Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-12
WANT LOWER DUTIES.
An Oil Report Made by a Committee
From the Chamber of Deputies
REJECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
Paul-Emile Girodet Sent to Pittsburg to
DO the Work over Again.
LARGER FOREIGN MARKET IN SIGHT

Paul-Emlle UlrOuet, NlCc IIeSiuent Oh
the French Chamber of Deputies, registered
at the Schlosser yesterday. He is promi-
nent man in the republic, and holds his seat
from La Loire district, which was once
represented by the late notorious General
Boulanger. Mr. Girodet's visit to Pitts
burg is of great interest to the oil men who
want higher prices for their product.
While the American exports of the crude
and refined are extensive, they are not
nearly as large as they should be, and it is
to the foreign market that the producers
must look for help.
The French levy very heavy duties on
Yankee oil, so that America is not the only
country that believes in protection. The
az, however, is SO oppressive as to be al
most prohibitive. The oil is imported from
Algiers, Russia and the United States
The bulk of it comes from this country.
A Mckinley Bill Pointer.
The French have finally discovered-prob-
ably thev receive their pointers from the
Mckinley bill-that it doesn't pay to tax
so heavily an article that is not produced in
their land, and Mr. Girodet was sent to
America to gather statistics about the
grades of oil with q view of having the
tariff greatly reduced. This is what the
American oil men want. In connection
with Mr.. Girodet's visit there is an inter-
esting story.
Last winter committee was appointed
by the Chamber of Deputies to do this
work. Three members came to the States
and spent considerable time in the oil
fields around Pittsburg about six months
ago. They were intelligent and one could
speak English fairly we'll. They regis
tered at the Monongahela House and were
interviewed by DISPATCH man. When
they made their report to the French
Government it was rejected. The French
are very suspicious people, and in some
way they learned that the Standard officials
had been hobnobbing with the committee.
1t was charged that the committee had been
hoodwinked by the willy Standard people,
and all the information they received came
from agents of the great oil corporation.
Then Mr.. Girodet was ordered to go over
the ground and verify the statements made
by the committee. He was instructed not
to avoid Standard agents, but to accept
their Information cum grano sails.
He Visited the Standard.
On his arrival in New York, Mr.. Girodet
visited the Standard Office, and was given a
letter of introduction to Mr.. Young, of the
Forest Oil Company, in this city. Mr..
Girodet reached here yesterday morning,
and fell into the hands of the independent
producers. Through the courtesy of ex-
Senator j. w. Lee, Mcssrs. Shannon,
Barnsdall and others Mr.. Girodet was
driven through the Mcdonald oil field
the Vice President can't
speak or understand q word OF England.
John B. Schlosser, who handles the
French fluenrly, was called in, and
the points of interest in the oil
district were pointed out. Mr. Girodet,
who by the way resembles Gambetta in the
face, was delighted with what he saw, and
at the oil resources around Pitts
burg. He wished they had such extensive
deposits of oil in his country. The French
man spent the day in the Mcdonald field
and returned to the hotel late last even
ing. He will start back for France
this morning. The arranging of the oil
duties will come up in the French cham
Der next month and this is why he is in
such a hurry to return home.
The French Dissatisfied.
It was learned from Mr. Girodet that the
French are much dissatisfied with their oil
imports. The price is very excessive and
duties. Refined oil, of bad quality at that,
is sold over there for 80 cents per gallon.
Crude oil used to bring cents PEI gallon
in New York several years ago, but compe-
tition brought it down to 9 cents. There
are % oil refneries in France, but the
French don't understand how to get all the
products out of petroleum. In
America SO per cent of the oil is util-
lied, while in France they can't get