New-York tribune., 1905-05-09
GERMAN DISCRIMINATION.
Consul General Mason Believes Ger
many Aaaious for Reciprocity.
TFRoM THE TRIBUNE BUREAU

GFRoM THE TRIBUNE BUREAU
aShlngton' May &-Consul-General Mason. OF
IN reports to this government thet "on Febru-
aLy = the German Reichstag by a Of R2s 81.
'uopted the treaty of commerce with Russia the
80 oI The seven similar treaties which the Impe-
&c" chancellor has negotiated since the enactment
- 'ne tariff law of December. 1902. with Italy,
peislUm, Rumana. Switzerland. ServIa Austria
luiisary and Russia, respectively. The conclusion
anu acceptance Of these conventions is regarded as
nc most important governmental act of recent
se"1S' ana marks an epoch in the history of Ger
man economic legislation"
MI Mason submits TO the State Department the
@ ooiipIIaton Of duties under the existing and the
ne" herman tariff laws. which was contained in
- dispatches Of this morning, and, commenting
0l us significance, says:
the Inc publication of this compilation of the treaty
tho eliaoIGs one to at glance their effect
tages wh'ch each therebY so,II Over 't5 5 C con
bibitS ana gives easy and direct comparative ex-
tS tte between the rates under the new autonomous
bd ta[lt schedule and the one now in force 1t has
dPiIowed by meetings discussions, protests and
4yerse industries and interests have endeaVored to
their sneciaI portray the conditions under which
th0so tho new L schedule. Naturally the compainants
@ gaa eloquent than those who are satisfied with the
tb uGuSs. Even the agrarians, in whose interest
1000 1905 products was enacted. are Still unsatisfed
grain fiti HiTe mat the minimum rates to which the
made higher. Manufacturers Of InacSinerv and
ny o1er other forms of iron and steel are dismayed
nt etey Win Russa, in which country they have ex-
POr{ant % increase in the demand for their products
1hara i 81 oushOut the whole of Industrial Germany
i G cereals and other food products which Will come
costly and 6if taF VIII either render living so
be- i'm nnaiTq mat the efficiency of labor will
10 10 @ Iipdlaed to compel the payment OF enhanced
Lactures to point which will weaken Germany's
these snDraaai aeIiCon In foreign markets. How far
@eto experience under the schedule can alone
1T 1t needs but glance at this list to show how
or IUora 1c 20 WI be the concessions granted to one
midaole will be their competition In the German
t-hiket against similar goods coming from coun-
other convention. will be subject to the autono-
nous nous or unmodifed tariff in exporting goods into
AS an example of this may be cited the schedule
cots on Of which there is at present. a duty Of
marks go cents per 100 Kilograms (2204 pounds),
import trade from the United States has been built
up. Ohder the new autonomous schedule these
kilograms (22o4 pounds while imports from Italy +.
houlnanla, austria Hungary and Servia (the Euro
pean countries which notably produce surplus of
these dried fruits will come in under a uniform
duty of 90 cents per double centner (2204 pounds
advantage of 81 48 in favor of the treaty favored
product VIII the superior dried fruits of our Pa
cifc States. with their long journey to Bremen
and Hamburg be able to stand this new competi-
Take fresh apples IN barrels. of which there were
imported into oGeTnany from the United States
6S5o tons In l9U2 1885 tons in 1903 and 14924 tons
In 1894 which, under the present tariff, admit
ted free of duty Under the tariff all apples
In barrels viii be dutiable at 10 marks (S2 3S) per
100 kilograms (2204 pounds except those coming
from Italy, Belgium. Servia- Rumania and Swift
zeTland, the duty which will be 81 19. or half that
imposed by the autonomous tariff. Another i'm
pOrtant and very obvious feature Of paragraph A..
which fixes the duty such fresh fruits, provides
that apples, pears and ounces unpacked-that is,
piled loosely in bulk carried in bags-nay be
imported free from September 70 to November %,
and during the remainder Of the year at the nom
inal duty of $50 marks go cents) per 100 kilos.
This VIII enable the great Cargoes OF fruit that
come by canal boat and rail from Austria. the
Tyrol Italy and Switzerland TO enjoy a decisive
advantage over apples of American origin which
now imported uniformly in barrels.
The decisive advantage of s. So per double centner
C2204 pounds duty sewing machines. as COM
pared with the autonomous rate Of $ 49, Is granted
only in the treaty with Switzerland. which ought
thereby find an important outlet for its surplus
machines in Germany. The increased rate on shoes
will have the effect of raising the import duty on
average stock Of mems. womens and chlldren 5
snoes TO about 25 cents per pair instead OF about
"A cents under the present tariff. Importers OF
shoes from Italy Switzerland. Belsium and Aus;
tria- Hungary viii have ADVANTAGE OF 50 % ana
81 il per 100 1Os (2046 poUndS) IN medium and fne
shoes, respectively, importers of similar goods
from the United States; This however, is not q
heavy handicap, and If the increase shall be shared
by the American manufacturer and his German
customers 1t ought not to be fatal to the continued
sale OF American shoes to Germany,