The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-03-08
THE PRUssIAN-GBRMAN TREATY
Adopted by the Committee of the
Refchstag.
By Gable to the United Press.

BERLIN, March 8, 1894. The committee Of
the Reichstag to which was referred the
Russian-G German commercial treaty, has
adopted the measure as a whole by vote OF
16 to IL.
The Konigsberger Allgemeine Zeittng says
that the Kaiser has especially congratulated
Count Won Donhoff- -Friedrichstein, leader OF
the Conservatives, upon his attitude to-
wards the German Russian treaty in the
Reichstag. The Emperor sent the Count a
telegram in which he said" Bravol You
have acted as nobleman should"
Several Berlin newspapers this morning
make the statement that at the banquet OF
the agricultural Council, held last evening,
DIR. Miguel, Prussian Finance Minister, de-
clared that he did not assign any particular
importance to the commercial treaty with
Russia from an agriculturist point OF view,
in as much as Germany already had similar
treaties with Austria and Italy ALI the
legislation of the last thirty years, he said,
had favored and been enacted especially
with view TO assist trade and industry. 1t
was an open question whether this was right
or not but he did not know that the Elm
peror desired a new era in which the inter-
tereSts and needs of the agriculturists should
paramount in the future making of laws.
American Interests Affected.
WASHINGTON, March g. 1S94.-Consul
General Mason at Frankfort has sent the
State Department some very important in
formation as to the effect of the new Russo
German commercial treaty on American
bread stuffs Before 1892, American and
Russian wheat paid the same import duty in
Germany, about S12 per ton, and flour from
either country paid $25 per ton. In Febru-
ary of that year, however, Germany placed
the United States in the class of the most
favored nations and the duty on our
wheat was reduced to 1888 per ton and on
imports from Russia continue to
pay the general rates until Au-
gust last year, when in consequence of
disagreement between the two governments,
Germany summarily raised the rates fifty
per cent, asking that on wheat nearly So
and on -four $3.50 per ton The new COM
mercial treaty sweeps away all these dis
favored nations with the United States!
Statistics show that even in years OF most
abundant harvest, Germany has to import
breadstuffs largely, that the deficiency is in
creasing annually in close proportion to the
growth of population, and that the highest
market values of wheat in Berlin were in
| 1878, when all grain was free of duty and the
| lowest values were reached last year.
when the duties were highest. Last year
with Russia crippled by the tariff, the
| United States furnished Germany with 314, :
| 92S tons of wheat, or nearly one-half of all
| that was imported, and at the same time
supplied one-sixth of the -four and one
twelfth of the rye Consul Mason says that
under the new treaty, il it is ratified in time,
! Russia will at once resume her old position
| as the source of nine-tenths of the rye sup
ply This will go to feed the peasants. With
| regard to wheat the question is complicated
| by the appearance of India, Australia, Ar
| gentina and Uruguay as competitors. 1t
| only costs thirty-five cents to raise bushel
| of wheat in India as against fifty cents in
| the United States. In 1891, when the two
countries were on equal terms, Russia sup
piled SIS, ,5S7 tons and the United States 144,
| ing wear the figures were:-United States
| 630, ,213 tons, and Russia, 257, ,991 tons. Last
year Russia furnished but 21 ,636 tons.