customs officer is most absurd. We are looking into the whole case very carefully, and will submit a history of it in detail to our Minister again, and will ask him to take the matter up. I am also writing the Hon. John Dryden, Minister of Agriculture for Ontario, who is deeply interested in matters of this sort, and am asking him to co-operate with us. I am writing to each of the Agricultural Departments throughout Canada stating the facts of the case, and will send a letter to each of the Canadian newspapers, and to the ' Breeder's Gazette ' in Chicago dealing with the question.
Yours truly,
(Sgd.) F. W. HODSON, ' Live Stock Commissioner.
Then we have another from Mr. Hod-son, dated Ottawa, July 28th, 1902 :
H. F. Page, Esq.,
Mission, B.C.
Dear Sir.-Please find inclosed a copy of two letters which I have Just received from the Hon. Mr. Dryden. I am doing all I can to help you and am bringing a great deal of influence to bear both in the United States and Canada, and have written over eight hundred persons and newspaper men in both places. I let you know this, not because I wish you to give me credit for the work, but to let you see that this department is not idle when the interests of Canadians are concerned. Mr. Fisher is also doing what he can, and we have made an appeal to the department at Washington, through the British Colonial Office as well as directly through this government. Mr. Sanders you will recognize as the editor and owner of the ' Breeders' Gazette,' Chicago, which paper you are no doubt acquainted with. He is probably the most influential live stock man in Canada or America. Mr. John Dryden is Minister of Agriculture for the province of Ontario, and a very prominent live stock man.
Yours very truly,
(Sgd.) F. W. HODSON, Live Stock Commissioner. Enc. copy of two letters.
We have following Mr. Dryden's letter addressed to Mr. Hodson :
Copy.
Toronto, July 14th, 1902.
Dear Hodson,-Referring to the difficulty with the Washington authorities about the introduction of pure bred animals into that territory, I would say that a similar ease was fought out some fifteen years ago. This was a case of horses, and the ruling at that time was definite that it was not necessary that the man who received them would be a breeder. It seems to me it would be worth while to hunt that up if possible.
I am writing Mr. Saunders, of the * Breeders' Gazette,' who has always been for freedom of trade in these matters. They would know as to the case.
Yours very tiuly,
(Sgd.) JOHN DRYDEN.
F. W. Hodson, Esq.,
Dom. Live Stock Commissioner, Ottawa.
It seems that the contention was set up by the Washington authorities that the man who received these horses must be a breed-Mr. SPROULE.
er and intended to use them for breeding purposes. Then we have the reply of Mr. Saunders, the editor of the ' Breeders' Gazette.' Mr. Dryden wrote Mr. Hodson :
I inclose a letter just received from Mr. Saunders, of the ' Breeders' .Gazette,' which will explain itself. You will see the strong ground he takes, and I assume the matter will be arranged in that direction..
Yours very truly,
(Sgd.) JOHN DRYDEN.
Mr. Saunders' letter is as follows :
Chicago, July 18th, 1902.
Hon. John Dryden,
Toronto.
Dear Mr. Dryden,-I have yours of the 14th and note contents. I cannot imagine how any United States' collector could make such a ruling as that mentioned in the face of the practice of the Department for so many years. I do not imagine there can be any overturning of the prevailing interpretation of the Act. However X will write a personal letter to Secretary Wilson and endeavour to ascertain what it is.
Respectfully yours,
(Sgd.) A. H. SANDERS.
Then we have another from Mr. Hodson regarding the correspondence addressed to H. F. Page, Ottawa, August 25th :
H. F. Page,
Mission, B. C.
My dear ^ Sir,-The copy of correspondence which you sent me is rather startling. This looks to me more like a hold up than anything I have ever seen, howevei*, I may be mistaken. I have forwarded your correspondence to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, who is a lawyer and have asked him to look into the matter and write you at once. I see no reason why the entire $1,000 should not be returned to you. We are making it an international question.
Yours very truly,
(Sgd.) F. W. HODSON.
Live Stock Commissioner.
There is another from Mr. Hodson, drawing his attention to a letter received from the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, as follows :
H F. Page,
Mission, B. C.
Dear Mr. Page,-Please find inclosed a copy of a letter which I have to-day received from the Deputy Minister of Agriculture. As soon as I hear from him again I will write you, probably Mr. O'Halloran will himself write you.
Yours very truly,
(Sgd.) F. W. HODSON,
Live Stock Commissioner.
This is the letter which he referred to from the Deputy Minister of Agriculture :
F. W. Hodson, Esq.,
Live Stock Commissioner,
Department of Agriculture.
Dear Mr. Hodson,-I have your letter of the 26th inst., inclosing some correspondence in connection with the claim of H. F. Page, Mission,
fi,
B. C., for tlie refund of the deposit made by him with the United States Customs authorities with entry for certain Pereheron horses which he was importing into the United States for breeding purposes, from which it appears that Mr. Page wishes your views as to the advisability of retaining a lawyer in New York to prosecute his claim.
From the minister's file in this matter, to which you refer me, I find that the Secretary of State here in June last made, on behalf of Mr. Page, a claim against the United States for a refund of this deposit which claim is still pending. I think it would be very unwise for Mr. Page to prosecute his claim through a lawyer while the claim made by the Secretary of State is pending.
I understand that the minister will be here to-morrow and I would like to retain your file until then to lay the matter before him.
Yours very truly,
(Sgd.) GEO. F. O'HALLORAN,
Dep. Minister of Agriculture.
The next is a letter to Mr. Hodson from Mr. O'Halloran, in which he says :
I have to-day seen the Under Secretary of State who promises to write the British Embassy to urge the American authorities to give an early decision on the claim made on Mr. Page's behalf by the Secretary of State.
There is a letter from Mr. Hodson which X need not read. Then there is another to Mr. Page from the Deputy Minister of Agriculture :
Deputy Minister's Office,
November 29th, 1902.
Sir,-In further reference to correspondence between you and this department regarding a claim made by you, against the United States government, for a refund of the deposit made by you with an entry of certain Pereheron horses into the United States, in October, 1901, I have to state that the Department of State here have urged the government authorities at Washington to take action in your case, but as yet no further communication in the matter has been received.
I inclose herewith extracts from the United States customs regulations bearing upon the entry of pure bred stock. I understand that in making entry you complied with the provisions of article 473 and 541.
I have the honour to be, sir,
Your obedient servant,
(Sgd.) GEO. F. O'HALLORAN, Deputy Minister of Agriculture.
A. F. Page, Esq.,
Mission, B.C.
This is the memo, of the United States authorities :
Memo, re claim of H. F. Page, of Mission, B.C., for remission of duty paid by him to the United States customs for entry of Pereheron horses in October, 1901.
United States Customs Act of July 24th, 1897, item 220, reads : Horses and mules valued at $150 or less per head, $30 per head ; if valued at over $150, 25 per cent ad valorem.
Article 473 of United States customs regulations reads :
Any animal imported specially for breeding purposes shall be admitted free ; provided, that
no such animal shall be admitted free unless pure bred of a recognized breed, and duly registered in the book of record established for that breed ; and provided further, that certificates of such record and of the pedigree of such animal shall be produced and submitted to the customs officer duly authenticated by the proper custodian of such book of record, together with the affidavit of the owner, agent or importer that such animal is the identical animal described in said certificate of record, and pedigree ; and provided further, that the Secretary of Agriculture shall determine and certify to the Secretary of the Treasury what are recognized breeds and pure bred animals under the provisions of this paragraph. The Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe such additional regulations as may be required for the strict enforcement of this provision.
Article 541 reads : No animal imported for breeding purposes shall be admitted free of duty unless the importer furnishes a certificate of the record and pedigree showing that the animal is pure bred and has been admitted to full registry in the book of record established for that breed, and that its sire and dam and grand sires and grand dams were all recorded in a book of record established for the same breed. An affidavit by the owner, agent or importer, that such animal is the identical animal described in said certificate of record and pedigree, must be presented.
Article 543 reads : In case such certificate is not at hand at the time of the arrival of the animals, duties should be estimated thereon and deposited, and the animals delivered to the importer, who may within ten days file a written stipulation with the collector to produce the requisite certificate within six months from date of entry, whereupon final liquidation of the entry will be suspended until the production of the certificate or the expiration of the six months. Upon the production of the requisite certificate in due form within six months from entry, the amount deposited shall be refunded as an excess of deposit. Certificate of pedigree should be returned to the importer and requisite copies be retained for the files of the custom house.
There is a letter from the Customs Department at Puget Sound :
Customs District of Puget Sound,
Sub-port of Sumas, Wash.,
Deputy Collector's Office,
December 30th, 1902.
H. F. Page, Esq.,
Mission, B.C.
Dear Sir,-The decision of the general appraisers in answer to your protest against the liquidation of consumption entry No. 177K has been received at this office. You can see the same by calling at this office. The board holds that the horses were dutiable.
Respectfully,