The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-07-10
THOSE FOREIGN PROTESTS.
One OF Them Analysed and Found
to Do "Cold Bluff"
az Foreign Nations Have No Better
Arguments Against Our Tariff
Than This They Had Better
Say Nothing.

People who have been disturbed--if
there are any such--oyer the attacks
made upon the pending tariff bill by
foreign countries. will perhaps be in
terested in an analysis of one of the
most rigorous of them made by experts
here. The special opportunities here
afforded for obtaining data bearing
upon the subject atlds to the interest in
this analysis, by which the real value
of these foreign protests" may be
measured.
If the attacks which are being made
by representatives of foreign countries
upon the new tariff bill are to begauged
In their accuracy or the reliability of
their statements by that recently made
ut Cincinnati by Editor Klett. of the Ar
gentine Republic. they will have very
little weight with the people of the
United States.
The attack in question was made in a
speech before the Cincinnati chamber
of commerce on Monday, June 2s. Mr..
Klett is quoted in the dispatches which
cover portion of his remarks as ''edi-
tor of the most prominent newspaper in
his country ana specialist in woods,
hides and skins"
Mr.. Klett bewails the fact that the
United States is placing a duty upon
the two principal products of his cour-
try which are exported to the United
States. viz, wool and hides, and adds
that eve have over 1,O00,000 sheepwhich
produce every year about 250,OOO.OOO
kilos of wool, and this article has al
ways been imported into the United
States free of duty, the same as we
have imported free of duty your ma
chinery and your petroleum"
To crowd into single sentence as
many inaccuracies as this specialist in
woods. hides and skins" has here pre-
scented is. to say the least, an exercise
of a capacity beyond that OF the most
erratic member Of his profession in the
United States. His statement that
their wool has always been imported
into this country free of duty Is pro-
nounced absolutely inaccurate and mis-
leading by the most experienced and
careful treasury experts. "Such state
ment," said one of the oldest treasury
officials, discussing the matter, lis GER
tainly grossly erroneous. | have been
following tariff laws and tariff opera
tions myself for many years and know
that during all the years have had TO
do with tariff laws no class of wool has
been upon the free list until the enact
ment OF the Wilson law. Certainly
statement that any class of wool has
always been imported into the United
States freeof duty is far from being
curate."
An examination of the tariff laws
covering the period since the introduc-
tion of the protective system by the gov.
eminent shows that a protective duty
has always been levied against foreign
woods until the enactment of the VIII
son law.
Editor Klett's statement with refer.
ence 10 the commerce between the
United States and his own country is
equally misleading. In his remarks he
says: THE imports from the United
States to the Argentine Republic in
1896 amounted TO $l1,210,475, and the
exports from the Argentine Republic
TO the United States amounted to So
4O1,3 62' The official statement of the
treasury department covering the inn
portations from Argentine into the
United States and the exports from the
United States TO Argentine show that
the exports from the United States
to Argentine in the fiscal year 1896, i'm
stead Of being 11,210.475, as stated by
Mr.. Klett, were $5,970, O46, and instead
of the importations from Argentine be-
ing $6,40i ,362, as stated by Mr.. Klett,
they were S0,313,3S5. This puts the
shoe entirely upon the other foot, show
ing that the present balance Of trade
is favorable TO Argentine instead of be-
ing favorable TO the United States, as
claimed by Mr.. Klett.
Another OF the numerous inaccura-
cies of Mr.. Klett's statements is with
reference TO the admission to his own
country OF the products OF the United
States, regarding which he says: I'VE
import free of duty your machinery
and your petroleum" An examination
of the Argentine tariff, revised for the
year 1896, as published by the inter-
national customs tariff bureau az Brus-
sells. and accepted by the United States
treasury department as accurate,
shows that instead OF our machinery
and petroleum being imported free into
Argentine the tariff rates of that coun-
try on machinery of all kinds of
value OF 100 pesos and more, and extra
parts thereof" are ten per cent. ad
yalorem; machines and materials for
public illumination and for public
waterworks and sewers" five per cent.
nd valorem; on vehicles so per cent.
ad valorem, and on carts for convey
ance of cereals" ten per cent. al
valorem. Instead of petroleum being
imported free as stated by Mr.. Klett.
this official publication shows that 10
is dutinble at 1h centavos per litre;
this Is equivalent 20 over five cents
(silyer) per gallon. These statements