported
articles IN detail. as now required by
paragraph r. Of the tariff act of
October. 1918. A statistical state
ment of imports according TO the
country from which shipped should
be compiled as OF the time when the
goods pass from the United States
custom house and not as OF the time
when landed In the United States. The
present distinction between free and
dutitabie articles in the Statement of
Foreign Exports OF Merchandise"
should be discontinued
Further Conclusions.
In the annual statement of imports
OF merchandise by countries. free and
duitable goods OF the same kind
should be combined and. when neces-
sary note be inserted distinguishing
between the free and dutiable por-
ton. The distinction between free
and dutiabie goods In the monthly
publication OF imports should be dis
continued. Also the publication ~
average values per unit ln addifipn