The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-11-29
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Views of COnsuls, Exporters and Manu-
~facturers on the Workings o flour Tariff.
Some Industries in France Severely Hurt by
the Mckinley Law, but Nearly Ali Feel the
Effect of the Customs Administrative Act.

IN Great Britain and Germany. the results
of which have already been published. the
Associated Press has obtained the Y aired
mass of information which is here pre-
sented.
As a fitting prelude to the consumers re-
ports and exporters statements. an inter-
view was had with Mr.. Whitelaw Reid. the
United States minister, in the coursr of
which he said: "When you come to analyze
carefully. you will find that most of
the cutlery In France against the Mckinley
tariff should really be directed against the
administrative bill. Many of the most im-
portant French industries nave not
been affected IN the slightest degree
by our new tariff. On many classes
of silk goods, for example, the advances
are inappreciable. and in some of
them, on which the heaviest advances
were made. impOrtations have actually
increased. There is no advance at all on
wines, excepting o ~beggarly dollar a dozen
OH champagne. Some of the most i'm
actually ON articles on which the
Mckinley bill made no change in duty. The
cause for such decreases must then. OF
course, be looked for elsewhere.
b bas SdmInIis5atlvG bill, many h0" esso:
much higher valuations than hlther-
TO prevailed. and this for a time has doubt
less deranged the operations of some ex-
pOrters; while the new fOrmaiitlss and
rigid enforcement of the legal requirements
at the consulates at Iirst provoked o great
deal of discomfort and complaint.
"A year ago, in answer to constant COM
plants about the Mckinley bill. | assured
the Minister tor Foreign Affairs that
+ hr'n shan was any really oy tess It: o hiisf'sd Eur Sy
pean rivals. Judging from the debates in
the Senate. the other day, the government
Is now thoroughly convinced of this fact.
eign Affairs. said distinctly that it is E1g-
and and Germany that have been most
affected, while France has been relatively
protected. NJ. Jules Roche. Minister of
Commerce, added his assurance that III.
Ribot was perfectly right.
NOT so RADICAL AS IL FRENCH LAW.
ut is true that the duties on most of the
important exports from France have not
been sufficiently advanced to destroy the
trade, although the expectations of such
articles as the United States can manufact-
ure are certainly somewhat checked.
There are no such advances. however.
in the Mckinley bill as in the French tariff
voted last summer by the Chamber, and
now in process of being increased by the
Senate. This tariff shows repeatedly on
articles of prime necessity an ad-
vance of 200 or SEQ per cent. over
existing duties. If there is any such
advance in the Mckinley bill on any inn
portant articles of French expectation l
have not seen IT.. Where such advances
are gradually made this may sometimes adj
just itself to them, as it has IN the case of
many of our highest duties. but when they
are made at one step their natural effect is
to paralyze trade"
Mr.. Francis B. Loomis. consul at st.
Etienne. says: The Mckinley bill has not
affected this part of France where silk Is
the chief industry, for the reason that the
duties on the class of silk goods most large
ly imported were not changed by the
new tariff law TO any appreclabie extent.
The exp 0rtations from this consular dis
trict have diminished within the past year
about 40 per cent, not on account OF higher
duties. but because ribbons, which are the
leading articles of export, are not the mode
at present. Another important article of
export from my district is tine kid gloves.
made in Grenoble. Certain grades of gloves
are affected considerably by the new tariff
law, and the expectation of them has al
most ceased. The obstacle to the glove
trade is not the duties themselves, but the
rather cumbersome and uncertain methods
of circulating them. From this consular
district til ere will not be fewer than four
manufacturer of certain articles which are
0L1CCtCu " ~ taAih w a "a
gree which will establish factories In the
United States. If the duties of the McKin-
ley law are maintained at the present level
France will doubtless lose u number OF en-
terDrislDg employers of labor In the IN
dustrIal line. VINO Will find larger profits
and lighter taxes In the United States"
Mr.. Edmund b. Fairchild. consul at
Lyons, SAYS: 1.-The study of statistics is
very intricate and complicated. and the
conclusions drawn from such studies are
often very misleadlng. For example. l find
that the declared value of exports from
Oct. /, 1889. to Sept. 80. 1890, inclusive, was
$40. 2l3. 72S. while for the last year the value
was but 50. 62S, 9S6, making Q difference of
1854. 7g2. When | compare the first quarter
of this last year with the first quarter of
the year preceding, l find an increase Of
S452. AIS. Does this also represent the eff
feet of the Mckinley bilf If
exports during one quarter ooerated to
diminish them during the rest OF the year.
The expectation of silk and cotton dress
goods has largely fallen off during the last
year. while that of silk and WOODEN goods
has largely increased. This, while the tariff
on the former remains as before and while
the latter pay much higher duty than form
erly. Other comparisons OF q similar char
acter lead me TO the concluslonsthat the
problem is a very complex one. involving
an unknown quantity. the matter of the
tariff being only one and often the least
significant"
WOOL EXPECTATIONS Stopped
Mr.. w. p. Atwell, commercial agent ut
Roubax, says the recent tariff hes stopped
the expectation of wool to the United
States almost entirely. It is almost impos-
sible at present to judge of the effect of
the tariff on certain dress goods, as the
American market was over stocked with
these goods. both dyed and in the grain.
prior to the date when the act came into
effect.
William S. Preton. consul at Cognac,
says: The exports from this district have
fallen Off o good deal in the last year,
whether from the increase of duties or not
l do not know"
Speaking of the effects of the Mckinley
bill on the expectation of works OF art from
France to the United States. Mr.. Rens
Valedon. the head of the celebrated GOupli
company. states: Although We have not
suffered ourselves. almost every other trade
has. As q business man l should like to
will cause great trouble 10 America as we'll
as to France
Mr.. Van Bergen. who annually exports
to the United States textile goods to the
value of 5000 francs. stated: The new
tariff has not greatly injured our trade In
bigh-class goods. Our business in cheaper
goods has diminished considerable. How
ever. on account of the stagnation of the
trade, the work-people have worked at
starving prices. and the manufacturers
have consequently been able to sell goods
at prices which permit their being landed
in America at about the same price as pre-
vious to the passage of the Mckinley bill"
\. Parent. president OF the Chamber of
Manufacturers of Buttons and &c.