COMMITl'EES ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT 307 



have paid under the law. In the report of H. Wheeler Combs, 

 general appraiser at the port of New York, dated October 30, 

 1885, we read: 



" We had also made inquiry into the discrepancies between the large ports in the 

 matter of the value and classification of foreign wools — particularly those known 

 as ' Donskoi wools ' — and were in communication with the officials and reputable 

 importers at the large ports on this subject. We have learned enough to convince 

 us that gross undervaluations at all the ports have existed for years, through a 

 misapprehension on the part of the customs officials of the true value of the cur- 

 rency on which the traffic is actually based. 



" These wools are entered as ' washed wools,' valued at less than 12 cents per 

 pound. A chemical analysis was made at the laboratory connected with the 

 appraiser's office, and the chemist reports that they are ' scoured wools.' This 

 subject is now being carefully investigated by the appraiser of this port." ^^° 



On December 3, 1885, the Secretary of the Treasury, Daniel 

 Manning, addressed a letter to the President of the Academy, in 

 which he stated that an appeal had been taken from the decision 

 of the Collector of Customs at the port of New York in a case 

 involving the classification of a certain consignment of wool for 

 tariff purposes, and requested that the Academy would advise 

 him as to its proper classification. The President appointed a 

 committee to examine the sample of wool which accompanied 

 the letter and determine its real character. This committee, 

 which consisted of C. F. Chandler, W. H. Brewer and Henry 

 Morton, reported on January 16, 1886, giving its opinion as to 

 the character of the wool and at the same time offering some 

 detailed information of a very interesting character as to the 

 qualities of different kinds of wool. This included a transla- 

 tion of Chindsinsky's article on the composition of the fleece of 

 merino and coarse-wooled breeds of sheep. To this were added 

 analyses of various samples of wools procured by the committee, 

 including the one received from the Treasury Department, and 

 a summary of analyses made by other investigations. The com- 

 mittee then presented the following conclusions: 



" From the preceding facts, we see that wool comes into the trade in a very 

 great variety of purity, some with not over 10 or 15 per cent, of actual wool 



'"Report of H. Wheeler Combs, General Appraiser, B. H. Hinds, C. H. Lapp, Special 

 Agents, New York, October 30, 1885. Rep. Seer. Treas., 1885, p. 126. 



