The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-18
Important Commercial Change
VIII Begin January /.
BELIEF IN HOME PROTECTION.
Business Advancement of a Young
Nation Results in Pronuig eating
nm Act That VIII Have n Great
Eject On Future Tsafz'e - Inn
mense Growth Of Trade since
the War AGain.t the Cbfneae.


merce IN many years than viii take place
81 the beginning al tue 1fxt year, &hsu
the new JapaHege tariff sas viii &C into
effect. Since tsse var u four years ago
Japan has sprung fnt0 commercial prom
tHence the growth ~ which t. measured
only 5y fn4st Of gae early United States
fmme4sa teiy af.sr they taEew of tne En-
giisf yoke.
Tie volume u Japans trade dsI.ng tie
six months ending last June -, nearly
eugaied that Of any single previous year
The excess u imports over exports waE
far above taat oG IsS1. and Il Is believed
thai the total at the end OF This year VIII
be three times that Of tl7e same processing
period. The value Of the imports % mar
chandiSe during the FIRST six months o.
lss8 amounted to 81 he 1zaS5 an excess
over Che same part OF tssi OF tz3.7ss. "a.
or over 20 I1r cent. TIE exports for the
same period were sai.6s4. - - a falling Of
Of s., 78f IA y from 1897 ard le>s than the
imports os the first halt Of lsa5 ~ si@,-
t2s, 4ts.5 -.
Phases % the Aef.
The new tariff Law sprung UP as ne
cessity 10 Iaoet tise advanced Gseds Of the
young empire, and has been drafted with
all The care that attends the consideration
OF q similar bsll la the Jnlted States con-
gress. II was passed II March, 1877, and
by imperial ordnance viii take effect next
January l. IN anticipation or the heavier
Duties to he lsvled upon all imports to that
nation, shippers have exerted every effort
10 giut the Japanese market with a supply
OF goods that will last away into next
year and there has been "a corresponding
desire on the part OF Japanese dealers TO
stock their shelves.
Seattle has been a wftuess 20 this feature,
every departing vessel OF the last seEera!
months having been loaded 10 her fuh
capacity ana leaving hundreds OF tons OF
goods on the docks The last Of the Mp
pom feet TO leave here. the fsiojun Aaru.
carried one of the largest carg3es that ever
left the Pacific coast.
IL is therefore expected that trade with
Japan will fall off considerably Ia the early
spring months: hat when the renewal
comes. Washington an0 the whole United
States viii at once receive an added imSe-
tus. II Is expected. Of greater extent than
heretofore
II is not likely that the tariff law Will be
on a good working basis until it has had
several m0ntEs II experiment, II Is a
new problem !or Japan. one That will re-
ouire the same consideration as the earlier
acts along the same Inc OF the United
States. Several Inquiries are already being
made into different features Of the act
waieh VIII require imperial adjustment
One OF these Is as 10 whether goods subject
TO the coming duty. which are Ia transit
prior to January /. and are not entered
ther. upttl after the enactment takes ef-
feet viii be subject 10 It's provisions. The
solution X this phase Will - OF great Ia
terest to local shippers,
A careful study ~ the schedule OF du
table articles shows that Japan believes in
the protection 81 home Industries
The New Tariff Law.
The customs tariff law. as passed 10y the
"a rnskfFf
two weeks hence. divides articles imported
into three classes: putiahis, free OF duty
and prohibited % impor alton. These gooda
ara included In The free list, Articles for
tho use Of the imperial family, arr:ls. pow
der and explosives imported by tao army
ard navy: scsssls for the navy: articles
for the Use 81 foreign ministers 10 Japan;
medals and decorations archives ard oto-
or docun esits. samples Of merchan '4se'
personal effects 81 travellers. articles "a pe
permanently exhibited In official or private
museumF home products. other than to-
hacco and liquors re-smported within five
years IN the condition In which they were
exported: articles exported fsr repairs and
raimported. Articles temporarily import
ed for repairs. for the Use OF scientific in
yestieators or travellers for expert mental
purposes. for use samples by merchants
manufacturers or traders travelling Tor the
purpose Of Obtaining orders or for show
and performance purposes. are also free
OF duty. When they are to bs rc-expor; "a
within SIX months: Il Is. however. re-
uulfet o. tho importer TO guaranty such
re-expor,stioh ssy depossting sum equal
60 the import duties ~ such articles, or
security IN some ether form.
Machinery aud Provisions.
Az duties aye g. are SJ yaloren. All arms
and munitions og war will BE- taxed .
per cent: clocks - 2er cent: all SORTS q