The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-31

The State Department has received
from United states Consul General
Frank H. Mason, at Berlin, Germany.
report on the new German tariff. which
became 2 law last December. He says
that the date when the law will actually
become operative had not been an
nounced whom the report was made, but
would depend mainly upon the time that
would be occupied in negotiating ne"
commercial treaties with the several ma
tions with which Germany has had such
treaties during the last ten years, which
conventions must now be revised.
Mr.. Mason says the most important
schedules. as far as this country IS con-
cerned. are those which relate 10 agri-
cultural products. namely, cereals. meats
and domestic animals. Under the new
tariff raw cotton. fax fiber, and many
other raw materials. including copper,
lead. and aluminium. remain free OF duty,
Among the few reductions made are th"
two sections which cover such articles
as spades. shoveis. and other agTicul-
Tural implements. Consul General Ma
son tanks these sections are worthy OF
note as illustrations of the scrupulous
care with which the new tariff act, from
first TO last. favors and supports the in
terests Of the agricultural as against the
Industrial and mercantile classes
A Duty on Wheat
Assuming" Consul General Mason
says. that the tariff Of December, 1902.
may be put in force before the new treaty
OF reciprocity rl1y have been concluded
between the United States and Germany,
the duties on several leading articles
of import from our country viii be mod
flied as follows: Wheat, which now IN
der the treaty notifications pays SO
cents, viii then pay s1.78 per 100 kilo-
grams t220.4 pounds, or about 58-5 cents
per bushel, which in some years would
have been a fair average price for the
grain itself in the American market.
Flour viii carry a practically pTohib-
tive duty OF 1876 per double centner,
equal to about S4-06 per barrel Of 1g6
pounds. The milling facilities OF the
United States have now reached point
at which they are able to manufacture
9
country Naturally under these cOndI-
lions there is q vigorous search for fUr-
eiga markets for American -four It is
not probable that any such market viii
be found in Germany Both the existing
tariff. The new one now under consid-
Grafton, and any future schedule likely
/ 10 be adopted are and will be SO con
structed as TO enable the German miller,
/ even when grinding imported wheat, 70
underseu -four from the same country IN
which the foreign wheat was grown. The
milling interest of this country includes
a vast number of small mills, located
in every part of the empire, and owned
/ by So large a number of persons that
their interests are certain 10 be per
manenrIy and securely protected.
Fresh Fruits.
/ Another significant and effective sec
ton of the new tariff is the one which
/ relates TO fresh apples. pears. and
/ ounces. Hitherto these fruits have been
/ free Of duty. and a large import trade
/ has been built up during the last five OF
! six years During the eleven months
/ ended November 80, 1902. III, 1927 tons OF
fresh apples were imported into Ger
many, Of which 12.O91 tons came from
the Netherlands. 1924 tons from Aus
Hungary, 1915 tons from switzer-
Iazd, and the remainder from France
Italy, Russia. and the United States,
which last contributed 1.O71 tons. It Is
/ proper to say. however. that December
+ is the principal month for the import OF
/ American apples. and the figures for
that month are not known or included IT
/ the above totals Such a rapidly grow