Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-06-01
WITH GERMANY
Destined to Decrease Unless
Tariff Is Lowered.
FARMERS WILL SUFFER HEAVILY
Bulk of Our Exports to Land of Kali
ser Are Food Products-High Pro-
lection Wall Brings Retaliation In
Kind.

Kind.
We note without surprise the fact
that some Of the extreme protectionists
speak Of the recent tariff policy of Ger
many as "~unfriendly" to this country.
SO far as they are concerned it should
be regarded rather as fattering, for
Germany has at last, and after much
hesitation, advanced q good way to-
ware our w policy.
What in substance Germany has done
is to fix two sets Of tariff rates on pref
ty nearly all imports. One, known as
general" embraces the rates that all
countries must pay which have no reci-
procity treaties with Germany. The
other embraces much lower rates which
can be secured by those countries
which are willing to make correspond
ing reductions in their own tariffs.
One of the chief objects Of this new
policy was to shut out the competition
Of the United States and Great Britain,
both of which countries had a CONNER
cial treaty with Germany emitting
them to the treatment of the most IA
vored nation. That claim is now met
by the fact that any reduction Of tariff
rates must be purchased-to use a plain
phrase-by an equivalent favor to Ger
many. Great Britain imposes no tariff
rates on imports generally from Ger
many, say in a few cases, such as
wines and liquors. She is therefore
without any basis for a "deal," and Mr..
Chamberlain is making the most Of this
situation as an argument for his policy.
But there is ample basis for one in the
tariff Of the United States, and Ger
many will probably not be backward
in seeking to take advantage Of it.
AS to both imports and exports our
trade with Germany is important and
second in variety and amount only to
our trade with the United Kingdom.
Our total trade for the last year re-
corded in detail was $313,614,137, of
which some 900 was imports
and some $194, 1000 exports. Of the
imports some $92,OO0,O0O, or Is per
cent, was dutiable. The duties on these
imports were all high and the average
was considerably higher than the du.
ties Germany proposes to impose in
her general tariff. Among the lowest
are the duties on cement, 2 per cent
on chemicals, Is per cent; on coal oil
colors, 3 per cent, and from these the
duties range to from As per cent to Ct
per cent on cotton goods, SIS per cent or
ol;ro oyJ 90 ,,or oort an hcn,ror 70 Il
RIGS. There are other duties which do moi
: appear in the official reports for the
reason that they are prohibitory an(
no imports are made. We have beer
Informed by Germany that her govern
ment is ready to enter upon negotia
3 lions for a reciprocal reduction Of tariff
rates, and these negotiations are nov
in course Of preparation.
Our exports to Germany are almos
exclusively food products. 1t is on thes'
f that the protectionists of that countr.
have secured high duties to prevent O
reduce competition, because in Germa
nv the protectiOnistS are landowners
. as they We're originally in England. S
far as these repressive duties hinde
the prosperity Of our own citizens it i
the farming class here that suffers, an
= that class can get no compensating I'D
vantage from the tariff because Their
h is no competition with their product
from abroad.
On the other hand, a glance at til
list Of high duties we have given wi
show that the men in our country VIII
<. gain most from the tariff are thos
who have most generally formed con
binations in the nature Of monopolie:
and who are enabled by the tariff
IS which hinders competition frol
n abroad, to exact monopolistic prices !
our own market.
There is every reason, therefore, VIII
= the duties on German imports shout
at be reduced in order to obtain bette
III terms for our exports to German ma
kets. The plan will be opposed by IL
combinations of protected and favor
- interests, but if the farming class wi
es nse the influence to which they Al
rd fairly entitled they a compel respe'
for their rights. The new Germa
tariff law goes into effect next Marc
- New York Times.