, 1899-12-21
AS TO RECIPROCITY.
NEW FRENCH TREATY CAUSING
UNEASINESS.
American Producers Want Information
As to the Manner In which Their
Interests Are Affected by the De-
creased Duties.

United States and France? The Amer
lean Economist is unable to answer
this question. owing to the failure of
us efforts to obtain a copy of the
treaty. An application for a trans
crlpt of the treaty was refused. Com
missioner Kasson, who has represented
the United States in the negotiations,
seems to be determined that the people
of this country shall be kept in abso-
lutte ignorance of the provisions of the
treaty until that instrument shall have
been submitted to congress for its ap-
proval. So the treaty remains under
the seal of secrecy, in spite of the fact
hat publicity is Indispensable to a
correct understanding of its operations
n effects upon a number of impor-
tant industries.
1t is not the fault of Commissioner
kasson IL some facts regarding the
proposed reciprocity arrangement with
France AVE become known in this
country. The French government has
not been so secretive as to deny to its
people all knowledge of a treaty s
profoundly affecting their interests.
Through foreign sources information
m which is calculated to excite
much apprehension and alarm among
the American industries which. relying
upon the guarantees of the Dingley
tariff law, find themselves in danger of
being compelled to go out of business
and go out of the home market to for
eign competitors, because of the pecul-
to- --LE.E Al. I.NtA- ,f1
enjoy under the reciprocity treaty. The
following letter will be found interest
ing and instructive in this connection:
Established 1s79.-Schoellkopf Ami
line & Chemical Co, Buffalo, N. Y.
Nov. II. 1S99.-American Protective
Tariff League. New York.-Gentlemen:
Herewith | hand you an extract from
a German trade paper. showing the
provisions of the draft of the new
reciprocity treaty between France and
the United States. To say that the
provision relating to coal tar colors is
discouraging is putting it mildly. At
every tariff revision since 1888 u in
Gustry has been Disseminated against.
Even the present Dingley law makes
1t difficult to compete against the older
n highly developed European in
dustry, for it taxes a large proportion
of our raw material from 90 to so per
cent, against only 80 per cent for the
coal tar colors. Nevertheless, taking
for granted that this rate would not
be disturbed for a number of years at
least, We have gone right ahead and
invested large sums of money in en-
larging our plant, and in the face or
the ~fiercest kind of foreign competi-
ton we have steadily been gaining
ground. II, however, the rate is now
going to be reduced again even below
the Wilson bill rate, We are about
ready to throw up the sponge.
We earnestly hope you will succeed
in averting this great wrong. for it
is certainly most unjust to permit us
to spend large sums in improving our
plant, and then by a stroke Of the pen
make all these movements valueless.
Sincerely yours,
Schoellkopf Aniline & Chemical Co.,
By J. F. Sch, Jr.
Extract from "Chemische Zeitung."
No. II. Gotha, Germany. Sept. 27,
1899.
Regarding the reciprocity treaty
we learn the following:
The treaty must be ratified inside of
eight months from date of the signing
OF the draft. 1t is to run for five years.
and is to enew itself unless notice to
terminate it is given n year before
it expires. France agrees to apply the
minimum tariff to all articles i'm
ported from the United States, with
the following exceptions: Cheese, but
ter, lucerne and clover-seed. sugar,
chicory-roots, cast iron, porcelain.
p~asteboard. prepared hides, electric
dynamo machines.
In return the United States agrees to
grant France the privileges of the most
favored nation clause, n in addition
the following reduction in duties: Per-
fumery, manufactured with or without
alcohol, 10 per cent; coal tar colors,
20 per cent; glue, 10 per cent; glycer-
inc, 10 per cent: olive oil, 10 per cent;
paints and varnishes. 10 per cent;
potash. 10 per cent; medicinal prep
arations, 10 per cent: soaps, 10 per
cent; soda and products of soda. 10
per cent; glazed, enameled, decorated
tiles and roofing tiles. 10 per cent; ce-
ment, 10 per cent; bottles, Is per cent;
glass vessels, 5 per cent; window and
other glass, 10 per cent; plants and
seeds 20 per cent; fruits, preserved
with sugar or alcohol. 10 per cent;
roasted and ground chicory. 5 per cent;
cordials. 10 per cent; mineral waters.
10 per cent.
The extent to which the industries
Of the United States would be affected
by the sweeping reductions con-
templated in the reciprocity treaty is
a matter which should receive the most
careful consideration and most thor
ough investigation. Congress would
fail in performing its duties should it
fail to obtain full information on this
point.
The question of government v
nues is seriously involved in the reel
procity treaty. From statistical re-