, 1891-11-14
FRANCE AND AMERICAN PORK.

Paris Oct. 2O-The Senate tariff CommlbGee
met again to-day, when the subject OF tns
admission of American pork was deoaeeo
at considerable length. Finally the COLI
mittee decided in favor of a propositlon 70
impose a duty of Is francs per LOO kllos oh
sailed meats of all kinds, including pork'
ham and bacon, instead OF one OF 2O francs
which the Chamber of Deputies had a're"uy
passed.
The Syndical Chamber of Wine Merchants
at a meeting today, adopted a protest a9alnS'
the excessive tariff on alimenrary proauc9s'
especially that upon wines, which mas alreauy
passed the Chamber of deputies. Inc PFoC7S'
demands that the Senate modify the Depu-
ties bill in several important respects
The decision arrived at by the Senate Tariff
Committee increases the hope that American
sailed meats will soon be readmitted into
France. where they have been absolutely pro-
scribed since February, 1881, except during
three months in 1888. It is highly probable that
the Senate will vote according to the decision
of it's Tariff Committee and hat the Chamber
will accept the slight modification made by the
Senate. The Deputies, indeed, had been
convinced by the efforts of the representative
in Paris of the United States that Amerl-
can pork is as wholesome as any SINH
lar product; and that the Washington
Government bad ordered strict inspection
measures, calculated to prevent the
expectation of u single piece OF meat untt Tor
consumption But thu French Deputies, fear
ing q too strong competition on the part OF
American pork, had consented to It's reIntro-
duction only on the condition that 1t should
be taxed 20 francs per 100 Kilograms (S4 per
220 pounds 1t is not likely tn 1t they will
object to the ame ldment, by which the Senate
may raise the duty to q francs, which amounts
to nearly 2 ii cents a pound. Such a tax,
which is about that already imposed upon A
merican pork in Germany an Italy, is certain
ly rather high. But it is not fixed forever,
and future negotiations may succ ed in lower
ing it. On the other hand, it is a secondary
consideration in the question at issue,
The first and main object to be attained is
to obtain the readmission Of American sailed
meats, which have been prohibited for ten
years, under the hurtful pretext that they are
unwholesome. This result might have been
reached perhaps more promptly in France by
persuading her Government to order the read
mission Of Amer lean pork by an Administra-
tive decree. This was the method employed
in 1888 by the United States Minister In
Paris. The French Cabinet repealed the
prohibition decree of 1881, but three months
later it was compelled by a vote of the Cham
Der to put it back again. In Germany and
Italy the same method has also been employed
recently. In France, another and a better
course has been followed, somewhat slower
but safer as to it's permanent results. A first
victory was won in the Chamber of Deputies,
which voted the repeal of the prohibitive
DEGREES and placed the American hog products
upon the same standing with similar products
from other countries, an example which was
soon initiated by the Governments of Germany,
Denmark and Italy. Now the second and final
victory for American pork in France seems to
be near at hand, as indicated by the decision of
the Senate Tariff Committee.-N.. Y. Tribune