The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-19
RUSSIA RETALIATES
THIS GOVERNMENT NOTIFIED OF
TARIFF INCREASES.
ON RoSINS AND BICYCLES.
MEASURE WILL GO INTO EFFECT
WITHIN TWO WEEKS.

New Schedule on These Articles. Al
ready Heavily Taxed, VIII Ad-
vance the Duties just 30 Per Cent.
American Imposition of Tax on
Russian Petroleum, Which We Do
Not Import, InexpIicabIe to Rus
sian AuthOrities-Secreta Gage
Protests Against Implied Conten-
ton.
Washington, June 1S.-The Russian am
bassador, Count Cassini, has communicate
ed to the state department that in conse-
quence of the action of the American
government through a treasury order of
March g. last, applying tariff restrictions
against Russian petroleum, imported into
this country the Russian minister of
finance, NJ. DeWitte. has issued an order
dated June Z, instant, imposing the high
tariff rate of the Russian schedule on
certain American products.
The text of the Russian ambassadors
letter as delivered to the treasury depart
ment, is as follows:
of State. The federal government having
by circular, dated March 9, 1901, applied
article 626 of the American tariff to Rus
sian petroleum, the imperial government
has just informed me that the minister
of finance of Russia has taken the requi-
site steps for the application of the ad-
vanced rates of duty to the following
American products entered into Russia:
"(First) White resin or colophon, gall
pct, brewers pitch. Article S2 and (sec-
ond) bicycles, Article 17S. Paragraph 8.
This measure will go into effect two
weeks from the date of its promulga-
ton"
The present duty on articles under the
first head of the resin family is 30.S per
pood, or 36.112 pounds. Bicycles are now
taxable at the rate of 1926 each. The i'm
position of the maximum rate will ad-
vance these figures by just 80 per cent,
presuming that the effect of the Russian
decree is an application of Article 62S
of the Russian custom house regulations,
which was the paragraph applied by the
Russian government to American agri-
cultural machinery and hardware in re-
turn for the requisition for the differential
sugar duties upon Russian sugar.
At the treasury department it is stated
that the imposition of duty on petro-
leum was not matter within the dis
cretion of the Secretary of the Treasury,
brrt vas made mandatory by the Dfngley
tariff act which directs the Secretary, in
case any foreign country imposes a duty
on petroleum imported from that country.
As Russia collects duty on petroleum
imported from the United States this gov
ernment, in compliance with law, i'm
poses a duty on Russian petroleum. In
no sense, it is stated, can this duty be
regarded as an unjust discrimination
against Russian petroleum, as that coun-
try took the initiative against the Amer
incan article. Had Russia not taken this
step her petroleum would have been ad-
mitted to this country free of duty under
the terms of the tariff act.
In his reply to Count Cassinis note,
which was transmitted to the Treasury
Department, Secretary Gage protests
against the implied contention that the
governments action was discrimination
against Russia, and adds
Il beg leave to submit for your con-
sideration the question, whether the
measure now adopted by the imperial
government is not incompatible with the
rights of the United States under the ex-
isung treaty of commerce and naviga-
ton with Russia
According to the Russian view, the duty
laid against Russian petroleum is inex-
plcable from the fact that no Russian
petroleum comes to this country. Ihe
only kind received here is said to be
that mixed with Belgian paraffin. II
is said that the American trade in BIZ
cycles and the resins specified is quite
large i'm Russia, so that the increased
duties will bear heavily upon these
branches of the American trade. As a
result representations are being made in
behalf of these manufacturers to induce
the State Department to intercede with
Russia for an abatement of the high
rates