Act Oct. 1, 1890, rec.8.

ART. 1649. The cigars in each case should be unpacked and assorted according to the brands and sizes, and before they are stamped the appraising officer will see that at least two boxes of each ten of a kind or quantity less than ten are weighed and counted.

Customs as well as internal-revenue stamps will be affixed to all packages of imported cigarettes, and be canceled by a stencil plate or other implement bearing the facsimile of the inspector's signature.

Inspectors will report for seizure all importations of cigars and cigarettes not in legal packages.

They will affix customs stamps to all domestic cigars reimported, and write across the face of the stamp, in red ink, the words "American goods reimported."

ART. 1650. Before the delivery to the importer of any opium prepared for smoking a customs stamp shall be affixed by the proper officer in the appraiser's store to T.D. 10304. each 5-tael box or smallest package of the merchandise as

20Stat.,348, sec.

16.

T. D. 10381.

imported. The officer affixing the stamps shall write on the appropriate blank lines provided therein the date, names of the importer, vessel, and port, and his own signature, and shall affix the stamp in such a manner that it will be broken or defaced on opening the package. The necessary stamps will be supplied by the Department on special requisition, and the collector or other chief officer of the port will render monthly returns showing the number received since his last report, used during the month, and on hand.

The name of the vessel or railroad, the port, and date of inspection, the name of the importer and inspector shall appear on each stamp.

Inspectors of cigars shall render a monthly statement to the collector of the number of stamps received, used, and on hand.

§ 5. WEIGHERS.

ART. 1651. Weighers will be assigned to duty by surveyors. At ports where there is but one weigher the assistant weighers will be assigned to duty by him; he will be held responsible for the correct and efficient discharge of their duties, and will report to the surveyor any misconduct or neglect of duty on the part of any customs officer or other employé.

Weighers are required to be at the places to which they are assigned whenever weighable goods are being landed

They

from vessels discharging cargo from foreign ports.
are required to inspect and take copies of all permits in
the hands of the discharging inspectors of vessels when-
ever the collectors have, by designating articles named in
the permits, directed the said articles to be weighed; and
weighers are required to have and exercise a personal
supervision of the weighing of such merchandise. They
must not absent themselves from their office or district
during hours of business unless by permission, nor will
they allow any other than an assistant weigher to take
weights or handle the beam.

ART. 1652. Each weigher is required to have his weighing implements tested and compared with the United States standard at least twice a year, on or as soon after the first day of January and July as possible; and to have the same tested as often as may be necessary to keep the same in conformity with the United States standard.

ART. 1653. Weighers will be furnished by surveyors with proper blank dock books, in which they shall daily make a true and correct entry of goods weighed, specifying the date the weighing was performed. These books must be so kept that they will contain all the specifications necessary to a perfect account of the merchandise weighed. The weigher should first copy the permit or order in the book, and then proceed, in all cases where the merchandise is required to be weighed by numbers, to enter the number and weight of each separate package weighed by him. The weigher must add the weights stated in each column of his book, and give the gross weight, the tare, and the net weight of each lot as returned by him, and at the end of all the entries the total gross weights, tares, and net weights must be recapitulated. The book must be indorsed on the outside with the name of the vessel, the date the return is filed in the surveyor's office, and the weigher's signature.

Whenever required by the collector or the naval officer for purposes of liquidation the dock book shall be delivered to them for inspection and verification.

ART. 1654. In order to facilitate the prompt liquidation of duties, weighers are required to make a special return of the weight of the articles embraced in each permit or order, as soon as the same shall have been ascertained. Weighers will file their completed books of weights, within three days after the vessel has been discharged, in the R. S., 2890. surveyor's office, as public records. A separate book will be kept for the cargo of each vessel.

R. S., 2898.

R. S., 2898.

ART. 1655. Before weighing any merchandise the weigher must see that the beam is accurately balanced. As correctness of weights depends very much upon the accuracy of the poise, the beam should always be kept clean and be frequently tested with the standard. A fairly even beam indicates the weight, but as, in weighing merchandise, it seldom happens that the beam will stand at an exact poise, but will go either above or below an even beam, the weight will be taken on the rising beam. Weighers. are required to mark the weight on each single package weighed.

ART. 1656. Whenever a weigher has reason to believe that the invoice or the schedule tare of any merchandise is greater than the real tare, he is authorized and required to ascertain the actual tare, and, when he finds it necessary or is required to ascertain actual tare, as many casks, boxes, or other coverings as may be necessary for that purpose will be emptied and accurately weighed. Weighers are required to note in their returns, at the head of the column of tares, whenever the tare returned by them is "actual tare."

Tare, miscellaneous allowances, and correction of errors.

ART. 1657. In estimating the allowance for tare on all chests, boxes, cases, casks, bags, or other envelope or covering of all articles imported liable to pay any duty, where the original invoice is produced at the time of making entry thereof, and the tare shall be specified therein, it shall be lawful for the collector, if he shall see fit, or for the collector and naval officer, if such officer there be, if they shall see fit, with the consent of the consignees, to estimate the said tare according to such invoice; but in all other cases the real tare shall be allowed, and may be ascertained under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may from time to time prescribe. In no case can there be any allowance for draught [draff].

ART. 1658. Where the original invoice is produced at the time of making entry thereof and the tare shall be specified therein, the consignees, owners, or agents must declare in writing on the entry their assent to the estimate of tare as set forth in the invoice, and, if the collector or the collector and naval officer see fit, the tare shall be so estimated.

In the absence of such written assent or if the collector doubt the correctness of the tare as specified in the invoice,

the tare prescribed in the following schedule may be adopted; but if the importer, consignee, or agent shall be dissatisfied with the tare herein prescribed, and shall file with the collector a written-notice of such dissatisfaction, or if the collector doubt the exactness of the schedule tare in any instance, it will be his duty to cause the actual tare or weight of the cask or package to be ascertained, and for that purpose he may cause to be emptied and weighed such number of casks and packages as he may think proper.

In all other cases actual tare only shall be allowed.

Whenever a weigher has reason to believe that the schedule tare of any merchandise is greater than the real tare, he is authorized and required to ascertain the actual tare. When he finds it necessary or is required to ascertain the actual tare, as many casks, boxes, or other envelopes as may be necessary for that purpose will be emptied and accurately weighed.

Weighers are required to note in their returns, at the head of the column of tares, whether the tare returned by them is schedule or actual tare.

Schedule of tares:

Almonds: in bales, 24 per cent; in bags, 2 per cent; in frails, 8 per cent.

Alum: in casks, 10 per cent; in sacks, coarse or ground, 2 pounds per sack.

Barytes, 3 per cent.

Beans, castor, weight of pod.

Cheese, in casks or tubs, 10 per cent.

Chicory, in bags, 2 per cent.

Copperas, in casks, 10 per cent.

Figs, 13 per cent, gross weight of the figs, and the boxes to be added to the actual tare of the cases.

Gunny cloths, actual weight of ropes and covering allowed as tare.

Hay, weight of sticks and wire may be allowed for, and average tare may be calculated.

Hemp: Hamburg, Leghorn, Trieste, 5 pounds to each bale.

Hemp, Russia, weight of tow bands.

Iron rods: Bands of iron wire surrounding coiled iron rods may be allowed as tare when they consist of bands ordinarily used for such purpose and are of little or no commercial value.

Nails: in bags, 2 per cent; in casks, 8 per cent.
Nitrate of soda, 2 per cent.

T. D. 17415.

Ocher: dry, in casks, 8 per cent; in oil, in casks, 12 per cent.

Ore, in sacks, 2 pounds for each sack.

Peruvian bark, in ceroons, 10 per cent.
Paris white, in casks, 10 per cent.

Raisins, 27 per cent; actual net weight to be ascertained by emptying and weighing the contents of a sufficient number of boxes of each chop-mark to get a just average.

Rice, in bags, 2 per cent.

Salt, fine, in sacks, 3 pounds for each sack: coarse or ground alum-salt, in sacks, 2 pounds per sack.

Spanish brown: in casks, dry, 10 per cent; in casks, in oil, 12 per cent.

Sugar: in tierces and hogsheads, actual tare; in barrels, 10 per cent; in boxes, 14 per cent; in bags, 14 per cent; melado, 9 per cent; actual tare on irregular packages, and on sugar in bags from Havana.

Tin, in boxes, actual net weight to be ascertained by emptying and weighing the contents of a sufficient number of boxes of each chop-mark or brand to get an average.

Tobacco leaf, in bales, 13 pounds each bale; Sumatra, 4 pounds on inside matting and cord, weight of second covering to be ascertained.

Whiting, in casks, .10 per cent.

Zinc, sheet, weight of silos.

ART. 1659. When a test is made for actual tare of any portion of an invoice, such test must be of representative packages of the whole importation.

Errors in allowance of tare must be brought to the attention of the collector within ten days after the date of their discovery by the importer.

ART. 1660. Weighers are not authorized to make any allowance for an increase of weight or quantity caused by articles having absorbed moisture on the voyage of importation, and the actual weight, as ascertained after landing, will be returned. In cases of accidental and unusual leakage and shipment of water, the facts will be fully stated by the weigher in his return.

Whenever any package of merchandise is apparently increased in weight by the accidental and unusual leakage or shipment of water on the voyage of importation, the weigher wili ascertain the weight of such merchandise in the condition in which it is landed; but in making his return he will report all the facts and circumstances of the case to the surveyor.

ART. 1661. When a return has been once made by a