The tax on commercial travelers who sell goods or who merely exhibit samples and take orders is an item to be considered in connection with other expenses. In some countries a separate license must be obtained for each Province or Department, corresponding to our States; in others for each Municipality. A few countries, more liberal, exact no fee whatever.
Beginning with Ecuador, $50 is here charged for one visit.
In Peru no license is required for commercial travelers, but there are certain regulations as to samples. If they are such as would enter free of duty no charge is made. If the articles are dutiable, one of each kind and variety is permitted free entry, providing the importer presents in duplicate an itemized description of packages and articles, pays the duty in cash or with bank draft, and within three months exports these samples, thereupon receiving back the cash or bank draft which he has deposited. Should there be any deficiency or substitution of articles, double duty will be exacted and the article substituted will be confiscated.
If samples enter Peru by Mollendo to go to Bolivia, not to return by the same route, they are dutiable, unless the Peruvian Consul in La Paz sends a certificate that the samples have entered Bolivia. The duty previously paid is then refunded. A fee of $12.50, U. S. gold, is charged by the city of Arequipa as a license in that particular section.
Bolivia is a more expensive country to visit and for that reason is omitted from the itinerary of many travelers. The policy of the Government seems particularly injudicious in view of the fact that their country is out of the way, that it has no great cities, and that large sales are required to cover the additional time and cost of the journey even without the considerable fee exacted.
Further, each municipality collects a fee for itself; there is no general tax. The fee varies according to the class of goods but in general for La Paz, the chief city (pop. 80,000), is 300 bol. or $116.70 U. S. gold; never more. The authorities of Cochabamba are said to charge 1000 bol. for the privilege of selling in their pretty city, while Oruro demands but 100 bol. As to other cities inquiry must be made in the country. There is talk of reducing the Cochabamba fee and perhaps the Bolivian Government will soon realize that the country will do better to adopt the more liberal policy of her neighbors, Peru and Chile. It should be added that if two persons go together as representatives of the same house each one is obliged to pay the tax.
Chile, like Peru, is extremely favorable to the commercial traveler, requiring no permits and no duty on the samples, unless in whole pieces of stuff or in complete sets of objects. Six months are allowed in which to reship samples free of duty.
The sections of the East Coast are much more exacting.
Argentina, noted for high prices generally, also has large license fees; these not for the country as a whole, but for each individual State or Province. A license covering the Federal Capital, Buenos Aires, costs 500 Arg. pesos, paper, $212.30 U. S. gold, and is good for one year. Each State has its own additional charge, mainly good for a whole year, though a few have half rates for six months and one or two, monthly licenses. These permit either selling goods, or showing samples and taking orders.
Not to enumerate all of the various districts it may be said that the fees vary from nothing in Neuquen to 1680 pesos, about $700 U. S. gold, in Salta; all of the remaining fees except those of Tucumán, Entre Rios, and Mendoza, which are 600 pesos ($255), being less than that of Santa Fé, which is 400 pesos, about $170, per annum. Samples of no value pay no duty; on others the duty which is paid is refunded if the samples are exported within six months. In some places a difference is made in the license fee if but one line of samples is offered.