The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-26
NEW FRENCH TREATY.
Consul at New York saysrt coo
One,

S' W NeW norN says IL In n Good
One.
New York. July 25.-Edwin Bruwar.
French consul at New York. saws Of the
new reciprocity treaty between Franco
and the United States: Il regard II MS n,
excellent thing for the United State.
America was the only country which did
not nave the benefit of our minimum tariff
AS the manufacturers abroad are Statistic,
win profit of 8 per cent. the difference
between the maximum and minimum rates
was sufficient to keep the United stat,s
out of the French market.
Frances annual Importation of manu-,
iactured articles is about $3.50. oOo. 900 and
'ne United States will get a good share
vi Vhls. America undersells England in
COTTON goods in China and there is no ren
sun way II can not do the same in France
IL VIII be the same with other articles.
england, Belgium, Germany and Aus
ira now supply France with her imported
manufactured articles. The leading i'm
ports are raw cotton wheat, tobacco. min
erai oil. copper and lead America sends
agricultural implements. sowing machines
electrical appliances and pumps.
There are 6i2 articles on the dutiable
list of the French tariff. and the treaty
gives the United States the minimum rate.
on all except twelve. Germany, Englanl
ana the other countries which have
treaties with France do not enjoy the
minimum rate on these twelve exceptions,
which are chiefly agricultural products
The average difference between the Fren 4,
maximum and minimum rate is SS per
cent so that imports from this country
VIII pay one-third less duty when the
treaty goes into effect
There are 463 dutable items in the
tariff law OF the United States, and in re-
turn for her concessions France will oh
tam a lower rate in less than 100 o.
them. the average reduction being only
l0 per cent. While this seems one sided
IL Is not so much so as II appears be
cause American goods have been sent into
france as English goods under the mini
mum tariff.
u do not think the treaty can go into
effect before next February.
1T must be ratified both here and in
France and signed by President Loubet
and President Mckinley. Then copies OF
the treaty must be exchanged.
This treaty marks new era for he
United States. There will eventually be
opposition TO American imports in for
e1gn countries, and 1t will be wise for the
United States to make the treaties before
that opposition becomes too strong Mr.
kasson, who negotiated the treaty for the
United States, has lived much abroad. and
] think he takes a broad view of the sitd-
alton, foreseeing what must happen in
the future.
France has given all she can give. be-
cause, with her $1,000, 900 600 of national
DEBT, she can not reduce her tariff any
further. We did not get what we asked
by any means, but we obtained all The
United States were willing to give We
realized that the treaty must be such that
congress would approve :. and France de-
ferred to President McKinley's wishes on
that account
Mr. Bruwart said that the United States
had great commercial future. and en-
pressed admiration at the ease with which |
Secretary Gage borrowed all the money
needed for the war with Spain. The de-
tails of the treaty will probably not be |
known until congress meets.