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AuoDBT 21, 1913. ' 



The Florists' Review 



35 



A Geaenl View of the Southeut Section of the Trade's Dltplay at MinneaFoIis This Vecic 



Amendments to Tariff Bill. 

 These are the amendments: 



No. 1. Section 215 — The words "and all other 

 decorative or greenhouse plants" are omitted. 

 This will make orchids, palms. Azalea Indlca and 

 cut flowers dutiable at twenty-flre per cent ad 

 valorem, and all other greenhouse or nursery 

 stock, not otherwise stated, at fifteen per cent 

 ad valorem under Section 216. It will avoid dis- 

 putes as to what Is greenhouse stock or nursery 

 stock. 



No. 2. Section 215— The word "bnlbs" Is 

 added after "hyacinths," dutiable at $2.50 per 

 tiiousand bulbs. 



No. 3. Section 215 — The word "herbaceous" 

 's preflxed to "peony." Some peonies, as Paeonla 

 Moutan, are grafted shrubs and not bulbs and are 

 dutiable at fifteen per cent ad valorem under 

 Section 216, instead of ?10 per thousand under 

 Section 215. 

 ^^ No. 4. Section 215 — Changed so as to read 



all other root^, rootsvocks, corms and tubers." 

 This will aU in exact classification and avoid 

 expensive d sputes. 



No. 5. Se"tlon 216— The words "Rosa rugosl" 

 are added att?r "multlflora." This is a most 

 mportant change; It makes Rosa rugosa seed- 

 lings 3 years old or less dutiable at $1 pe;- thou- 

 sand unquestionably. The government can not 

 now collect duty of $10 per thousand, as roses, 

 on Rosa rugosa seedlings sold at $3 per thou- 

 sand, as under former tariffs. This will save 

 honest importers much expensive litigation and 

 will largely prevent fraudulent entries of budded 

 rosps as brier roses. 



No. 6. Section 600 — The word "coniferous" Is 

 prefixed to "evergreen seedlings," and the words 

 "•* years old or less" arc added. This correction 

 Is of inestimable value to the government and 

 the honest importer. It should prevent boxwood, 

 bay trees, rhododendrons, Koster blue spruce, 

 Kalmias. etc., being brought in free of duty 

 by reason of fraudulent entries as "evergreen 

 Njodllngs." It will also make large evergreens, 

 ■> years old or more, dutiable at fifteen per cent 

 ail valorem under Section 210. 



Simplified and Corrected. 



These amendments correct and sim- 

 P'ify the tariff immensely as applied to 

 h )rticultural imports. It will make it 

 !> iich easier for the customs officials to 

 <t tect and correct fraudulent entries; 

 i should avoid expense to honest im- 

 I 'rters now that the rates of duty are 

 I early defined, and it will prevent 

 1 rgely the confusion and abuses which 

 1 ive arisen under former tariffs, owing 

 t ' incorrect and varying treasury de- 

 ' sions handed down at different ports 

 ' (" entry on one item. These amend- 



ments do not change the rates of duty 

 on proposed tariffs in any way. To 

 have recommended them would have 

 meant tiie defeat of our important de- 

 mands, namely, a tariff free from errors 

 and ambiguities. The benefits of these 

 changes are obvious to every florist, 

 nurseryman and seedsman in the United 

 States who either directly or indirectly 

 handles imported stock. 



A Practical Suggestion. 



Now I am going to make one recom- 

 mendation, but before I do so let me 

 explain that the tariff is made up by 

 our legislators to comply with what 

 they consider the country needs. The 

 first report of changes comes from the 

 ways and means committee, so that 

 unless corrections are made in that 

 committee they must be in the form 

 of amendments, and to be effective 

 must be carried by a majority in the 

 House and Senate. Our legislators con- 

 sider that plants, nursery stock, bulbs 

 and seeds are in the same general class. 

 They are mixed together in the same 

 schedules, so that any recommendations 

 of changes or corrections must be pre- 

 sented or indorsed jointly by fiorists, 

 nurserymen and seedsmen. Owing to 

 the lack of cooperation between the 

 three organizations, I feel sure that 

 had it not been for the active support 

 we got from New York importers and 

 custom-house officials, we never would 

 have gotten one amendment through 

 the House or Senate. 



I, therefore, recommend that, as far 

 !is practicable, j'Our tariff committee 

 shall include one man in the import 

 business, one man resident in Washing- 

 ton, and that all members be in active 

 working touch with nurserymen, seeds- 

 men and others interested, so that only 

 men will be in this committee who can 

 intelligently work and publicly speak 



on the entire schedule, whiph includes 

 all horticultural imports. 



Thanks are due James McHutchison, 

 of New York city, a member of this 

 committee, and without whose material 

 assistance little, if anything, could have 

 been done. Representative Taylor and 

 Assistant Secretary of Agriculture B, 

 T. Galloway are entitled to our thanks 

 also. 



AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL. 



[Wm. F. Gude, as Washington representative 

 of the S. A. F.. presented at the Minneapolis con- 

 vention the following brief general summary of 

 the last year's progress In legislative matters.] 



The last year has been a busy one 

 for your representative in the national 

 capital, particularly as to tariff matters 

 affecting the members of our organiza- 

 tion. I have tried to keep constantly 

 in touch with what was going on in 

 that line, and a full report of what has 

 been accomplished will be made by our 

 tariff committee at this session. 



By this time, I had hoped we would 

 be able to report a successful experi- 

 mental rose garden in Washington, un- 

 der the direction of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture. However, 

 the official legal machinery necessary to 

 put this project in motion has been 

 working slowly, but we indulge the hope 

 that the papers will receive the signa- 

 ture of the secretarv of agriculture in a 

 short time and the earden will be a 

 properly established factor. 



Sentiment is being aroused toward 

 securing from Congress suitable legis- 

 lation in reference to the Wm. H. Smith 

 memorial, and we hope in the near fu- 

 ture to secure the assistance needed 

 toward the erection. 



It is a pleasure to report that the 

 year has been a prolific and prosperous 

 one in and about the capital in our 

 calling. Crops and business have been 

 good, and the florists generally have 

 had a prosperous twelvemonth. 



