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Show lONSLLAirroNVENTItlN An Effort Beiug Made to Rdieve the Consuls Bureau of an Embarrassment. Embar-rassment. SUKE UNIFORMITY WILL RESULT. The Differences Relating to Territorial Limits Eetween Consulates to Be Also Adjusted! l'Aliis, August 2. Special.ln obedience obe-dience to the instructions of Secretary Blaine a consular convention, w hich is of much importance and interest, convened con-vened today. For many years the consular bureau has been cmbarassed in its work by the inability of the consuls general to interpret in-terpret the customs laws, especially those relating to invoices, with any great degree of uniformity, and much confusion and loss to tho American government have resulted from tho varying constructions put upon the consular con-sular regulations at the great exporting centers of Kurope. The passage of the new customs ad- j hiiiiistrntiiiii tin- i liieli ,illii-.i ti.o.il.li, ministration law. which alters notably the old form of iuoice has, it Is believed, be-lieved, oiiened au easy way to a reform in consular practice. At the meeting today an understanding understand-ing of the new law was arrived at. as well as an agreement concerning all the details of its enforcement. Street regulations regu-lations were adopted for the guidance of all the consular officers at ports of export, which will issue absolute uniformity uni-formity in the methods of invoicing aud valuation. The meeting was presided over by Dr. F. O. St. Clair, the chief of the consular bureau at Washington. There are also iu attendance two apodal agents of the treasury department, who are experts in the eiisloms laws. The consuls-genoral present arc: New of London; Kathbone of Paris; Kd wards of Berlin; Mason of Frankfort and (loldschmidt of Vienna. Thorn arealso seven consuls present from the larger commercial cities in Ureal Britaiu and on lho continent. The meeting, which is a secret one, will bo iu session ten days. The con-I con-I elusions arrived at will not be made public until they have been reviewed by the state department, Hcsides the general question of tho interpretation of tho customs laws, one other matter is to be considered. There have been some dillerenees of judgment as to the territorial limits of several of the consulates-general, and an effort will bo made to ilclinn exactly the boundaries of each. It is expected that with the thoroughly uniform ami exact enforcement of the new law which will follow the understanding arrived at now, a largo amount of revenue will be added annually to tho income of tho United States government. |