Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-29

WASHINGTON Jan. 2S.--The pres
ident late today issued a proclamation
announcing conclusion Of the Franco
) American reciprocity arrangements
drawn under section of the Dingley
act. Under it America comedies 20
J per cent abatement in duties on cham
payne and sparkling wines imported
into this country, and France confirms
the minimum tariff rate now accorded
American products.
other important provisions are made.
including creation of a commission to
consider possible amendments to the
trade regulations in France and Amer
lea. The proclamation follows:
Duties Suspended
Whereas the government of the
United States and the government of
the French republic have entered into
an additional commercial agreement,
signed on the 2Sth day of January,
1908, by which the application of the
minimum rate under the third section
of the tariff act of the United states.
approved July "a, 1897, to champagne
and all other sparkling wines Is pro-
vided for in return for certain specific
concessions in favor of products OF the
United States. including Porto Rice,
which concessions, in the Judgment of
the president, are reciprocal and equiv
alent; therefore, be 1t
known that l, Theodore Roosevelt,
president of the United States of
America, do hereby suspend from the
{ first day of February, 1908, and during
the time and in accordance with the
, terms of the aforesaid additional agree
ment signed January %, 1908 the inn
position and collection of the duties
imposed by the first action of said act
upon the articles hereinafter specified,
being the products of the soil and in
} dustry of France: and do declare In
place thereof the rates of duty provided
in the third section of said act TO be
in force, as follows:
"On champagne and all other spark
ling wines, in bottles, containing not
more than one quart, Sc per dozen; con-
tanning not more than one pint each,
} and more than one-half pint, SO per
dozen; containing one-half pint each or
less, $1.50 per dozen; in bottles or other
vessels containing more than one qart
, EACH in addition to $6 per dozen bottles
on the quantities in excess of one quart,
D at the rate of s1.9O per gallon"
Accompanying the proclamation IS
the text of Nm agreement signed today.
the feature of which, in addition to the
statement of new duties on cham
payne. is found in article /, which
reads as follows:
ut is agreed on the part of the
0 French government that the applica
ton of the duties of the general tariff
on coffee, cocoa, chocolate, vanilla and
other food products known in the
French tariff law as 'Dengrees Colo
males de Concentration except sugar.
and it's byproducts and tobacco pro
ducts of the United States, including
Porto Rico. shall be conditionally sus-
pended, and that the said products
shall be admitted into France and Al
geria at the rates of the minimum
tariff. or at the lowest rates applied TO
the like products of any foreign origin.
Let in Mineral Oils
"In addition mineral oils from the
United States and coming under the
decree of July 7, 1893, shall, upon entry
, into France and Algeria, enjoy benefits
of the lowest rates of duty.
n "But it is expressly understood that
these concessions may be withdrawn in
D the discretion of the president OF the
French republic whenever additional
duties beyond those now existing, and
which may be deemed by him unjust to
the commerce of France, shah be I'M
posed by the united states OH proouels
of France"
Following the statement of the cham
D pagne duties is paragraph similar TO
the above, except that it authorizes the
president to withdraw concessions to
France in case increased duties are
levied.
, Article 8 of the agreement fol-
lows: "It is further agreed that in-
asmuch as complaints have arisen in
D both countries regarding the effect or
the regulations in force in the respec-
tive countries affecting admission OF
each others products, and to TINS END
a that if there be in the regulation OF
either country any provisions which
unnecessarily restrict trade, such pro-
visions may be modified. and the cause
of complaint removed, commission of
three experts shall be appointed by the
government Of the United States and
n a like commission of three experts
shall be appointed by the government
of France. Such commission shall in
0 conference each with the other, M
duire so as to ascertain fully the exist
ing conditions in each country as bear
ing on the necessity of the regulations
affecting the trade of the other coun-
a try. as bearing upon the practicability
of reciprocal tariff concessions. Each
0 commission shall report to its own
government thereon.
To Remove Complaints
SIT is further agreed that upon the
basis of the reports so made the two
governments shall enter upon an ex-
o change of views, to the end, that II
possible, all cause Of complaint in their
respective regulations regarding adj
mission or any OF lne pTOduCtS OF
either country to the other may be
removed"
q In the preceding Tranco-American
reciprocity agreement made in 1902 the
0 duty on American coffee (nearly ali
from Porto Rico) was suspended for
one year, at the expiration of which
time heavy duties were to be applied.
The French government at that time
n was DESTROYS of securing a reduction of
the American duty on champagne, but
0 this was denied by our government on
the ground that the agreement of 1902
0 practically contained IN itself that de-
gree of equivalence contemplated by
the Dingley act, and that to make
a further concessions to France would be
to bestow upon her a preponderance OF
0 favors exchanged.
But this government promised that
If the future reduced duties on cham
pagnes were granted to any other ma
ton the same privilege would be ex-
tended to French champagnes. So the
French government for more than four
years has delayed the application of
B duties on Porto Rican coffees. and It
has done more, In the opinion Of the
state department officials. 1t has re-
sisted the demand of the French olive
growers for the application OF maxi
mum duties on American cottonseed OIL
which completes with olive oil, and 1t
! has refused to accede to the demands
of Russia, Frances ally, for increased
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