Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-08-16
AMERICAN PORK.
Piesideit Sends the Senate All ths
Correspondence with France.

| In compliance with q resolution Of ihl
Senate. calling for all spondenee no
already submitted 10 Coog,rss now in tts
| Department of State. touching on the ef
! forts made by this government TO secure .
III moilaea ation or repeal by the French gov
ernnlent OF the decree of 1881, prohi 1iIing
\ the importation into France of American
polk and kindred American products, the
| President to,isy seIt the Senate = let,e,
from the Acting Secretary Of State en- the
| sabj set, together With large volume oi
| CORES Pensisn-- teeen Minister Reid and
! Secieta.. o.al.e.
The .esinz SECRETARY Of States ceres,
yentcage disclo.es the ia yoitan. fsct that
| Ihe French government now practically
| places lis exclusion Of cur pork product.
upon economic instead Of sanitary grounds
Thi, policy of exclusion, for the protection
OF the dome site products of France. ID Rp-
pied only 10 the Unite States department
that protested against the discrimination a.
as unjust. The correspondence includes
statements by the Secretary of Agriculture,
of the pr0bibiiive edicts and regulations
The most important portion is contained in
a long letter addressed by Reid to Il boz on
July 81, last.
In this lie reminds the mn sttr that rely
ing on appsreht assurances the Fren h gov
eminent would repesl the prohibition on
pork, aud tbs American House repres snts-
| tiyes so'oi l, remove the existing duty 80
per cen,. on pictures AMI statues. Now
tha. prohibition sil stands The Senate
committee amended the tariff bill bill bg
re!mposing this duty snd there is dang
that the Senate will approve their decision
Grievance, said Reid, lies not in the size
of the duiy imposed on American pork
bur in tue discrimination in favor of the
European countries az inst historic
friend ty ais dilute prohibition of American
product IN the grsund OF lis bad quality
Reid po nts cut that this charge of un-
wholet omerrss had 'o1g since expi ded
the most rigorous examination of produc,s
ty French ,ctn.ists nave been challenged.
iI 'hows that the French Government j.
not ouly depriving its people of a cheap an |
whole 5 )me article OF 10 3D. but is robheg K
lis treasury of the large smIunt of duties
the importa ion the pork vrJductt would
naturally bring. The Fieach steamers
have Lost a valuable line of freight and
grocers and peddlers of France staple and
useful trade. The only persons 10 profit
by the exclusion and lack of competition
with American pork are the small cla.s
of MD ilemen. who are thus enat led to OK
act larger profits.
Reid adds that there is 10 real comp. !
ton between American ssited pork add
French fresn pork. They are sold TO en-
tlrely different classes The statistics do
not show that the price of French pork has
at any time been affected By The presence
or absence of American Importation
Reid says: "fou have a product more
important 10 Frarce than pork Is to the
United States. We import it more largal
than YOU ever imported our pork. Notoiy
10 the L uBiicd States says our pork is Il =
eased, but your own public men have again
and again admitted the adulteration Of
French wines. Never in late years, in
the Senate of the | nited States, ha, such
u whisper been heard about our PORK
II is lss. than month since the French
Senate has been debating the bill to pre-
vent the percentage of .ulphates or soda in
French wines which the French academy
of medicine pronounced delcterous 10 the
health. In the course of that dcta ate il
was openly admitted that other drugs were
used against was not SO easy TO guari.
There is growing and already succes,
ful vine industry in the Uuited States and
sure it is lot wise for the French
Statesmen by persistence 10 what
our peop'e think the examination
Of our product, to drive the American
aiesmen to coas.ler whether, if France
still preserve prohibition to duties, tha
United States hss not grea ater reason to do
the same As keenly as we feel the in6e
ftnsibie nature of your decree, We are
an1ious TO avoid even a suggestion of pCt-
stb,e retaliation. Tie business Of i,p0ml
cy, at any rate is t) make trade ease
and ntt.0F nj relations more cordial-not to
embiiter hem. We prefer 10 present faci'
and re y upon French good will, French
justice and French sagaclty."