The record-union., 1897-09-07
ARGENTINE AND OUR TARIFF.
THE WOOL SCHEDULE PARTIC-
ULARLY BURDENSOME.
The Dingley Bill, Minister Meron
Says, Fixes Practically
Prohibitive Rates.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6.-Senor M.
Garcia Merou, the Argentine Minister,
has not received official notice of the
message sent to the Argentine confer
ence by President Ururibaya suggesting
either reciprocal treaties with the
United States or retaliatory tariff legis-
lation if the United States declines to
make treaty, but he is familiar with
its purport, as it is in line with the ne
gotiations he has conducted for some
time with the State Department He
is expecting information from his Gov
eminent.
The present action in Argentine was
foreshadowed by Senior Merou in an
official note which he sent to Secretary
Sherman some time ago. In this the
Minister referred to the painful sur
prise of his Government on hearing of
the practically prohibitory rate of duty
which threatened Argentine WOOL He
also presented a statement of the trade
between the two countries, which he
said showed that the main articles sent
by Argentine to the United States are
wool, hides, goat skins and bristles. In
1896 the shipments of wool to the Unit
ed States were 22,736,S51 pounds, val
ued at s.. 63S, 257. Argentine also fur
nished 219 per cent. of all the hides
brought into the country, coming next
to the United Kingdom; 13 per cent
Of all goat skins and Is per cent. OF all
bristles
The new tariff law, the Minister said,
fixed practically prohibitive rates on
wool and hides. The wool schedule he
! represented to be peculiarly burden
some, as the Argentine woods have
more shrinkage than Australian woods.
thus permitting the latter to have an
advantage. He then pointed out that
Argentine had made heavy tariff con-
cessions to the United States, specify
ing as follows:
We have on the free list, besides
other articles. mowers, reapers, thresh-
ers, raw petroleum, coal, coke locomo-
tives, rails and sleepers We have re-
duced the duty on lumber yellow pine
and oak), on canned goods, on petro-
/ leum, on cotton goods. and we are lew
/ ing a moderate duty on all other Amer
/ lean products imported there five per
cent. ad valorem on plows. machines
/ and motors. of all kinds, for agricuI-
/ tural purposes. sewing machines, rosin,
! wire forceps, fences, etc.)"
The value of mowers and reapers
shipped from the United States to Ar
gentine, he said, were 81. ST, 445 for the
/ year ending July /, 1895, while the
shipments of mineral oil, lumber. tools.
all kinds of instruments, railroad equip
ments, etc, also were large. This doe
ument he followed up with more par
! ticular statement, in which he showed
! by official statistics that for a period of
ten years. 1887 to 1897 inclusive. the
1 trade of the two countries. has almost
/ balanced, the shipments from Argen-
/ tine to the United States being S57. :
903.TSS. and those from the United
/ States TO Argentine S5T, 164 .605.
President Uruibaya's plan contem-
plates that the Argentine tariff rates
shall be remodeled so as to provide a
maximum tariff and minimum tariff.
similar TO the plan of European coun-
/ tries. The advantages of the mini
mum rates will then be accorded to the
United States, if a reciprocity treaty is
negotiated, which will give concess-
/ ions TO Argentine goods.
Argentine will urge that a treaty be
negotiated by which the President
grants 20 per cent. reduction in the
duties on such goods as may be agreed
on. The agreed negotiations Will not
open until, however, Senior Merou re-
ceives instructions from his Govern
ment.