The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-12-04
GERMANS MUST PAY
TONNAGE DUES AND OTHER SHIP
PING CHARGES RE-INP0sED.

President Cleveland Prociaims Suspension
Of the Act Relieving Vessels OF That
Nation of Payment OF Such Dues, IT
Being shown That Like Exemption is
Not Eujoyed by American shipping i'm
German Ports-Sociaiist Leader in the
Rsichstas Defies sIiIitarism and Naval
ism-Journaiists' TrEai-Foreign News.
Washington, D. c.. Dec. 3.-The presi-
dent has issued proclamation suspend
ing after January next the operations OF
the act which relieves German vessels
entering United States ports from the
payment Of tonnage dues and other ship
ping charges This action was taken
upon proof that American vessels are
denied corresponding privileges in Ger
man ports The shipping charges under
our laws are based on Siding scale.
The presidents action, however, viii
arouse widespread interest in shipping
circles.
The presidents proclamation will go
into effect the morning OF Jan. ), after
which date the vessels of Germany en-
On a sliding scale of from 10 80 cents
per ton per annum.
The president mentions the fact that
his proclamation Of Jan. 26, 1888, sus-
pendad the collection of the whole of TIE
duty Of cents per ton, or not TO exceed
so cents per ton,u1on German vessels en-
tering the ports of the United States, ac-
cording TO section IL. act Of congress ap-
proved June 49, 1856. This suspension
Ing satisfactory that no tonnage or light
house dues or any equivalent tax or
taxes whateve were imposed upon the
American vessels entering German ports
ard that American vessels and their car
goes were not required in German ports
to pay any fee or import duty higher or
Dtber than was payable by German yes
Eels or their cargoeS in the United States,
as announced in the aforesaid proclama-
ton of 1888. The suspension was to con-
tinue only so long as the reciprocal ex>
rmption of American vessels continued
I'm German ports.
Continuing, the president says il now
appears upon satisfactory proof that
such dues or an equivalent thereof are
imposed upon American vessels and their
careoes entered in ports of the United
States. :
Therefore, the president rvokes the
former suspension of the collection OF
the whole of the duty of 6 cents per ton
and not to exceed so per ton per annum
on German vessels entering the ports OF
the United States. The revocation OF the
proclamation Of 1883 viii take effect on
Jan. ., 1897.
The effect of the presidents proclama-
ton is TO impose upon vessels entering
From Germany the same tonnage duties
that are imposed on vessels entering the
United States from Great Britain, France
Italy, Spain and other maratime ma
lions in Europe and Asia.
German vessels were exempted IN 1888
from the payment of these dues under
Inc shipping reciprocity act of 1885.
During the past year. at the request
of the treasury department, the state
department has made full investiga-
lion into the charges imposed upon Amer
;can vessels in German ports, and the
fact has been developed, that. while the
imperial government does not impose
taxes on shipping, yet the governments
Of the German maritime states for years
imposed taxes, SO that there were no
real reciprocity.
As business proposition, the arrange
,nent has been considerably detriment
40 the United States. Since 1883, the
tonnage in foreign vessels coming into
the United States has amounted to over
il 600, 900 tons. while the tonnage of
American vessels entering has amounted
10 barely $4,000 tons. The annual loss
of revenue 10 the United States under
rhis arrangement has been approximate
~ 1000; while the exemptions which
American vessels would have gained in
German ports would have amounted to
barely $500 year As a matter of fact
these taxes have been levied on Ameri-
in oDr+c nd - j.,
iierstood that the United States viii
make a claim for the recovery of the
amount SO extorted.
Beyond this fact, the exemption of
German vessels from tonnage taxes in
ports OF the United States has been. m
fact a discrimination on the part of the
United States against its own trans-At-
hantic lines. The terminus of the Amer
lean line steamers is at Southampton
and the st. Louis, st. Paul. etc. enter
ing in the United States from that port
have been required to pay tonnage dues
whereas the North German Lloyd steam
srs. clearing at Bremen and touching at
Southampton for mail and passengers.
in competition with our steamers. have
entered Ale United States entirely free
from tonnage dues.
New York. Dec. 3.-Regarding the pro-
clamat:on OF President Cleveland re-irn-
posing the tonnage duties and other ship
ping charges on German vessels in ports
of the United States. Representative OF
the German Lioyd's company said to-
day: The proposed change would cost
our company about sl,000 annually for
each vessel sailing from Bremen TO New
York. Ii might mean a total outlay o.
$4,000 a year. Some Of the ships now
building. having a greater tonnage would
probably cost the company still more
cannot say whether such A change would
affect rates but the extra expense will
have to be borne by somebody. / can
Gee no reason for the change. concern
ing which we have heard nothing"
LIEBKNECHTS DEFIANCE.
Berlin, Dec. 3.-The reicnstag today re-
eumed the discussion Of the budget Herr
1iebknecht. Socialist made q long speech
on many subjects Referring to the
panegyric Of the secretary of the navy.
Admiral Won Holman. of the sailors o.
the German cruiser ILLS. lost with near
j. all hands of the coast OF China. who
went down cheering for the emperor.
Herr Liebknecht maintained that the
1tlis was trustworthy and he added
as 10 the crew they had not DISPLAYED
greater courage than thousands of min
ers il the cause of their work
Thereupon the president OF the reich
Gag. Baron Won Buel-Berenberg. inter-
posed, rebuking the speaker for not ap-
preciat;ng the gailantry Of the sailors.
Herr Liebknecht, in no way concerned
IN the rebuke. continuing. said thu;
threats had been held out that the reich
stag might be dissolved il the naval est,-
mates were defeated.
Behind that threat, he asserted there