"(1) that such part (A) is commercially negligible or is not capable of segregation without excessive costs." A second way of handling this situation would be to permit commingling in any quantity, provided the value of the commingled merchandise was no greater than the value of the components. An example, which actually occurred to one of the firms in our industry, will serve to illustrate the problem. This is in reference to a shipment containing a mixture of biscose rayon, acetate rayon, and nylon. The invoiced price of the material was approximately 10 cents per pound. The duty on viscose rayon is 5 percent ad valorem. The duty on acetate rayon is 25 cents per pound. The duty on nylon is 4 percent ad valorem. Because the duty on acetate rayon is 25 cents per pound, the United States Customs were forced to assess this rate of duty on merchandise valued at only 10 cents per pound. We think that you will agree that the inequity here is obvious. We realize that it is impossible for you to be completely aware of the problems of every industry concerned with the importation of materials. We who are in the waste materials industry are performing a tremendous economic function to the people of this country by providing them with serviceable merchandise that can be secured at a reasonable cost. Secondly, we are removing pressures from raw material markets which, if not removed, would force their price higher. It is hoped that the above statement will enable you to have an insight into our problem and that it will be possible for you to afford us the relief that is necessary for us to continue the importation of these materials. TRANS-PACIFIC IMPORT & EXPORT CO., Re customs simplification bill. The CHAIRMAN, WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. HONORABLE CHAIRMAN: Since we are importers and exporters we are especially interested in the Customs simplification bill. We certainly are in a position to know that there is very much that can be done to simplify as well as expedite foreign trade. We should like very much to call attention to 2 or 3 matters that have caused us considerable inconvenience as well as much unnecessary expense. Item 1: Since we are importers of optical and scientific instruments it very often happens that we should like to import 1 or 2 instruments as samples at as cheap a rate as possible. With the present regulation it is impossible to import anything amounting to more than $100 without making a formal customs declaration, and for this it is necessary to employ a customs broker which always cost $15 to $20. We feel that this $100 limit is a regulation that was good for the time at which it was made into a law, which if I am not mistaken was about 30 years ago. Prices abroad at the present time are in many cases 3 or 4 times more than they were many years ago. Therefore we feel that it is most important that this limit be revised to about $300 thus permitting the importer to import an item to be used as a sample or trial sales without the extra expense of filing a formal customs declaration. Item 2: The best way to explain this to you will be to illustrate our complaint by a practical experience. We are importers of a system of riflescope lenses. This system consists of 5 compound lens elements and it occasionally happens that 1 or 2 of these elements are defective. With the present rules and regulations it is impossible for us to have these lenses repaired or replaced by the foreign manufacturer without having to pay duty the second time upon their being reentered into the country. This so happens because of the fact that it is impossible to mark these lenses so that they can be identified as the same lenses that were sent back to the manufacturer for repair. It is also impossible to identify these lenses by photographs. We should like to have the law modified in such a way that it would be possible for us to send these defective lenses back to the manufacturer for replacement or repair without having to pay duty the second time on these items when they are repaired or replaced and returned to us. We are not opposed to paying duty on cost of repair; however, when the manufacturer replaces or repairs an item that was defective when it left the factory there should be no cost of repair or replacement, then there should be no duty at all. Hopefully yours, EDWARD J. KRAFT, Manager. [Telegram] HOUSTON, TEX., May 27, 1953. The Honorable DAN REED, House Office Building: Propeller Club of the United States, Port of Houston, repeating its steadfast support of enlarging trade rather than increasing aid, respectfully urges support and passage of House Report 5106 simplifying customs regulations. Please note our position in hearing records. EDWIN EIKEL, President. [Telegram] HOUSTON, TEX., May 25, 1953. The Honorable DAN REED, Chairman, House Ways and Means Committee, Congress of the United States: Houston World Trade Association confirming its historic support of sound customs simplification legislation urges support and passage of House Report 5106. Please include our position in hearing records. TOM BROWN, President, Houston World Trade Association. [Telegram] HOUSTON, TEX., May 26, 1953. The Honorable DANIEL REED, Chairman, House Ways and Means Committee, Congress of the United States: Please include in record of current hearings on House Report 5106 reaffirmation of historic support of sound customs simplification legislation by Houston Chamber of Commerce. JOHN C. FLANAGAN, President, Houston Chamber of Commerce. [Telegram] LOS ANGELES, CALIF., May 26, 1953. Hon. DANIEL A. REED, Chairman, House Committee on Ways and Means, House Office Building, Washington, D. C.: We understand hearings on customs simplification bill, H. R. 5106, have been advanced to begin Wednesday, May 27, to continue for 3 days. The association, comprising more than 250 firms engaged in foreign trade, urges that H. R. 5106, relieving importers from objectionable administrative features of present customs laws, be favorably reported by your committee with least possible amendment which might delay passage by Congress at this session. We respectfully request this communication be included in official record of hearings of your committee. Respectfully, FOREIGN TRADE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, [Telegram] Hon. DANIEL A. REED, DETROIT, MICH., June 11, 1953. House Office Building, Washington, D. C.: Michigan manufacturers strongly urge immediate consideration of H. R. 4034, introduced by Representative Knox with H. R. 5106. Ways and Means Subcommittee in 1952 favorably considered similar legislation. Early adjournment for political conventions prevented final favorable action. H. R. 4034 is a logical addition to H. R. 5106. H. R. 4034 vitally necessary to manufacturers along Canadian border and will contribute to the defense effort and result in savings to taxpayers. GERALD R. HEATTER, World Trade Manager, A. C. L. HAASE CO., Hon. DAVID A. REED, House Office Building, Washington, D. C. St. Louis 15, Mo., May 27, 1953 DEAR MR. REED: I am writing you as chairman of the foreign trade bureau of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce and on behalf of the A. C. L. Haase Company, an importer of food products in St. Louis. We understand that the House Ways and Means Committee is this week considering bill No. H. R. 5106, which is designed to bring about simplification of customs procedure. We are in favor of any legislation which will simplify customs procedure and assure you that we will appreciate anything you can do to secure passage of bill No. H. R. 5106. Sincerely yours, WALTER S. HAASE. Hon. DANIEL A. REED, House Office Building, Washington D. C. INTERNATIONAL HOUSE, My DEAR CONGRESSMAN: This refers to hearings scheduled to be held in Washington this week on H. R. 5106, a bill introduced by Representative Thomas A. Jenkins, for the purpose of amending specific administrative provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930, and related laws, and to simplify and streamline customs procedures. These We strongly urge prompt passage of H. R. 5106, stressing the fact that our present custom laws are antiquated and are so cumbersome that they provide almost as great a barrier to the development of imports as do our tariffs. original custom laws were designed to protect infant United States industries, were revised under false depression isolationist psychology, and are today contrary to our avowed policy of building world peace through expanded exchange of goods between nations. The red tape, complications, and confusions required by the valuation provisions of the present customs regulations or practices are discouraging to exporters abroad and to importers at home. They are a detriment to our avowed policy of increased trade and reduced aid. Since 1 out of every 10 industrial jobs in the United States and 1 out of every 8 farm jobs here in the United States are dependent upon the maintenance of markets abroad, the prompt passage of simplification laws is most urgent from the standpoint of our national economic well-being. Export markets cannot be maintained in the long run unless peoples of other nations are afforded increased opportunities to earn the dollars required for their purchases from the farms and factories of this Nation. These opportunities to earn dollars can best be expanded by making it easier for our Nation to import the products of other lands. May we, therefore, respectfully urge your prompt favorable action in connection with hearings being held on H. R. 5106. Yours very truly, G. E. ROPER, Jr., Director, World Trade Development. PORT OF SEATTLE, Seattle 11, Wash., May 26, 1953. Re H. R. 5106, Customs Simplification Bill, 1953 Chairman, Ways and Means Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: The port of Seattle, being the grantee of foreign-trade zone No. 5, is most interested in the passage of the above bill. We think it is a step that should have been taken a long time ago and certainly is in the interest of trade. Therefore, we most earnestly ask your consideration and support on the passage of this bill. Yours very truly, WARREN D. LAMPORT, Managing Director. LOS ANGELES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, May 26, 1953. Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Hon. DANIEL A. REED, House Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR REPRESENTATIVE REED: Announcement has just been received of the advance of the date for hearings by your committee on the customs simplification bill of 1953. We hasten to submit the views of this chamber relative to the proposed legislation covered by H. R. 5106. H. R. 5106 has the support of our chamber. We favor enactment of this legislation by the Congress, for it conforms with our adopted policy for the revision and simplification of customs regulations by modernizing procedures and practices. If adopted, this legislation will provide an up-to-date and efficient basis for the regulation of imports. We believe that the present mechanics of handling imports into our country through existing regulations of the United States Customs are antiquated, obsolete and unessential. It is the opinion of our chamber that unnecessary obstacles and restrictions are being placed in the way of our citizens or business enterprises who may wish, or are required, to import. We feel that it is timely to modernize, simplify and standardize antiquated customs regulations contained in the Tariff Act of 1930, and related laws. We believe that if the provisions of H. R. 5106 are adopted, such legislation, in an important degree, will serve to eliminate existing customs redtape and other vexatious procedures, that seemingly now only serve to aggravate importers and delay imports, rather than to provide any useful or protective purpose. It is sincerely hoped that your committee will report out favorable legislation, as provided by H. R. 5106, providing for the simplification and modernization of the customs administrative procedures of the United States tariff laws. Sincerely, Hon. DANIEL A. REED, ROY M. HAGEN, President. CRANBROOK ACADEMY OF ART, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., June 11, 1953. Chairman, Ways and Means Committee, House Office Building, Washington, D. C. HONORABLE SIR: The trustees of the Cranbrook Academy of Art are interested in the liberalizing of customs regulations in order to facilitate the showing of foreign art works in our museum and urge consideration by your committee of the recommendations prepared by the American Association of Museums. As the academy draws advanced students from all parts of the free world, we feel it important that art from the countries from which our foreign students come should be shown along with art works created by Americans. We also feel public understanding benefits by as broad a presentation as possible. Under conditions of limited finances and mounting costs such matters as customs regulations are extremely important to private institutions and our doing the kind of job which should be done for students of the Cranbrook Academy of Art and the people of this area, living in both Canada and the United States. We will appreciate your consideration of the aforementioned recommendations. Sincerely, HENRY S. BOOTH, Chairman. THE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM, Hon. DANIEL A. REED, Ways and Means Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN REED: It is my understanding that there may be included in the customs simplification bill of 1953 (H. R. 5106) a section dealing with customs regulations which affects importation of works of art and other exhibition material to be shown in public on tax supported institutions. You have, I believe, proposals made by the American Association of Museums. As one who must contend with the difficulties of clearing such objects through customs for use in public museums, I would strongly urge that you accept the proposals of the Association of Museums as part of the bill. Certainly this is only one of many modifications of the bill which you will be asked to consider but it seems to be one that no one can object to since it would make more easily available to the citizens of the United States, objects of art being transported from abroad. Very sincerely yours, FROELICH RAINEY, Director. THE LIBRARY, Representative DANIEL A. REED, THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, Chairman, House Ways and Means Committee, DEAR MR. REED: Permit me to express my wishes that your committee, currently considering H. R. 5106, act favorably on section 17 (e). The section would authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe rules and regulations for the declaration and entry of all materials that can be imported free of duty under paragraph 1631 of the Tariff Act of 1930. This paragraph permits educational institutions and public libraries to import duty free books and related material for their own use. The amending section would simplify customs procedure for institutions covered by paragraph 1631. Such simplification has been sought by the Association of Research Libraries for several years. The favorable report of your committee on this matter will do much to facilitate the acquisition of needed material from abroad by the libraries of the country. Very truly yours, WARREN J. HAAS, Acquisitions Head. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, Hon. DANIEL A. REED, THE LIBRARIES, New York, N. Y., June 8, 1953. Chairman, House Ways and Means Committee, MY DEAR MR. REED: I am writing in support of H. R. 5106 which I understand is now being considered by the House Ways and Means Committee. The interest of the Columbia University Libraries is related specifically to section 17 (e) which would simplify the importation of foreign publications for research use. The basis for supporting this legislation is as follows: 1. Certain customs declarations and other complicated paper work required of the importing library would be eliminated. 2. Corresponding costs on the part of the United States Government for handling these forms would be eliminated. 3. Certain costs to the importing library by reason of the services of customs brokers would be saved. 4. There would be no reduction in income for the United States Government since the materials involved eventually come through duty-free anyway. Favorable action on this legislation would accordingly be a service not only to research libraries but to the Government itself. Sincerely yours, RICHARD H. LOGSDON, Associate Director. THE ISAAC DELGADO MUSEUM OF ART, Hon. DANIEL A. REED, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, DEAR CONGRESSMAN REED: I am writing to you in your capacity as a member of the Ways and Means Committee, asking that you give serious and favorable consideration to the recommendations made by the American Association of Museums on Customs. I understand that these recommendations have been forwarded to you with the request that they be incorporated in the customs |