The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-11
.NORW'EGIANS turn
TO TARIFF LAWS

- - - - ~ AAAAt0 = - AAAs
| TO TARIFF LAWS|
/ Continued from First Page.
the Industrial interests, which have
! grown rapidly in the last few decades,
have demanded a share of the benefits
Of protection. And so gradually the
protective policy has by force Of cir
cumstances won its way, and while the
tariff is protective in principle 1t is
still moderate in amount.
Il ~ The question of revenue has become
one OF increasing Importance. too, and
i the necessity of providing larger fina a..
d rect taxes are already large and burden
, some, particularly in years of crop, fail
I ure and poor fishery catches, such as
have made times very hard in Norway
Of late years. Norwegian statesmen
!, have concluded that the indirect tax Of
:: one levied on incomes and they have
4 hoped to adjust the burden SO that it
j would fall more heavily on the well-to-t
+ do than on the middle and lower classes.
u 1t is, no doubt, fortunate that SO far
the tariff question has not been injected
t into the politics Of the country. The
q parties have not taken any decisive
81 shades of tariff opinion are to be found
3 in all parties. The tariff in Norway is
:. thus. strictly a "local issue,'' each
! member of the. storthing being inclined
I to look at it from the standpoint of his
> own constituents. The farmers, desir-
: ing protection for their products from
> competition with the products of Amer
> lea and other countries, have been
= obliged to concede that the industries
. were also entitled to some of the bene-
!. fits of the tariff wan they wanted
= erected. &, 49,. ....s-
I -. Norway's Tariff Law.
The present protective tariff law in
s Norway dates from 1897. Before that
T there had been tariff agreement be-
. tween Sweden and Norway under
= which the products of each were ad-
: mitted to the other country free. or at
. nominal rates. This arrangement did
- - not suit the Swedes, who figured that
v they lost more than they gained by it.
s And SO the zollverein. was; given up.
- Norway thereupon enacted a general
tariff law applicable to all countries and
x that law is still in force. It was hastily
!. passed, however, and is marked by
: many inequalities and inconsistencies
. The principle of maximum and mini
4 mum rates, the latter to be accorded to
: countries with which commercial trea.
!. ties are negotiated, is incorporated and
s this will, of course, be retained in the
3 revision now being made. The maxi
8 mum rates are from SO to 100 per cent
: higher than the minimum rates. The
8 United States, of course, pays the maxi
. mum rates, because of the inability OF
. unwillingness Of our senate to ratify
s any reciprocity treaties negotiated by
8 the state department. -,-,.. =. +
s E4a ;s'12t Results Of Tariff. =
4 I<asked MI. Knudsen if he did no.
) fear harmful results to Norway IS grea
. merchant marine interests under
!. high protective tariff He replied that
!: IN any event, the tariff was to be
. moderate one, much more moderat
=. than that of Sweden, for example. Di
T. rectly, he thought, there would be n
. effect of any kind on the shipping in
!. terests. But Indirectly, of course, the
. would be affected like any other indus
: try, for the reason that living woul
sxa be somewhat higher in Norway, an
- that the families supported at home
&C. the seamen would thus need MOI
as money. The result would be that higl
,e- er wages would have to be paid t
m Norwegian sailors. =.
ed ri: asked Mr.: .Knudsen how the sal
I'M ors would secure higher wages, sine
as they had no organized union to deman
an advance. He replied that if tn
shipowners did not recognize ii
" changed conditions and meet them b
for new wage scales, the. Norwegian sailor
i'd vice under other flags. The Norw
out glan seamen are very popular with a
,e- captains, as they are among the bes
lar sailors afoat, and if their own captain
A could not pay living wages, captains c
Of other nations could. It is well know
ses that the great merchant marine {
cal Norway, which carries so .astonishingl
lis. large share Of the worlds commerce
lp- when the size and population of tn
Ike country is considered, has been bui
to up thru the low wages consequent upo
cal the low cost Of living in Norway. No
m IWegian ships have been able to carr
to1tennage at lower rates than those c
1t fother nations because they have bee
is so economically worked. And while til
In new Norwegian tariff is to be yer
he moderate, there are not wanting thos
he who fear greatly it's effect on the in
we portant shipping interests.
ny The fishing interests, too, are apprt
Dr. hensive. The tariff will be of little G
has no benefit to them, because theirs
int almost entirely an export business. Br
Il the cost of living for the poor. fshel
men seems likely TO Dc increased,
Sc least to a small extent. The woodpul
ne industry is similarly situated, since il
ire, , . product is sold almost entirely in til
.rn foreign market. Thus is happens tina
he there is more or less apprehensivenes
=: over the new departure. !. 80 r.. -.
. American Products. Il,
- So far as American products are COZ
ST. cerned, the new rates will not perhaI
not be important. For example, por.
IT'S, which now pays about Ia cents
IN pound, will probably receive a rate
ef- 2 cents. So far as yet appears there
18th to be little change in the rates c
Ter grains and -four. Oddly enough, tt
present rates are highly Discrimination
Up against wheat and this matter was OF
ow Of the first taken up by Henry Bord
p. witch, the American consul general her
= when he took up the duties of his ne
TO position in 1898. Mr.. Bordewich is
cen well-known Minnesotan, by the wa
ca whose home is at Granite Falls. Coz
Use ing from the wheat country he was ma
rgel urally interested in the subject, and
rer teak If nm with tho authorities hara