The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-11

The fns Italian hand cf President James
j. Hill Of the Great Northern railway IS
Rev seen In a political move IN the Dtngsey
tar1S bill thar was net discovered Until
August s and which has just been sent out
from Washington. The information says
THAI with a cieverness and skill that al
most Incline 20 reverence some member
Of the tariff conference committee injected
into the conference report a line that VIII
turn loose whole pack Of railway law
ysrs upon the courts ard treasury DEPART
nneat al Washington. In brief. ii destroys
with single blew the vast advantage
the Canadian Pacific railroad has hereto
fore enjoyed over reads Ia the United
States and Will stop the vast Asiatic i'm
portattons from Victoria. b. c., which
have always gone 10 American ports over
the Canadian Pacific lire.
Section = of the tariff bill carries this
Interpolation. The section, as approved
by the tari0 conference committee, reads
as follows:
Section =. That a discriminating duty
OF 10 per centum ad yalorem. IN addition
TO the duties imposed by law. snail he
levied. collected and paid on all goods.
wares or merchandise which shall be ina
ported IN vessels not OF the United states,
or which goods being the production or
manufacture OF any foreign country no..
contiguous 10 The United States. shall
come into the United States from such
contiguous country; but this discriniinat-
ing duty shall rot apply 30 goods, wares
or merchandise which shall be imported
IN vessels not OF the United States. but
which goods are entitled at the time OF
such Importation by treaty or convention
States on payment Of the same duties as
shall then be payable on goods wares ana
merchandise imported in vessels OF the
United States. nor to such foreign prod
Iets or manufactures as shall be import
od from such contiguous countries IN the
usual course of strictly retail trade
The line reading ''or which, being the
production or manufacture Of any foreign
country not contiguous to the United
States, shall come into the United States
from such contiguous country" Is the one
over which the great legal struggle will
arise. AS il will be interpreted by the
treasury department 1t will mean that
hereafter all importations from Asiatic
countries brought into this country in
bond over the Canadian Pacific from Vic
toria viii have TO pay dinereniial duty
of 10 per cent. in addition TO the duty reg
ularly imposed by the tariff bill.
The interstate commerce commission,
when II came into being found that its
provisions could not apply TO the Cana
dian road, as the treaty of 1873 barred the
way. The treaty allowed goods in bond 10
be brought over the Canadian Pacific and
in consequence that road was enabled TO
take fnportations from the Pacific coast
east at rates far below those of the Amer
lean railroads and underbid them for this
class of traffic.
President James Hill. of .he Great
Northern. and now controller of iGe reor-
gantzed Northern Pacific, has beer max
ing fight on the Canadian Pacific for
years past. but with little headway until,
through the aid OF Senator Burroughs. II
Is believed. he secured the introduction OF
tie line quoted in the bill when reported
back from conference. The line was not
In the house bill nor in the senate bill II
was not discovered by any government Of
fetal until August &