Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-04-04
MUCH EXAGGERATED.
PRACTlCAE EFFECTS OF RUS
SlA'S INCREASED TARIFF.


Instead of $3O,OOo,oOO. as Alleged,
the Additional Rate Of Duty Applies
to Only About 50, 500. Oo0s Exports-
Agricultural Machinery Not Affected.
The tendency to exaggerate the eff
fects of Russian tariff retaliation for
Secretary Cages action in reference to
counteryailing duties on Russian beet
sugar was strikingly illustrated on the
occasion of the recent visit to Wash
ington of delegation from the Illinois
Manufacturers Association. First the
delegation called upon the President
and placed before him arguments to
show that the discrimination against
Russian sugars might seriously injure
the export trade to Russia IL retalia-
tory measures were insisted upon, and
that general trade war against the
United States might arise. The Presi-
dent expressed the hope that no such
war should be precipitated, but ex-
planned that the law was plain. He
suggested that the only solution OF the
question would be test case such as
was contemplated by Secretary Gage
when he issued the order Imposing the
countervailing duties.
The delegation then called OH the
Secretary Of the Treasury and submit
ted formal protest against his action
in directing that countervailing duties
be laid upon imports of Russian beet
sugar pending judicial determination
of the disputed question whether the
Russian exporters do or do not receive
an indirect bounty upon sugar shipped
to the United States. The protest con-
cludes as follows:
''It is our belief that the decision re-
Gently rendered by this department
against the Russian Government will
seriously affect all the great agricul-
tural and manufacturing interests of
the United States. In view Of this be-
lief we feel that we are not only justi
fed in requesting a reversal of the de-
cision rendered but that we would be
false to the interests of the country il
we did not demand it's immediate re-
peal"
This protest in general terms was
made more specific by the represen
tative Of one Of the large harvesting
machine companies, who, in supple
mentary statement to Secretary Gage,
said
For your information 1 desire to
point out that on one single item in
our shipments to Russia this season
the proposed extra duty will amount to
$1,000. This item represents but a
quarter Of our total shipments to Rus
STA this year. But very small portion
of our machines has as yet reached
that country; the mass is still afioat
and cannot be landed until after the
proposed advance on the part of Rus
STA has gone into effect"
When asked by Secretary Gage to
specify the items of shipment on which
the exporters would be compelled to
pay $4,000 in additional duties by reason
of Russia's action, the harvesting ma
chine representative stated that the ar
ticles in question We're moving ma
chimes Thereupon Secretary Gage re-
Piled: II am inclined to the opinion
that they are not touched at ALL Now
ers are not included in the order In
fact, there are a very large number of
articles in the United States not in
Guided in the orders of advance. Agri-
cultural implements of all kinds are
specially excepted from the operations
Of the Russian order"
The Secretary also explained at some
length that it was perfectly useless for
any association of manufacturers or
any one else to demand of the Treasury
Department the repeal of the counter
vailing duty order. The duty in ques-
ton, he said, was imposed in obedience
to the law of Congress. and was mat
ter over which the Treasury Depart
ment had no control except to carry out
the law
Thus the Russian tariff imbroglio
dwindles from mountain to a mole
hill. In the first instance it was as
serted that export trade to the amount
of $30000,000 a year would be cut off,
The fact, however, is that our total ex-
poitS " AuSSih uuliAiss 1JOU amounted
to rather less than $10,OOO,OOO. Later
investigation proves that only about
$2,500,OO0 of our yearly sales to Rus
STA come under the increased tariff
rate, and that agricultural implements
are not affected at all. Upon so slen-
der basis as this rests the proposition
of free-traders and half-breed protec-
tionists to rip up our entire scheme Of
protection to American labor and in
dustry. The facts in the case have a
tendency to make some people look ex-
tremely silly. american Economist.
Fools and Folly.
The London Statist was frank enough
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