The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-12-10
RETALIATION ON GERMANY.
GERMAN VESSELS WILL BE
FORCED TO PAY THE TON
MAGE TAX.
PROCLAMATION By THE PRESIDENT.
Justifes His Course by Pointing Out
That Germany Exacts Dues From
American Vessels-Commssion
Stumpf's immigration Report.

Washington, Dec. 3.-The president
has issued a proclamation suspending,
after January next, the operations of the
act which relieves German vessels enter
ing United States ports from payment of
| tonnage dues and other shipping charges.
American vessels are denied correspond
ing privileges in German ports. The ship
ping charges under our laws are based
on q sliding scale. The presidents ac-
terest in shipping circles.
The presidents proclamation will go
into effect the morning of January 3, after
which the vessels of Germany entering
our ports must pay shipping charges rang
ing ON sliding scale of from to 80 cents
per ton per annum.
The president mentions the fact that
his proclamation of January g. 1888, sus-
pending the collection of the whole of the
duty of 6 cents per ton or not to exceed
30 cents per ton, upon German vessels
entering the ports of the United States,
according to section II, act Of congress
approved June 10, 1896. This suspen-
sion was proclaimed upon proof then ap-
pearing satisfactory that no tonnage or
lighthouse dues or any equivalent tax or
taxes whatever were imposed upon Amer
lean vessels entering German ports and
that American vessels and their cargoes
were not required in German ports to
pay any fee or import duty higher or other
than was payable by German vessels or
their cargoes in the United States, as
given in the aforesaid proclamation of
1888. The suspension was to continue
only so long as the reciprocal policy con-
tinued in German ports.
Continuing, the president says 1t now
appears upon satisfactory proof that
such dues or an equivalent thereto are
imposed upon American vessels or their
cargoes and other than those imposed
upon German vessels or their cargoes
entered in ports of the United States
Therefore the president revokes his for
mer suspension of the collection of the
whole of the duty of 6 cents per ton, not
to exceed 30 cents per ton per annum,
on German vessels entering the ports of
the United States. This revocation of the
proclamation of 1888 will take effect on
January 2. 1897.
The effect of the presidents proclama-
ton is to reimpose upon the vessels en-
tering from Germany the same tonnage
dues that are imposed on vessels enter
ing the United States from Great Britain,
France, Italy, Spain and other maritime
nations in Europe and Asia. German
vessels were exempted In 1883 from the
payment of those dues under the ship
ping reciprocity act of 1886. During the
past year, at the request of the treasury
department, the state department has
made full investigation into the charges
upon American vessels in German ports
and the fact has been developed that
while the imperial government does not
impose taxes on shipping, Yet the gov
ernments of the maritime states for years
nave imposed shipping taxes so that there
was no real reciprocity. As business
proposition the arrangement has been n
detriment to the United States. Since
1888 the tonnage on foreign vessels COM
ing into the United States has amounted
to over 100000 tons of foreign YES
sells, while the tonnage of American yes
sells entering has amounted to barely 81
600. The annual loss of revenue to the
United States under this arrangement has
been approximately $4,000 while the
exemptions which American vessels
would have gained in German ports
would have amounted to barely 5000
year. AS matter of fact. these taxes
have been levied on American vessels in
German ports and it is understood the
United States will make n claim for the
recovery of the amount so eXtorted. Be
You'd this fact the exemption of German
vessels from tonnage taxes in ports of
the United States has been in fact n dis
elimination on the part of the United
linz -