The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-01-31 00:00:00

grain ant) Contintrcr.

THI DUTY ON WOOL IN FRANCK.- The following
returns, copied from the Echo Agricole, show that the
abolition of the import duty on foreign wool will not
injure the French farmer :—" Need the French pro-
ducer feel &hints at the proposed measure? From the
beginning of the century up to 1823 foreign wool
enteral France free of duty, but in the last.named year
the price of wool underwent • heavy decline in all the
markets of Europe. A certain description of merinos,
for example, which were worth in France 44. to 44. 50e.
the kilogramme, fell successively to about 2f., and has
since remained on an average at 2t. to 'lf. 50c. Pro-
tection was in fashion in those days, and an import
duty of 33 per cent, ad ratorem was imposed on wool.
But this duty, though no to speak, prohibitive, did not
cause • rise in price. From Int to 1834 the average
price was 2f. 20c. the kilogramme, the lowest being
F. 70c., and the highest 21. 80c. In IEO4 the duty was
reduced to 22 per cent., including what is called the
dixietne ; and that duty was maintained up to 1865, a
period of 20 years, during which the price varied, ac-
cording to the abundance of the crops and the manu-
facturing and commercial situation, from If. 40e. (in
1848) to 2f. 60c. (in 1855). In 1836 the July was re-
duced to 15e. the kilogramme; and from that year up to
1859 the price of wool in France was, notwithstanding
commercial and financial crises, 21. 40c. to 2f . 50c. the
kilogramme. It will be seen that under the most mode-
rate duty, that which now exists, the price of wool has
not fallen; and the reason is this :—A reduction of
duty has always for effect to maintain prices for foreign
markets, and the wool of France being the best, it not
Use finest, of all wools, oar manufacturers, influenced by
the firmness of foreign markets, hasten to lay In stocks
of French wool, which is the quality that suits them
heat. During the last ten years the importation of
foreign wool has been on the iocreaae ;j 1850 and in
preceding years it was 20,000,000 kilogrammes, and
since 1852 it has been on an average, 35,000,000. How
is it that with such an importation the price of wool in
France does not ilecline? The answer is-1. Because
the price of wool in France must be on a level with the
price of wool abroad. 2. Because the consumption of
woollen fabrics in France id constantly on the increase.
3. Became the export of French woollen fabrics abroad
increases considerably every year. On this subje4t the
Customs returns present some curious results. It is
known that time French manufacturers of woollen goods
cannot compete with foreigners, except on the condition
that the C11140111.11011,1e Phan restore to them, on the
export of their fabrics, the duties which were paid on
the import of the raw Immaterial. That is what is called
drawback. For so many kilogrammes of tissues ex-
ported the ('ustinn-hoese reimburses the duty paid on
the import of so many kilogrammes of wool. Propor-
tionate rates are establialied for that purpose according
to the sort of tiseues exported. In 1866 the Board of
Customs thus reimbursed as drawback 9,379,0001. to
French exporters, though in that year it only received
on the import of wool 8,571 000 f. In 1857 the duties
levied on the importation 14 wool were 7.900,0001., and
the drawback reimbareed was 6,183,0001. In 1858 the
duties levied on imports were 7,600,0001., and the
drawback reimbursed was 5,500,0001. It will be seen
that in France very little foreign wool remains in the
form of tissues, since the export takes away almost all
that is brought in, and this explains why at one period
the exporting manufacturers of Elbeuf supported a
demand for the maintenance of the duty of 33 per cent.
on foreign wool. The higher this duty was the greater
was the advantage derived by them from the premiums
paid to them on the export of woven good.. French
agriculture would, therefore, gain nothing by the main-
tenance of this Customs machinery, which is entirely to
the advantage of exporters. This machinery will be
suppressed at the same tone as the duty on wool."
THE EMPERoII'IS LIETTIIR.-1114 declaration of the
Emperor in favour of • more liberal commercial policy,
and the probability of a commercial treaty being con-
cluded with England, have excited great enthusiasm at
Boulogne. The Municipal Council, the Agricultural
Society (numbering 273 member-4h and the Chamber of
Commerce have unanimously voted his Majesty con-
gratulatory aildresaia expressive of their approbation of
the views set forth in his letter, and of their thanks for
its publication. It so happenx that all these bodies are
at this moment presided over by M. Alexandre Adam,
whose name is well known as one of the most enlight-
ened econoinuita and friends of commercial freedom in
France. The Chamber of Commerce, of which he has
long been president, after having been its first secre-
tary when it was establishei in 1819, has since the
beginning been known for its unflinching and able efforts
for the reduotimin and simplification of the French tariff,
and its address to the Emperor welcomes the prograunne
set forth in his letter as the complete and practical
realisation of the principles for which it basso long and
so constantly contended.

fr

onrdl