The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-12
PLACED ON SECTION %, NEW
TARIFF LAW.
CHINA AND JAPAN GOODS
WOULD BE SUBJECT TO DUTY
LANDED IN BRITISH COL
UMBIA.
TEA TRADE WOULD BE AFFECTED.
Special Agent Crane Wires to Wash
ington That Tea Is Coming in
Via Vancouver.

A question Of great Importance, es-
pecially to the Northwest and to the
railway lines between this section Of
the country and the Pacific coast, has
been raised by Section %, of the new
tariff bill. This section provides that
discriminating duty Of 10 per cent
ad valorem in addition to the duties
imposed by law shall be levied, col
lected and paid on all goods, wares or
merchandise which shall be imported
in vessels of the United States, or
which, being the production CIR manu-
facture of any foreign country not
contiguous to the United States, shall
come into the United States from such
contiguous country. 1t is provided
that this discriminating duty shall not
apply to goods imported by foreign
vessels entitled by treaty to be en-
tered in ports of the United States on
the payment of the same duties as are
payable on goods imported in vessels
of the United States, and it is further
provided that it shall not apply to for
eign products imported from contigu-
Gus countries in the course of strictly
retail trade.
Special Agent Charles S. Crane, Of
the United States treasury depart
ment, who is now in ST. Paul, has tele-
graphed to Washington that goods
from Japan. including tea, which is
non-dutiable, have arrived here by
way of Vancouver, B. c., and asking
for instructions as to whether the dis
eliminating duty of 10 per cent should
be eXacted.
In reply, Special Agent Crane re-
ceived a dispatch yesterday directing
him to take no action until the at
torney general, to whom the question
has already been referred by the Chi
cago collector Of customs, has rem
dered his decision.
There is said to be a difference Of
opinion among the officials Of the
treasury department upon the con-
struction to be put upon Section %.
The city of Vancouver, British Column
bia. and most of the Canadian rail-
ways will be vitality interested in the
attorney generals decision of the case.
The section in question was all con-
tanned in the Wilson law except that
part Of it relating to goods from a
contiguous territory and this is the
only part that amounts to anything,
as practically all the nations of the
world have treaties multiplying the other
provisions. If it should be held that
the 10 per cent discriminating duty
applies to all goods not the product of
those countries coming into the United
States from Canada and Mexico, it
will practically break up the shipment
of merchandise to this country through
the territory of either Of those coun-
tries. 49,. .-....
If it should be held that all goods
coming into the United States in this
way from Canada and Mexico are sub
ject to the discriminating duty, the
tendency will be to divert from the
port of Vancouver in British territory
and from the Canadian railways a
great deal Of traffic in goods arriving
IN vessels from Japan, China and
other parts OF the Pacific for the
United States. 1t would increase
duties on all dutiable goods 10 per cent.
and improse a duty of 10 per cent on
all goods on the free list, including tea.
| a great deal of which enters at Van
couver.
A minor question which has been
raised is whether this discriminating
| duty applies only to goods coming
through Canada if they are brought in
on cars or other land vehicles. or
whether it applies to goods brought by
water transportation as well.