The age-herald., 1901-06-19
 American Resin and Bicycles Imported Into Cars b. main Must Pay Duty PRESSURE BROUGHT ID BEAR American Manufacturers Are Inter ceding With Treasury De-
 partment to Bring sa
 About Relief.

Washington, June 1s.-The Russian ann bassador, Count Cassini has communi. cated to the State Department that in consequence of the action of the Ameri- can government through a treasury order of March g last. applying the tariff re- strictions against Russian petroleum i'm l ported into this country, the Russian Minister of Finance. M. dewitt. has is- sued order, dated June 7th instant. im-s posing the high tariff rate of the Russian schedule on American white rosin under article S2 of the Russian tariff law. and increasing the rate on American bicycles under article IFS of the Russian laws.
 This action is entirely apart from that taken in connection with Russian sugar and is a new development in the discrim- inatory duties imposed by this govern ment and the retaliatory duties imposed by Russia
 The order of the Russian minister is to take effect next Friday, or two weeks l from the date of it's issuance.
 At the Treasury Department it is stated that the imposition of duty on petrole- um was not matter within the discre- ton of the Secretary of the Treasury,
 
 tariff act, which directs the Secretary, in case any foreign country imposes duty on petroleum imported from the United States to levy like duty on petroleum imported from that country. If Russia did not collect a duty on petroleum imported from the United States her petroleum would have been admitted to this country free of duty under the terms of the tariff act.
 In his reply to Count Cassinni's note, which was transmitted to the Treasury Department, Secretary Gage nsotesss against the implied contention that this governments action was a discrimination against Russia. and adds:
 Incompatible Measure.
 "I beg leave to submit for your consid- eration the question whether the measure now adopted by the imperial government is not incompatible. with the rights of the United States under the existing treaty of commerce and navigation with Rus sia"
 According to the Russian view, the duty laid against Russian petroleum in inex- plicable from the fact that no Russian petroleum comes to this country. The | only article Is paraffine. | It IS said that the American trade in bicycles and the rosins specified is quite large in Russia, so that the increased du- ties will bear heavily upon those branches | of the American trade. As result rep resentations are being made in behalf of these manufacturers to induce the State | Department to intercede with Russia for an abatement of the high rates.
 The text of the Russian ambassadors letter, as delivered to the Treasury De- partment, is follows:
 The Ambassadors Letter.
 Washington, May 26, 1901.-Secretary of State: The Federal government having by circular dated March g, 190l applied ar- ticle 626 of the American tariff to Russian petroleum, the imperial government has just informed me that the minister of fi- nance of Russia has taken the requisite steps for the application of the advanced rates of duty to the following American I products entered into Russia:
 '1-White rosin or colophon, galipot 1 brewers pitch, article S2 and, @ bicycle, article 173, paragraph g.
 This measure will go into effect two weeks from the date of it's promulgation."
 The present duty on articles under the | firgt head of the rosin family is 308 cent per pood, or 36.112 pounds. Bicycles are now taxable at the rate of $9.2G each. | The imposition of the maximum rate will | advance these figures to just 30 per cent, | presuming that the effect of the Russian decree Is an application of article CPS |. the Russian custom house regulations. which was the paragraph applied by the Russian government to American agr.cul- l tural machinery and hardware in return for the requisition for the dfferential sugar duties upon Russian sugar. Issue Emphasized.
 This latest retaliation on the part Of | Russia emphasized the issue which had arisen previously over Russian sugar, 1 Owing to the tariff war growing out of 1 the sugar decisions pressure has been l brought to bear upon the government through commercial and industrial chan | nels to secure an adjustment with Rus | sia.
 l In some cases special interests. ma | chinery in particular, have addressed | themselves to the administration by peti- | tion and letters and through influential | Senators and Representatives in Congress | with a view to some action on the part | of the government which will afford the | Russian government basis for a removal | of the restriction upon American imports.s | The board of appraisers has affirmed the | correctness of the sugar decision of the l collector of customs and only possi- | ble channel of relief remains open, name | ly, the Supreme Court, and in view of this | contingency the executive branch does I not see its way clear to take any steps now that might prejudice the case in ad- vance,
 The danger in this situation is to be | found in the probable growth of ill-feel- | ing between commercial interests in Rus sia and the United States. which in the l1x.u fox