The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-16
FOR BETTER. FOREIGN
COMMERCIAL FIGURES


fication of commodities, known a.
schedule "B" should be distributed
as widely rs possible among export
ers and forwarding agents.
Our statistics OF imports are in
much better shape than the export
statistics. The total value OF these
statistics Is probably as accurate as
can be made for practical purposes,
but the value Of the imports Of par
ticular commodities or classes OF
commodities Is not always accurate
and In some cases the percentage Of
error amounts to as much as twenty
five per cent. The chief cause Of
the inaccuracy lies In the fact that
In the large ports they are complied
mainly from the entries filed by the
importers and before these have been
revised by the appraisers and other
experts in the customs service
known as llquidators. A compari-
son OF the import entries and filed
by the importers with the final
liquidation made by certain commit.
tees shows serious discrepancies IN
the classification, the value and, In
some cases, even the quantity OF the
merchandise imported.
II is recommended that with a
view to strengthening the statistical
service of the two departments and
improving the statistics of imports
a test should be made at the earliest
convenience OF the officials OF the
New York custom house for the pur-
pose Of showing the present yaria-
tlons between the llquidated returns
and the returns as ordinarily COM
piled by the statistical bureau Of
the custom house. A sufficient num-
Der of statistical clerks should be
assigned to the entry division for
the purpose of making preliminary
examination of the entry and statis-
tical slips and Of requiring that they
be made up in the proper form be-
fore being accepted from, and before
a permit shall be issued to, the i'm
porter or broker.
The annual report entitled Com
merce and Navigation Of the United
States" should be changed so as to
make 1t relate to the calendar year
instead Of the fiscal year ending June
80. The broker or importer in all
custom house districts should be re-
quired to file, as part OF his de-
claration, the statistical list, or slip
containing enumeration of imported
articles in detail, as now required by
paragraph "F" OF the tariff act OF
October. 1913. 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 be-
tween free and dutiable articles in
the Statement of Foreign Exports
Of Merchandise" should be discontinue
ed.
Further Conclusions.
In the annual statement Of imports
of merchandise by countries, free and
dutiable goods OF the same kind should
be combined and, when necessary n
note be inserted distinguishing be-
tween the free and dutiable portion.
The distinction between free and duti-
able goods in the monthly publlca-
ton of imports should be discontinue
ed. Also the publication Of average
values per unit. In addition to this
the report on bunker coal and fuel
oil in the domestic trade should be
discontinued. The tabulation Of i'm
portations by mail at the various ports
throughout the United States, except
ing those for which formal entry is
made, should be suspended.
1t has been suggested that a quar-
terly statement of imports and ex-
ports showing countries of origin and
OF destination respectively, might be
published in such form as to give this
Information for each article now stat
ed by aggregate value In the monthly
publication. AS to the abvisability of
adopting quarterly publication there
is a difference Of opinion among the
members of the committee. Byron W.
Holt, OF New York, and n. !. Stone,
of Brooklyn, are in favor OF the plan
and A. W. Douglas, Of St Louis. and
M. C. Rorty, of New York, have not
been convinced of the advantage of
Issuing such publication.