The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-12
BLOW At (AkADIAH PA(IFI(.
NEW TARIFF BILL MAY PARA
Lyle BUSINESS.
A Great Deal Depends Upon the
Forthcoming Decision of the At
torney General An Interesting
Complication

Chicago. Aug. 1.-THE first application
of che section of the new tariff bin which.
If It is interpreted 10 mean as it reads
may bring disaster to Canada's great
overland lire. the Canadian Pacific rail-
wy, and restrict other Canadian railroads.
which hare terminals n the United
States. in their ability 10 compete with
domestic corporations in delivering
Asiatie and european IMPORTS. has been
made by the collector Of this port a con-
signment of a train load of Japan tea,
recently reached here in Canadian Pacific
cars from vancouver. Tea is rot q
dutiable article. and under the wilson
law the Japan-N Vancouver consignment
would have been permitted TO go right
through for distribution, the consular
seals on the cars serving 10 protect II
from Interference by customs ofncerS.
Collector Russell. however, was OF the
opinion that the rev phases in section
y required the collection OF a discrimin
atinS duty OF 10 per cent. because the tea
while en- route from Japan had been
landed IN Vancouver. b -, and he took
possession of the property pending a de-
ciSiOn from the treasury department upon
the exact application of the measure.
The section requires the collection and
payment of a discriminating duty of 10
per cent "On all goods. wares or mer-
chandise which shall be imported in yes
sells not of the United States. or which
being the production or manufacture OF
any country not contiguous 10 the United
States. shall come into the United States
from such contiguous country"
The secretary OF the treasury advised
the collector 10 permit the importers of
the tea to take IL away. after exacting
from them promise TO pay the discrlm-
mating duty in the event OF the attorney
general, TO whom the whole subject has
been referred for an opinion, determining
that the law requires such payment
Mr.. McKenna deemed the matter i'm
nj 1crf1 70 u II lr
tentiCn. instead of referring it TO one of his
numerous SubOrdinaIeS, as IL is the GUS
tom of the federal law department and
when he returns 10 Washington from his
vacation, about two weeks hence, he will
write the opinion that has been asked
for.
If he SUBSTANCES the position taken By
the Chicago collector OF customs in seiz-
ing the tea and holding it temporarily to
enforce the COLLECTION of the discriminat-
ing duty, and deiides that section p re-
Cuires that ali imports consigned to the
United States whether from Asia or
Europe that are originally landed in
Canadian ports. shall pay discriminate
ing duty of 10 Der cent he will strike
8 blow at the Canadian Pacific railroad
on one hand and the Grand Trunk on
the other that will seriously cripple these
American railroad officials are keenly
interested in the forthcoming opinion
for they realize that il will determine
whether or not the Canadian Pacific will
can railroads, especially the Great North
ern and the Northern Pacific in the
European and Asiatic fields
The Canadian Pacific has made a
speciality of Asiatic business since it es-
tablished its own line of steamers con-
siSting of the Empress of India, the En-
press of japan and the Empress of China
between Vancouver, B. c., and Japan
and China ports. 1t forced the Great
Northern road to establish a similar lire
whose terminal IS at Seattle. and made
deep inroadS into the business of the Oc-
cidental and Oriental company, which
is controlled jointly by the Southern Pa
cific and Union Pacific roads and the Pa
cific Mail Steamship company, which is
the personal property of c. p Hunting
ton. The Canadian Pacific steamers have
controlled such a percentage OF the Pa
cifc carrying business that the Canadian |
Pacific has been enabled to secure a
large percentage of Asiatic impOrtations |
of tea. silk and other products |
destined for the United States. Tnn !
roads chief successes have been in China, /
and It is claimed that it brings to this /
side of the Pacific greater amount of I
Chinese food products, which are i'm /
ported expressly for resident Cinnamon, /
han all of the other lines combined
Railroad men who are familiar with the I
sNtent of the volume OF this business, /
say that il is sufficient to make it a de- (
;irable addition to- the business of any
inc or steamship or railroad. So long /
IS the tariff law did not interfere with