The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-05-16
INDIRECT TRADE OF THE UNITED STATES WITH
FOREIGN NATIONS. SWITZERLAND

II is one Of the fundamental laws of the Swiss con-
federation, expressly incorporated in the constitu-
ton of September IL, ls4s that the highest rate of
import duty is to be levied on articles of luxury in
troduced through the frontier custom houses while
raw materials which enter into the different branches
of manufacturing industry, as well as those which
contribute to the necessities Of the people 10 be
subjected to the smallest possible impost On this
subject the constitution says article 25 section :
'Import duties-raw materials for the industry Of
the country shall be taxed as low as possible This
shall also apply TO necessary articles of food Ar
cles of luxury shall be subjected to the highest du
ties" In a country like Switzerland, containing
population of 240O 900 souls, and embracing an area
of some $4,000 square miles without single sea-
port this liberal provision is founded just prn-
ciples of civil policy, and is sanctioned by sound
Interpretation of the laws Of political economy. 1t is
peculiarly favorable to the indirect trade of the Uni
ted States with Switzerland nasmuch as our exports
destined for that republic generally belong to one
the other of the favored categories while the pro-
auctions of Swiss industry and skill which we inn
port with perhaps the single exception of watches,
which pay a duty of 10 per cent. ad valorem, come
under the higher schedules of the tariff of 1916 Our
exports consist chiefly of cotton tobacco cereals
whalebone, talow, salted provisions, lard, whale
oil rice, rosin &C., which the duties scarcely
even nominal. American tobacco, for example, on
which France and England realize every year 1000
per cent per annum more clear profit than all the
tobaccogrowers in the South, if their aggregate
profits were added togother-is subject in Swift
a. II J,,.., nr1n Al Al
ifths of cent per pound; and the effect of
this liberal treatment of one of our leading staples
says the State Department Report Foreign Com
mercal Relations, sis in the disproportional
quantities relatively to population which are sent to
these different countries. For example: France,
with population of 10000 900, received an annual
average Of Is, 900 lbs of American tobacco du
ring a period Of three years, Q85l, 1852, 1889
which gives about one-third of pound to each per-
son; Great Britain, with population of 27OO0,OO0,
received an annual average, the same period of 25,
900 900 lbs. or nearly one pound per head while
Switzerland with population of 400 900, received
more than 900 900 lbs. nearly three pounds for
each person."
That our commercial readers may be enabled to
comprehend more thoroughly the precise character
and value of our indirect trade with this interesting
and prosperous republic, have carefully, and with
considerable labor, prepared, from the official docu-
ments to which had access the following tabular
statement, exhibiting in detail, with as much accu-
racy as can be attained, import trade with Swift
zerand during the past year. showing in separate
columns the description of the merchandise, the in.
voice value Of each class the rate of duty to which
it is subjected under the tariff act of 1876 the
amount of duties OH each class and the aggregate
value and duty in 1856, compared with similar re-
suits III 1855:
Comparative tabular statement exhibiting the character and pal
ports he United Sta Speridnd IN The indirect trade
1885, together ,oh the rates Of duty onach class and The aggregate
alue and duty compared tcih similar results for 1855