New-York tribune., 1921-12-24
Diamond Smuggling
Urged as Reason
For Lower Tariff
Importer Wants Incentive
for Illicit Traffic Removed;
lace ana Film interests
Ask Nj ore Protection

-ASHINGT0N, Dec. 23.-~The smug-
xsae Of diamonds and other precious
ssaues into the United States by pas
s.nrers on incoming liners and also
.s-sss the borders is being carried on
extensively, r. &. Monroe, diamond
smarter Of New York City. testified
,sasy before the Senate Finance Com
,;ttee at hearings on the permanent
s,r;f bill. He urged that Congress re-
arss the duty on diamonds so az to
,ssssn the incentive for evasion of the
,.v and also appropriate additional
funds for the employment of forces to
srsak sp the illegal traffic.
As passengers on ocean liners are
,esrched only when the authorities
haze information causing them to be
s.spected, Mir. Monroe said it was a
simple matter for person coming
rom Europe to bring fortune in
nrecious stones into the country. He
nsinted out that hundreds OF thousands
et dollars worth of such scenes could
bs carried in mans pocket without
,susing noticeable bulge.
After the arrival of big liners in
Nsw York, the witness continued, there
IS regular business in s1nuggled
stones He asserted that stewards and
sthers on the ships handled some of
:asm and that passengers brought in
sas cthers. The effect on the Legitimate
trzas WAS serious. lie added.
Mr.. Monroe testified that the ORGAN
;sasion he represented, the American
jewellers Protective Association, was
advertising in foreign countries a re-
ward Of $4,000 for she arrest and con-
ristion Of slnuggiers md that some
iew had been brought TO book as a re-
suit.
The witness told the committee that
diamonds II the rough should be re-
eat stones should be 10 per cent in
stead Of 20 per cent, Us proposed in
he fordnsy bill The duty in that
measure on the rough stones is 10 per
ee1t.
Americas lace manufacturing in
aassry, built Up under the high duty
u the Payne -Aldrich tariff law. is
threatened with destruction by com
petition from Old World lacemakers,
representatives. of that industry de-
slared to-day before the committee.
They asked for duty of so per cent
sd yalorem based on American valua-
ton, in place of the As per cent pro-
posed IN the Fordney bill.
Spokesmen for importers opposed
such duty, suggesting that the pres
ent rate Of 80 Per cent ad vaioren,
based on foreign valuation, be retained.
On behalf OF the Furriers' Associa-
lion Of France and the Belgian Union
of Fur Cutters. Harold L. Allen, q New
York lawyes, asked the committee to-
day to reduce the proposed import
duty or pelts of rabbits. on the skin,
on dye and on hatters' furs. He sug-
sested Is per cent I'd valorem rate
On the former instead of the 20 ner
cent proposed. and 10 per cent rate
On the latter, in lieu of % per cent.
Increased import duties on motion
picture films, sensitized but not ex-
posed, was urged before the commit
ton, speaking for the Bay State Films
Company, Boston; the Eastman Kodak
Company; the Ansco company, and tho
Powers Film Products, all of Rochester,
N. Z The witness said foreign COM
petition, largely German, already had
resulted in the closing of two OF the
five film making factories in the
country.