Additional information submitted for the record by-Continued Central Manufacturing Co., letter from Gilbert Rosenthal, vice Columbia University Libraries, letter from Richard H. Logsdon, as- Commerce and Industry Association of New York, Inc., letter from Commerce Department, statement of Hon. Samuel W. Anderson, Cornell University Library, letter from Stephen A. McCarthy, di- Statement of John C. Ray, chairman, import and customs com- Telegram from Gerald R. Heatter, world trade manager- Energetic Worsted Corp., statement of John J. Hosey, president. Export Managers' Club of New Orleans, telegram from David A. 218 223 225 Foreign Trade Association of Southern California, telegram from 221 Fountain Pen and Mechanical Pencil Manufacturers' Association, Isaac Delgado Museum of Art, letter from Alonzo Lansford, director- 224 224 Kean, Hon. Robert W.: Proposed amendment to sec. 522 (d) of the 194 Lerch, John G., letter from 67 National Association of Waste Material Dealers, Inc., statement of Richard Levi, chairman, legislative committee, Textile Fibers National Cotton Council of America, letter from William Rhea Blake, 208 National Creameries Association, letter from Otie M. Reed, Wash- 206 National Customs Service Association: Additional statement of Alfred F. Beiter__ 108 How Congress and the courts have supported the vital function of Frankel, Allan J., chairman, wage and hours committee. 112 114 National Foreign Trade Council, statement of William S. Swingle, 214 Nationwide Committee of Industry, Agriculture, and Labor on Excerpts and correspondence from previous hearings concerning 185-189 Letter from O. R. Strackbein, chairman_ 189 Additional information submitted for the record by-Continued New York Board of Trade, telegram from Fred J. Emmerich, chair- Pennsylvania, University of, letter from Froelich Rainey, director, Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, resolution of__ Port of New Orleans, letter from E. H. Lockenberg, general manager__ Port of Seattle, letter from Warren D. Lamport, managing director___ Princeton University Library, letter from Lawrence Heyl, associate Propeller Club of the United States, port of Houston, telegram from Scarbrough, E. M., & Sons, letter from J. W. Scarbrough enclosing Siber Hegner & Co., Inc., letter from Frederic A. Fery, Jr., assistant Tobacco Associates, Inc., statement of J. B. Hutson, president__ Trans-Pacific Import & Export Co., letter from Edward J. Kraft, Customs Simplification Act of 1953, comparison with act of 1951 Summary explanation of H. R. 5106, by Committee on Ways and U. S. Customs Inspectors' Association, letter from C. W. Tait, chair- United States Chamber of Commerce, letter from Clarence R. Miles-- United States Tourists, item from Retailing, September 29, 1952- Page 225 221 218 209 110 213 202 The committee met, pursuant to call, at 9:30 a. m., in room 1102, House Office Building, Hon. Thomas A. Jenkins presiding. Mr. JENKINS. The committee will be in order. The committee is ready to begin public hearings on the Customs Simplification Act of 1953, H. R. 5106. Without objection, I will have a copy of the bill inserted in the record at this point. SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "Customs Simplification Act of 1953" and shall be effective, except as otherwise specially provided for, on and after the Sec. 5. Transportation of lead-bearing and zinc-bearing ores. - Sec. 6. Repeal of certain obsolete reciprocal provisions. Sec. 7. American goods returned. Sec. 8. Free entry provision for travelers. Sec. 9. Free entry for noncommercial exhibitions. Sec. 10. Temporary free entry for samples and other articles under bond. Sec. 16. Signing and delivery of manifests. Sec. 17. Certified invoices and entry of merchandise. Sec. 18. Verification of documents. Sec. 19. Amendment of entries. Sec. 20. Commingled merchandise. Sec. 21. Correction of errors and mistakes. Sec. 22. Conversion of currency. REPEAL OF OBSOLETE ACCOUNTING PROVISIONS SEC. 2. (a) The following sections of the Revised Statutes (relating to obsolete functions of customs officers and functions of such officers now provided for by other laws) are hereby repealed: Revised Statutes 2621, as amended (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 19, sec. 33). Revised Statutes 2622, as amended (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 19, sec. 34). Revised Statutes 2623, as amended (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 19, sec. 35). 1 Revised Statutes 2626, as amended (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 19, sec. 39). Revised Statutes 2639, as amended (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 19, sec. 42). Revised Statutes 2640, as amended (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 19, sec. 43). Revised Statutes 2641, as amended (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 19, sec. 44). Revised Statutes 2643, as amended (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 19, sec. 45). (b) Section 439 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 19, sec. 1439) is amended by deleting "the comptroller of customs for the district in which the port of entry is located" and substituting therefor "such employee as the Secretary of the Treasury shall designate", and by deleting "said comptroller of customs" and substituting therefor "said employee designated by the Secretary". (c) Section 440 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 19, sec. 1440) is amended by deleting "the comptroller of customs for the district in which the port of entry is located" and substituting therefor "such employee as the Secretary of the Treasury shall designate”. (d) Section 523 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 19, sec. 1523) is amended to read as follows: "SEC. 523. EXAMINATION OF ACCOUNTS. "The Secretary of the Treasury or such officer or employee as he shall designate, shall, under regulations and instructions prescribed by the Secretary— "(1) examine the collectors' accounts of receipts and disbursement of money and receipts and disposition of merchandise; and "(2) verify, to such extent as the Secretary of the Treasury shall direct, assessments of duties and taxes and allowances of drawback." EFFECTIVE DATES OF RATES OF DUTY SEC. 3. (a) Section 315 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 19, sec. 1315), is further amended to read as follows: "SEC. 315. EFFECTIVE DATES OF RATES OF DUTY. "(a) Except as otherwise specially provided for, the rate or rates of duty imposed by or pursuant to this Act or any other law on any article entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption shall be the rate or rates in effect when the documents comprising the entry for consumption or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption and any estimated or liquidated duties then required to be paid have been deposited with the appropriate customs officer in the form and manner prescribed by regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury, except that(1) any article released under an informal mail entry shall be subject to duty at the rate or rates in effect when the preparation of the entry is completed; and "(2) any article which is not subject to a quantitative or tariff-rate quota and which is covered by an entry for immediate transportation made at the port of original importation under section 552 of this Act, if entered for consumption at the port designated by the consignee, or his agent, in such transportation entry without having been taken into the custody of the collector under section 490 of this Act, as amended, shall be subject to the rate or rates in effect when the transportation entry was accepted at the port of original importation. "(b) Any article which has been entered for consumption but which, before release from customs custody, is removed from the port or other place of intended release because of inaccessibility, overcarriage, strike, act of God, or unforeseen contingency, shall be subject to duty at the rate or rates in effect when the entry for consumption and any required duties were deposited in accordance with subsection (a) of this section, provided the article is returned to such port or place within ninety days after the date of removal and the identity of the article as that covered by the entry is established to the satisfaction of the collector of customs. "(c) Insofar as duties are based upon the quantity of any merchandise, such duties shall, except as provided in paragraph 813 and section 562 of this Act (relating respectively to certain beverages and to manipulating warehouses), be levied and collected upon the quantity of such merchandise at the time of its importation. 66 (d) No administrative ruling resulting in the imposition of a higher rate of duty or charge than the Secretary of the Treasury shall find to have been applicable to imported merchandise under an established and uniform practice shall be effective with respect to articles entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption prior to the expiration of thirty days after the date of |