Evening star., 1930-06-17
GOODS WITHDRAWN
FROM WAREHOUSES;
Passage of Tariff Bill Is
Signal for Movement
of Commodities.

Millions of dollars worth of goods are
being taken out of bond warehouses at
the ports of the United States today.
The passage of the Smoot- -Hawley tariff
bill by Congress has released these
commodities, and business men who
have brought them in bond, in order
to take advantage of the existing tar1h
rates provided the bill were passed, are
now withdrawing them for distribution
throughout the country.
Nearly every conceivable sort Of i'm
port Is being withdrawn from ware
houses-that is, If they bear a higher
levy under the operation of the new
law. One of the main items being with
drawn is Cuban sugar, which, under
the SMOOTH -Hawley act, will carry a
heavier rate than under the present
law. Thousands Of tons of Cuban sugar
are in warehouses along the Atlantic
Coast today and are being trucked out
as fast as possible.
Changes in Customs.
The Bureau of Customs has not been
behind and in preparing for the ad-
mInistration of the new rates. Ad-
ministrative provisions have been draft
ed in anticipation of the change, ac-
cording to the Commissioner Of Gus
toms, Frank Dow. Regulations on Sec
tions not in dispute between the two
houses were completed weeks ago and
the change will be made with a min
imum Of annoyance to business.
The law will become operative at
midnight on the day on which it is
signed by the President. Business men
are watching with keen interest the
exact time when the measure is deliv-
cred to the President for his conSidera-
ton. Under the law the President has
10 full days from the time of receipt
Of the bill in which to act This has
a direct bearing on the position Of
stocks afloat." Fast vessels will carry
huge cargoes Of goods in the expecta-
ton Of landing them in the United
States before the measure becomes op-
erative.
Just how much sugar remains in bond
Is uncertain, but on March 81 there
were 500 ,329, ,939 pounds in warehouses
1t Is question whether all of this COM
modify can be moved out before the
new rates go into effect. There unques-
tionably will be some congestion at
ports until the new regulations are
working smoothly, but the change will
be less noticeable than at any previous
revision Of the tariff. Customs officials
do not anticipate that the new law will
make an extraordinary difference in the
NOluII1C VI T1OSJ COi1II1OOlCl6S imported.
They point to the fact that more sugar
was shipped to the United States under
the present law than under the Under
wood tariff bill, when the rates were
lower.
Revenue Gain Expected.
It is fairly certain, however, that the
revenues from the new rates will be
larger than those that have accrued to
the Government under the Fordney-
McCumber act. Proponents Of the bill
declare the difference will be relatively
slight so far as ultimate consumers are
concerned.
Regulations governing the collection
Of the new duties have already been
sent to collectors of customs They will
be notified by telegraph the moment
the bill becomes law. It Is doubtful
If business will accommodate itself to
the new rates as readily as the collec-
tors and Federal officials, but the dis
turbance which the change will cause,
according to many business men, will
be Of minor Importance in comparison
with the uncertainty which has attend
ed the import and export situation dur
ing the last few months, while the tariff
bill has been under consideration.
(CopyYight, 193O)