The quantity of imported burlap to be taken as the basis for the allowance of drawback may equal that claimed in the drawback entry, provided it shall not exceed the actual quantity of covering exported. The manufacturers' sworn statement, dated September 29, 1911, is inclosed herewith for filing in your office. Respectfully, (58761.) COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, Boston, Mass. (T. D. 31915.) JAMES F. CURTIS, Statue composed of bronze and ivory. Appeal directed from the decision of the Board of United States General Appraisers of September 11, 1911, Abstract 26550 (T. D. 31866), involving the classification of a statue composed of bronze and ivory. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, October 13, 1911. SIR: The department is in receipt of your letter of the 4th instant, inviting attention to the decision of the Board of United States General Appraisers of September 11, 1911, Abstract 26550 (T. D. 31866), wherein it is held that a statue composed of bronze and ivory, which was assessed with duty as a manufacture in chief value of metal at the rate of 45 per cent ad valorem under paragraph 199 of the tariff act, was properly dutiable as statuary under paragraph 170 of the said act at the rate of 15 per cent ad valorem. As the issue is an important one, you are requested to file, in the name of the Secretary of the Treasury, an application with the United States Court of Customs Appeals for a review of the said decision, in accordance with subsection 29 of section 28 of the said tariff act. JAMES F. CURTIS, Respectfully, Hon. WM. L. WEMPLE, Assistant Attorney General, New York. (T. D. 31916.) Assistant Secretary. Iron cylinders containing free goods. Appeal directed from decision of the Board of United States General Appraisers of August 17, 1911, Abstract 26392 (T. D. 31832), involving the classification of iron cylinders or drums used as the containers of free goods. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, October 13, 1911. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 5th instant relative to the decision of the Board of United States General Appraisers of August 17, 1911, Abstract 26392 (T. D. 31832), involving the classification of certain iron drums imported for the University of Kansas, and which were held by the board to be entitled to admission free of duty. In view of the importance of the issue, you are hereby requested to file, in the name of the Secretary of the Treasury, an application with the United States Court of Customs Appeals for a review of the said decision, in accordance with the provisions of subsection 29 of section 28 of the tariff act of August 5, 1909. Respectfully, Hon. WM. L. WEMPLE, Assistant Attorney General, New York. (T. D. 31917.) JAMES F. CURTIS, Facsimiles of postage stamps. Importation of facsimiles of postage stamps, foreign and domestic, printed on loose sheets prohibited. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, October 14, 1911. SIR: The department is in receipt of your letter of August 30, 1911, requesting to be advised whether certain four packages of facsimiles of postage stamps, both foreign and domestic, printed on sheets of paper apparently intended as parts of stamp albums, imported via parcels post by the United Stamp Co., are prohibited importation under sections 3 and 4 of the act of February 10, 1891 (26 Stat., 742), or whether they may be delivered upon payment of the duty, attention being invited to T. D. 16075 of May 28, 1895, wherein it was held that a certain stamp album containing illustrations of stamps could be admitted to entry, as the same is not a counterfeit within the meaning of the statutes. In reply, I have to state that the department has heretofore held that where illustrations of stamps are imported in loose sheets, not bound together as finished albums, as in this instance, their importation is prohibited under sections 3 and 4, supra, as being an engraving or print of obligations or other securities of the United States and foreign Governments, reenacted in the Criminal Code, approved March 4, 1909 (35 Stats., 1088), as sections 150 and 161 thereof. Therefore, the packages in question should not be delivered to the addressee. The department perceives no objection, however, to the packages being returned to the country of origin, if desired. Respectfully, (91038) COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, Chicago, Ill. JAMES F. CURTIS, (T. D. 31918.) Additional list of customs notaries. [Omitted from this edition.] 1 (T. D. 31919.) Lock washers-Nut locks. Appeal directed from the decision of the Board of United States General Appraisers of September 16, 1911, G. A. 7272 (T. D. 31864), involving the classification of certain so-called "lock washers." TREASURY DEPARTMENT, October 16, 1911. SIR: The department is in receipt of your letter of the 30th ultimo, inviting attention to the decision of the Board of United States General Appraisers of September 16, 1911, G. A. 7272 (T. D. 31864), wherein. it is held that certain so-called "lock washers," which were assessed with duty under paragraph 199 of the tariff act of 1909 as manufactures of metal, were properly dutiable as "washers" under paragraph 162 of the said act. In view of the importance of the issue, you are hereby requested to file, in the name of the Secretary of the Treasury, an application with the United States Court of Customs Appeals for a review of the said decision, in accordance with the provisions of subsection 29 of section 28 of the said tariff act of 1909. Respectfully, Hon. WM. L. WEMPLE, JAMES F. CURTIS, Assistant Attorney General, New York. (T. D. 31920.) Eramination of teas. Method to be used to ascertain artificial coloring or facing matter in tea by chemical analysis. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, October 16, 1911. SIR: In the examination of teas imported into your district, with the view to ascertaining whether or not they contain artificial coloring or facing matter, it is ordered that the following-described method be used in making chemical analysis, viz: From 50 to 100 grams of tea, preferably the latter amount, should be stirred thoroughly in about 200 cubic centimeters of warm distilled water, thus separating from the leaf any adhering particles of facing or coloring matter. This mixture should be then strained through a No. 20 sieve. The supernatant liquid should be poured off and the sediment washed with alcohol onto a filter. The washing process should continue until the alcohol passes off without color. The sediment should be tested as follows for the different colors: A. Test for Prussian blue.-A portion of the sediment remaining on the filter should be warmed in a test tube with 10 per cent alkali, should be diluted sparingly, and filtered through a small filter paper. The filtrate should be acidified with acetic acid and a drop or two of hydrochloric acid cooled and filtered. A drop or two of ferric-chloride solution should be added to the filtrate, which should be allowed to stand. If the liquid becomes greenish blue and deposits a blue precipitate on standing, it signifies that the tea has been colored with Prussian blue. B. Test for ultramarine blue and indigo.-A portion of the sediment should be warmed in a test tube with 10 per cent alkali, then diluted sparingly and filtered through a small filter paper. The residue left on the filter paper should be transferred to a small porcelain dish, and to it should be added concentrated sulphuric acid. If there is perceptible an odor of sulphureted hydrogen, or if lead acetate paper is blackened by being exposed to the fumes, it signities that the tea has been colored. with ultramarine blue. If the solution gives a greenish color, turning blue on warming, it signifies that the tea has been colored with indigo. C. A portion of the sediment should be ignited and examined as usual for soapstone, tale, etc. By treating with hot 10 per cent hydrochloric acid, filtering, and drying the residue, the presence of tale or soapstone is indicated by the peculiar soft soapy feel of the residue. Ignite the original tea leaf to ash, wash with cold water, and test extract for calcium, indicating calcium carbonate; then wash the residue in cold water, extract with boiling water, and test the boiling-water extract for soluble sulphates, indicating gypsum. The microscopical examination of the original tea leaves and the sediment collected from the centrifuge is useful as indicating the probable presence of extraneous matter adhering to the surface of the tea leaves, such as dark particles, etc., which should give the usual chemical reactions for coloring matter before being pronounced as such. Respectfully, JAMES F. CURTIS, (61680-3.) COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, New York. Assistant Secretary. (T. D. 31921.) Briefing of vouchers abolished. [Circular No. 61.] TREASURY DEPARTMENT, October 14, 1911. To heads of bureaus, and chiefs of divisions, Secretary's Office, Treasury Department: Department Circulars No. 30 of April 28, 1908, and No. 14 of February 18, 1911 (T. D. 31312), are hereby amended so that the requirement abolishing the briefing of official communications will extend to and include vouchers. 1. CLASSIFICATION. JAMES F. CURTIS, Acting Secretary. (T. D. 31922--G. A. 7286.) Machinery belting of cotton. The orderly guide in determining the proper classification of imported merchandise is to ascertain (1) whether the article is distinctly and definitely named in the law; (2) whether it is distinctly and definitely described; (3) its chief use, and (4) what article named in the law it most resembles. 2. SAME. Where it is evident that Congress intended the classification of an article to be determined by its use, any general description of it is not controlling. 3. SAME-BELTING FOR MACHINERY-COTTON ROPE. Cotton rope 1 or 2 inches in diameter, made up in the form of belts for the transmission of power, is dutiable as "belting for machinery" under paragraph 330, tariff act of 1909, rather than as manufactures of cotton under paragraph 332 of said act. United States General Appraisers, New York, October 16, 1911. In the matter of protest 499766 of Pitt & Scott (Ltd.) against the assessment of duty by the collector of customs at the port of Boston. Before Board 2 (FISCHER, HOWELL, and COOPER, General Appraisers). COOPER, General Appraiser: The importation covered by this protest is invoiced as "cotton belting" and "patent inter-stranded cotton driving rope," and duty was collected thereon by the collector at the port of Boston as a manufacture of cotton not specially provided for, at the rate of 45 per cent ad valorem under paragraph 332 of the tariff act of 1909. The importer claims that duty should have been collected at the rate of 30 per cent ad valorem under paragraph 330 of said act as "belting for machinery*** of which cotton or other vegetable fiber is the component material of chief value." The collector in transmitting the protest to the board made the following return: I inclose herewith the special report of the appraiser, dated the 6th instant, who states that the merchandise subject of protest, invoiced as "Patent Inter-Stranded Cotton Driving Rope," and "cotton belting," is identical in construction and use to |