Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-29
REID HAS A WORD TO SAY.
The 0utcry Should Be Made Against
the Administrative Bill.
WOOL EXPECTATION HAS STOPPED.
A Great Many French Manufactures Will
Not Come Here Now.
THEIR COMMERCE SAID TO BE INJURED


France an inquiry into the operation of the
Mckinley tariff, similar TO that the results
of which in Great Britain and Germany
have already been published the Associated
Press has obtained the varied mass of infor-
nation which is here presented. As a
fitting prelude to the consular reports and
exporters statements, an interview was had
with Mr. Whitelaw Reid, the United States
Minister, in the course of which he said:
"when YOU come TO analyze it carefully
you will find that most of the outcry in
France against the Mckinley tariff should
really be directed against the administra-
tion bill. Many of the most important
French industries have 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 ad-
vances were made, importations have actu-
ally increased. There is no advance at all
on wines, excepting a beggarly dollar a
dozen on champagne. Some of the most i'm
portant decreases in expectation are actual
" 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. The ad-
ministration bill, however, has compelled
in many cases much higher valuations than
heretofore prevailed and this for a time has
doubtless deranged the operations of some
exporters; while the new formalities and
more rigid endorsements of the legal re-
quirements at the consulates have at first
provoked a great deal of discomfort and
complaint.
"a year ago, in answer 10 constant COM
plants about the Mckinley bill, 1 assured
the Minister for Foreign Affairs that
France was really less affected by it than
anv of its chief European rivals. Judging
from the debates in the Senate the other
day, the Government is now thoroughly
convinced of this fact. You will see that
NJ Ribot, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said
distinctly that it is England and Germany
that have been most effected, while France
has been relatively protected.
VI. Jules Roche, Minister Of Commerce,
added his assurance that NJ. Ribot was per-
fectlv right. cit is true" he said, ''that
the duties on most of the important exports
from France have not been sufficiently ad-
vanced to destroy the trade, although the
explorations of such articles as the United
States can manufacture are certainly some
what checked.
The Advance Comparatively Small.
"1here 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 advance of
200 or 300 per cent over existing duties. If
there is any such advance in the Mckinley
bill on anv important articles of French ex-
portation / have not seen it. Where such
advances are gradually made business may
sometimes adjust 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
largely imported were not changed by the
new tariff law to any appreciable extent
The expectations from this consular district
have diminished within the past year about
40 per cent, not on account of higher duties
but because ribbons, which are the leading
article of export, are not the mode at pres
ent.
Exports OF Gloves have stopped.
Another important article of export
from nv district is fine kid gloves. These
were affected considerably by the new tariff,
and the expectation of them has almost
ceased. The chief obstacle to the glove
trade is not the duties themselves but the
rather cumbersome and uncertain methods
of collecting them. From this consular dis
trict there will not be fewer than four man.
ufacturers of certain articles, which are af-
fected bv the tariff to considerable degree,
who will establish factories in the United
States If the duties of the Mckinley law
are maintained at their present level France
will doubtless lose number of enterprising
employers of labor in the industrial line,
who will find larger profits and lighter
taxes in the United States
Mr.. Edwin B. Fairfield, Consul at Lyons,
saws: 1.-The study of statistics is vervin-
tricate and complicated and the conclusions
drawn from such studies are often very
misleading. For example, / find that the
declared value of exports from October l,
1889, to September 80, 1890, inclusive was
SO ,72S, while for the last year the
value was but s9,62S, ,9S9, making differ
ence of S5S4, 1872. When compare the first
quarter of the year preceding find an in
crease of A52, AIS. Does this also repre-
sent the effect of the Mckinley bill? If so,
the same law which increased exports DUR
ing one quarter operated to diminish them
during the rest of the wear.
How the Exporters Are Affected.
1.-The expectation of silk and cotton dress
goods has largely fallen off during the last
wear, 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
formerly" Other comparisons of similar
character lead him to the conclusion that
the problem is very complex one in
volving an unknown quantity, the matter
of the tariff being only one and often the
mercial agent at Roubaix, says: "The re- |
cent tariff has stopped the expectation of |
wool to the United States almost entirely"
Speaking of the effects of the Mckinley /
bill on the expectation of works of art |
from France to the United States, Mr.. Rens |
Ealadon, the head of the celebrated Goupii |
Company, stated: Although we have not |
suffered ourselves, almost every other trade |
has, and as business man should ex-
press the opinion that the Mckinley bill |
will cause as great trouble 10 America as it |
will to France"
N. Lefevre, President of the Chamber of |
Manufacturers of Drygoods, says: "Hith-
erto we have not felt any prejud1cial effects |
arising from the working of the Mckinley
tariff, but fear that in the next IL months
there will be great falling off in our ex-
ports to the United States.
Fancy Goods Greatly Affected.
NJ. lie Montrees, one of the largest ex-
porters of fancy goods, stated: "The trade
in fancy goods has already suffered enor-
mously from the Mckinley bill, which will
have a deplorable effect on the relations of
France with the American nation"