The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-08-20
JAS. Butte.
HOuSTON.
UNDER THE NEW LAW.
AN EFFORT WILL DE MADE FOR a
RECIPROCAL AGREEMENT.
France Desires to Take Advantage
OF the Clause of the Tnrin Bill.
The Reductions Light. =

Washington August 10. - Secretary Il
Sherman. in accordance OF the recent /
oyeriuros OF the French government, made /
favorable reply through Ambassador Pa
trenotre for negotiating reciprocity treaty l
between the United States and France un- |
der the reciprocity clause of the now tarr l
law. and the secretary adds an assurances l
that he hopes to take up the simple sub l
ject at an early day.
II Will be the first effort toward practical
application OF the reciprocity clause OF the |
new law. and to some extent II will shape
the future action OF the government on
treaties to be negotiated. In view OF this
careful investigation Is being made OF the
status OF trade between France and the
United States as "A preliminary to nego-
tiatons. This has developed that the re-
ciprocity clause viii not permit an oMcr
to France OF much reduction OF duties The
data prepared In this connection shows
imports from France for the year 1S95-96
amounted to s67.00O,0O0. It Ii estimated
that tho duties under the new tariff law
on Imports of this amount would be $780,
400, 900 or So per cent OF the value OF <
the goods. IT, however, the reciprocity
clause iB granted TO France the duties on
French imports is estimated at $4,000. 900 /
Thus the reciprocity clause would reduce
French duties less than 100000 on ~
years imports.
| Another estimate shows that the duties
on French imports are s32 400.O 900 under the
Dingley law. as against s2l.000,000 that
| they would have been under the wilson,
| law an increase OF 81, 400, 900 in duties on
French goods. AS against this 1t is shown
| that on the imports OF the United StaAesl
| to France amounting to $62, 800 900 the du-
| ties would be $14,000.000 or 22.2S per cent
OF the value OF the French government.
The present negotiations will be q sequel
] to the arrangement effected by Ambassadors!
iWhitelaw Reid March To- 1892. France
continues to give the minimum rates es-l
tablished at that time, although the UnttedI
States long since withdrew the reciprocal
reductions on sugar, molasses. hides ana
skins. When the arrangement was hrstl
made France granted the minimum rate en-
1.-THE following American goods: Meats fruits !
dried fruits. woods. wood blocks for pave-1
ment, slaves. hoops. prepared pears and
lapples. Petroleum also secured certain ads
jyantages In reduced rates, but 1t Is under
lseparato provisions. The minimum rates
lare still in force. although the French
government has felt free to restore the
maximum rates since the United StAteS
ceased to give reciprocity on sugar, mo-
lasses, hides and skins.
Ambassador Patenotrcs proposition con-
templates that the French minimum rnte1
shall be continued II the United States
lgrants reductions under the reciprocity
clause OF the new Law. Otherwise ~
IFreuch government 10 likely to RESTORE IN
maximum rates on meats. irutt dried trutk
woods wood blocks for paving. eteNo1
hoops, prepared pears and apples ma
NJ The French authorities fesl tllat lns1
Ientttled to The Ecoiproelty