The Worthington advance., 1901-02-22


sJ1eAOEssyy EB eI1(ElgT
Rsssis Raises Her Tari4 o. EAneri-
/ GO Goods q : RetaIiator.y,5z
.$ Measure.
@8: .sA
st. Petersburg, Feb. e. The Rus
sian government has taken prompt.
steps to counte lance the United
States recent alleged discrimination
lagainst sugar from here. An Increase
| in the tariff in the principal imports
from America, that prac actically is pro-
Ihibitory, will take effect on March /.
This advance III the rates of duty on
imports, whose value last year amounts
led to $50, 900 900, was announced Sat
Iturday in q decree BY M. de Witte. min
lister Of finance. 1t strikes at no, coun-
try except the United States. and by
many here is looked upon as the be-
ginning Of tariff war. The decree
is based upon the first paragraph of
article 62s Of the customs statute. e
The finance minister proved his ,abil-
ity to hit quickly and to hit hard. he
evidently was prepared for reprisals
before Secretary Gage took final ac-
tion. NJ. de Witte sent to the senate
on Wednesday, for publication an or
dinance levying so per cent. increased
duty >on the most important Ameri-
can imports into Russia. The ordi-
nance was published Saturday in the
Official Messenger. This action is
greatly regretted in American circles,
where it is anticipated that much
harm will result. Well Informed Amer
lcans do not believe that the supreme
court will sustain the claim that Rus
sia pays sugar bounty, directly or in
directly, and regard the action taken
as hasty, although not unexpected by
those knowing how the finance minis
ter felt on the matter. 1t is believed
that little harm would have resulted
to Russian interests if the action of
the court had been awaited.
The German press naturally is elated,
believing the measure will transfer
American commerce to Germany. The
ordinance requires that the articles
affected be accompanied, upon i'm
portation, by certificate of origin.
The ordinance affects the articles
named in paragraphs $50, ISL, 152, 153,
161 and 1877 of the second part. includ-
ing all sorts of iron and steel goods
from unworked iron castings to sewing
machines. Locomobiles, with compli-
Gated thrashers attached, and steam
plows, and fire engines are excepted.
Washington, Feb. 18-The news that
Russia had struck back at the United
States government because of the re-
cent ruling of Secretary Gage in re-
gard to the tariff on Russian sugar,
while not altogether unexpe cted, came
sooner than anyone had believed prob
able. The exports to Russia covered
in the decree are on machinery and
tools of every kind, manufactures and
products of cast iron and steel. OF
these the chief articles are farm ma
chimes. 1t is considered that the in
crease in the duties is practically. pro-
1t was a complaint of the illinois
Manufacturers association that
brought about whatthreatens to prove
a tariff war. The association called
the attention OF Secretary Gage to pref
erences granted oy Russia to sugar ex-
porters. inns was Investigated and the
secretary ruled that as Russia practi-
cally pa1o a bounty the Dlngley law
provlso should be enforced and coun-
tervalllng duties equal to the bounty
added TO the tar1n.
Inc 1mmeolate eHect OF the russian
Decree "nen II becomes operative or
Marcn l. Will De TO increase by 81 per
cent. the outles on American ma
cnlnery, steer ana IRON goods. These
goods a1reaoy ENJOY two separate re-
uuct1ons' oo per cent: oe'ns taken OH
from 'he general ana ~ per cent from
'ne Conventional out1es'
count Cass1n'' the Russian ambassa-
oor, SATURDAY AFTERNOON received a
cao1egram 1rom the RUSSIAN 1ore1gn
once connrmlng the report OF the is
sue OF the decree imposing increased
duties on certain American imports
the state department accordinplv. It
is realized that a orava crisis hos haon