OCR Text |
Show Star Part Taken byjemocrais Wnshlngton, D. C , June 8. Tlio Court of Customs Appeals has Just added nnother act to tho comedy of errors In which the Democratic administration ad-ministration takes tho star part. j Tho court hns rendered nn opinion, on tho construction of tho provision in tho Underwood tariff Inw liltcmled to give a flo per cent discount In customs duties on merchandise im-j ported in American vessols, and ha virtually declared that tho effect of tho provision gives n wholesale discrimination dis-crimination in favor of ships of for-1 etgn countries. i In a roiont article attention wns directed to this classic blunder then pending beforo tho Customs Court, i The slovenly methods by which it was enacted woro referred to, showing show-ing that tho Democrats had n vague idea nbout aiding American shipping adopted a vuguo method of extending such nld, nnd by cnreless guess work hnd thrown the whole matter In'o tho courts. It was shown that during dur-ing tho debato in Congress Republicans Republi-cans had given repeated warnings that, apart from Its policy, tho phr.nto ology of the flvo per cent section was meaningless and should bo corrects to accomplish Its purpose. Tho decision of tho Court of Customs Cus-toms Appeals completely confirms these statements, and rubs it In by saying: "Tho wisdom or expediency of tho policy Is a matter Into whlih wo may not lntjulro nor havo wo tha right to suspend the operation of Mie statuto because wo may think Its purpose Is not adequately accomplished." accom-plished." It will bo recalled that tho language langu-age of tho five per cent discount section sec-tion provided that "nothing herein shall be so construed ns to abrogate or In any manner Impair or affect tho provisions of our treaties with foreign nations." It appears from tho opinion ot tho Customs Court thnt thcro nro nt least 15,500 treaty nation vessels In tho American foreign trndo nnd thnt tliero nro not over fifty American vessels, As n "fnvor" to our own ships tho Democratic Congress, according to this decision, gnvo an equal bounty boun-ty to 5,500 tompeting foreign vessels. ves-sels. In its decision tho Court referred to statistics showing that tho discount dis-count provision reduces duties flvo por cent upon considerably moro than ono halt of nil our duttnble imports. im-ports. After nil Its Inborcd adjustment adjust-ment of n tariff rate tho Democrats, in this slnglo paragraph proposing n flvo per cent discount, practically destroyed tho effect of all preced'ng schedules, and In tho sumo breath conferred upon foreign ships a vnlu-nblo vnlu-nblo prlvllego Intended only for our own ships. In harmony with tlio decision of tho Court of Customs Appeals thcro will bo n refund of tustoms duties estimated at from twelve million to fifteen million dollars. Who gets tho bcnoflt of this refund? Eventually Eventu-ally by fnr tho larger part of It will Hnd Its way into tho coffers of foreign for-eign manufnctiirers. Unless the United Stntes Supremo j Court reverses tho decision of tho Court of Customs Appeals, theso millions mil-lions of dollars must como out of n treasury already facing n lingo dollc-i It resulting from gross mismanage-1 mont by tho present administration ' |