The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-29

Washington, Dec. 2S.-The following
official statement of facts respecting
the Argentine convention is given out
for public information and to correct
Misrepresentation in respect to the eff
ests:
1.-The Argentine tariff system involves
not only a fixed and high rate of du-
ties on imports, but also provides for
an aforo, or valuation which is to be
fixed from time to time by executive
authority. By this system duties are
often effectually increased without any
new legislation and at the will of exec
utive officers.
1.-The object of the United States was,
therefore, to obtain reductions OF the
tariff on our exports as far as possible,
and to reduce the aforo. or else to es-
tablish a valuation beyond which they
could not go as the basis for assuming
duties.
THE convention, for example, not
only secures to United States exporters
reduction on Oregon pine lumber and
southern lumber-in fact, all kinds of
undressed lumber-but fixes the aforo
and on Oregon and yellow pine reduces
it over 40 per cent. The duty on cot
On bacon and many food products it
is reduced by 20 per cent. On paraffine
wax largely in demand there) the
charges were prohibitive and the duty
is now reduced so per cent and the
aforo reduced by e21s per cent.
Many Reductions Made.
ION canned salmon and other canned
goods the reduction of duty is 80 per
cent and the aforo is reduced by vary
ing percentages from 80 to 60 per cent.
On windmills largely used there) there
is reduction of duty Of so per cent and
of aforo go per cent. On dried or evap-
Grated fruits (apples, etc.), the duty
is reduced 80 per cent; on cotton duck
ing, white or colored, the aforo is re-
dllced 80 1-3 per cent. On sail Irvine
and cotton rope the duty is reduced 20
per cent and the aforo 80 1-3 per cent
ION the other hand, the Argentine
government demanded reciprocal con-
cessions on the few articles she sends
to this country Among these was
wool. and American wool growers have
expressed fears that this would prove
injurious to the domestic interest.
1.-THE total import of wool into the
United States for 1899 from all coun-
tries was 76,673,000 pounds. OF this.
from the Argentine came only 1887 600
pounds, which is very small portion
pears that our wooden factories require,
notwithstanding high duties, a certain
amount of foreign wool to supplement
the domestic product. There is no pro-
posal for any reduction of wool duties
in favor of any other foreign coun-
try.
No Harm Will Result.
1T is evident the proposed reduction
for Argentine woods alone can have no
- ~ rl.s,r mo
jOrity of the wool is of the ooarsest
class (for carpets, etc.), which is not
at all or but little supplied by this
country. If other countries imposed
the same high duties with ourselves
upon raw woods imported for manu-
facture, this reduction of duty would
turn the tide of wool supply to the
United States, but other nations have
adopted the policy of free admission of
wool. Consequently the Argentine
wool seeks the European free markets,
France. Germany. Belgium, Great Brit
ain, Italy, etc, and will continue to do
SO.
1.-THE statistics for eleven months of
1889 show that during that period
Argentine exported 461.1 bales of
wool OF this. over $50, 600 bales went
to the free ports of Europe. In addi-
ton to the absence of duties in the
wool manufacturing countries of Eu-
rope Argentine woods tend thither be-
cause freights are cheaper there than
to the United States by about 80 per
cent Early in November, 1899, the
prices of unwashed wool (class -, Lon
don, was liz pence, or say % cents
per pound. In New York, same date,
with duty added, it was % cents. That
is to say, the price of class l Argen-
tine wool af1oat in London was 90 cents,
against IA cents af1oat in New York,
which shows abundant reason for the
wool seeking the British market rather
than the American.
Had to Be Made.
TT also indicates how little danger
there is of the small reduction made
by this treaty in our protective duty on
woods producing either any reduction
in prices in our market, or any in
crease over present importations. 1t is
estimated at the treasury department
that so per cent of our whole importa-
ton is of coarse or Cordoba wool, which
we do not produce to any extent
This concession on Argentine wool
was made, not because of its effect
upon our amount of Importation, for
that would be nothing against the free
markets of Europe. but because it was
one of the only three articles of Ar
gentine export of which reciprocal re-
lations could be made, and one without
which that republic would not consent
to the convention
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