Equivalents of domestic and foreign weights and measures, as established by law or custom-Continued.

Equivalents of domestic and foreign weights and measures, as established by law or custom-Continued.

Equivalents of domestic and foreign weights and measures, as established by law or custom-Continued.

The following circular was issued by the Treasury Department under date of May 31, 1899:

To United States appraising officers:

Your attention is called to the amendment of section 11 of the customs administrative act of June 10, 1890, as found in section 32 of the act of July 24, 1897, which reads as follows:

"It shall be lawful for appraising officers, in determining the dutiable value of such merchandise, to take into consideration the wholesale price at which such or similar merchandise is sold or offered for sale in the United States, due allowance being made for estimated duties thereon, the cost of transportation, insurance, and other necessary expenses from the place of shipment to the United States, and a reasonable commission, if any has been paid, not exceeding six per centum."

It is expected that appraising officers will avail themselves of the authority conferred by this amendment whenever the actual market value as defined by law does not exist, or whenever such value can not be otherwise ascertained to the satisfaction of the appraising officer.

Department Circular No. 47, of March 8, 1898, is to be construed accordingly. This circular, it will be seen, modifies the provisions of the law regarding the ascertainment of merchandise subject to ad valorem duty, providing for a conservative interpretation thereof. The practice of determining the foreign market value by deducting charges from the American selling price is to be resorted to only in cases where the goods are not sold abroad, and where, in consequence, no foreign market value exists. The original law is meant to apply in cases where goods are manufactured exclusively for the American market and are sent to this country. This merchandise is not offered for sale "in usual wholesale quantities" in the countries of production, and the foreign market value must be determined by other

means.

RECIPROCAL COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT WITH FRANCE.

[In effect June 1, 1898.]

It is agreed on the part of France that during the continuance in force of this agreement the following articles of commerce, the product of the soil or industry of the United States, shall be admitted into France at the minimum rates of duty, to wit, not exceeding the following rates:

Squared or sawed lumber exceeding 35 mm. and less than 80 mm. in
thickness

It is reciprocally agreed on the part of the United States in accordance with the provisions of section 3 of the United States tariff act of 1897 that during the coutinuance in force of this agreement the following articles of commerce, the product of the soil or industry of France, shall be admitted into the United States at rates of duty not exceeding the following, to wit:

On argols, or crude tartar, or wine lees, crude, 5 per centum ad valorem.

On brandies, or other spirits manufactured or distilled from grain or other materials, $1.75 per proof gallon.

On paintings in oil or water colors, pastels, pen and ink drawings, and statuary, 15 per centum ad valorem.

It is further agreed on the part of the United States that the rates of duty heretofore imposed and collected on still wines, the product of France, under the proVisions of the United States tariff act of 1897 shall be conditionally suspended, and in place thereof shall be imposed and collected as follows, namely:

On still wines and vermuth, in casks, 35 cents per gallon; in bottles or jugs, per case of one dozen bottles or jugs containing each not more than 1 quart and more than 1 pint, or 24 bottles or jugs containing each not more than 1 pint, $1.25 per case, and any excess beyond these quantities found in such bottles or jugs shall be subject to a duty of 4 cents per pint or fractional part thereof, but no separate or additional duty shall be assessed upon the bottles or jugs.

But it is expressly understood that this latter concession may be withdrawn in the discretion of the President of the United States whenever additional duties beyond those now existing, and which may be deemed by him unjust to the commerce of the United States, shall be imposed by France on products of the United States.

A treaty with France covering a number of other items is now under consideration.

COMMERCIAL AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES.

Treaties with the following countries are under consideration: Argentina, British Guiana, Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Bermuda, and Portugal.

By royal decree, taking effect May 31, 1899, United States cattle are admitted into Belgium free of restriction.

MEXICO.

CUSTOMS TARIFF CORRECTED TO JUNE 1, 1899.

GENERAL REGULATIONS for THE APPLICATION OF THE TARIFF.1

I. All goods mentioned in the repertory annexed to the general customs ordinances shall, on entry, pay the duty stipulated in the numbers of the tariff to which they correspond.

II. Goods which are neither mentioned in the tariff nor in the repertory shall be dutiable according to the provisions of Section II, Chapter V, of the ordinances relating to the assimilation of goods.

TH. Goods inscribed in the tariff or the repertory followed by the phrase “of all kinds" without the remark "not specially mentioned," shall pay the duty stipulated in the corresponding numbers, even when such goods are combined with materials other than gold, silver, or platinum.

IV. Manufactured articles consisting of two or more materials, not specially classed in the tariff or repertory, shall pay the duty levied o the material predominating in quantity, with the exception of those having ornaments or accessories of gold, silver, or platinum.

V. When a manufactured object, consisting of different articles inscribed in the tariff or repertory, is presented in separate pieces, even imported in the same package, and when for each separate pièce a distinct declaration is made, such pieces shall be dutiable according to their respective rates, provided the weight can be ascertained.

VI. Scientific apparatus, barometers, thermometers, and other similar instruments, fitted to manufactured articles, such as statnes, candelabra, inkstands, clocks, etc., shall pay the duty levied on the manufactured article of which they form an acces

sory.

VII. Mirrors forming part of furniture are considered to be those which constitute an integral part thereof and which can not be separated therefrom without disfiguring the furniture or rendering it incomplete; therefore mirrors intended to be placed on brackets, in no wise attached thereto and capable of being utilized separately, shall not be considered as forming part of furniture.

VIII. By net weight is meant the actual weight of the goods without their interior and exterior packing.

IX. By legal weight is meant the weight of the goods together with that of their interior packing, such as wrappers, receptacles, cardboard and wooden boxes, tins, etc., inclosed in the outer packing case in which imported.

When goods dutiable on legal weight are not inclosed in interior packages but in one exterior package only, the intrinsic weight of such goods will be considered as legal weight. In establishing the legal weight, no account will be taken of the straw or shavings in which the interior packages are stowed, or of the weight of the exterior package.

X. By gross weight is meant the weight of the goods with all their packages, both interior and exterior, without deducting the cross-framing, straw or shavings, hoops, etc., used for packing.

When a package contains different goods dutiable on gross weight, the customs shall, conformably to article 50 of the ordinances establish the tare in proportion to the legal weight attributed to each kind of goods.

XI. Goods dutiable on gross weight imported without any kind of package, or imported in packages likewise dutiable, shall pay duty on the total weight of the goods.

XII. Manufactured articles with fringes dutiable per square meter shall be measured together with the surface of such fringes.

When such articles are dutiable on weight, the weight of the fringes must also be

included.

XIII. Receptacles, bottles, flasks, and jars; iron, zinc, tin, copper, and lead drums; cases of wood, cardboard, tin, etc., shall be considered as ordinary packages made for the goods they contain, but they must not, in themselves, be of greater value than the contents nor be fit for any other special use.

When goods imported in ordinary packages are dutiable on net weight, on the number, or according to measurement, such packages shall be exempt from import duty.

In each number of the tariff where the same article is subject to different duties, according to greater or less weight (except for tissues), duty shall be levied as follows: The highest duty shall be applied to the quantity whose limit is fixed, and the lowest duty leviable shall be collected on the surplus. (Article 8 of the law of April 30, 1894.)