Bisbee daily review., 1909-03-24

WASHINGTON, D. c. Mar. 23.-
 The attention of American manufac- turers will not for the next few
 months be entirely focused upon the proposed tariff revision in thls coun-
 try France proposes to revise its
 ariff and in the changes to be made
 the United States is yitazly inter ested. If the proposed French tar. If bill should be enacted into law in it's
 present shape, American trade would
 be injuriously affected.
 Contrary to the usual custom, the
 measure had its origin in the TarlfT
 Comm. ttee of the French Chamber of
 Deputies and the attitude of the Gov
 ernment toward it, therefore, has not
 formally been defined in Parliament. The probabilit es are, however, that the bill will undergo a number of changes before 1t finally is enacted into law waich, 1t is expected, will be
 about the rst part of next year.
 Some interesting facts in regard to the new measure are gleaned from a compilation ent-IItd Proposed new
 customs tariff of France" prepared ! by N, !, stone, Tariff Expert of the Department of Commerce and Labor,
 the object of which Is to indicate the
 proposed changes of tariff rates on
 goods which the United States either i exports to France or could export [ und a,Orable conditions.
 Taking up the art cles covered by lthe existing Franco-Americau agree nent it found that the following are affected by the roposed changes: Canned mests-It is proposed to ad- vance ihe general rae of 20 francs I CT 100 kilo to 30 francs, sn increase ' of 50 per cent while leaving the mini mum rate of 15 francs unchanged. , While the agreement remains iu force. the proposed change would,
 therefore, not affect American canned meats.
 Fresh arp'es and pears-Under the exisilg agreeme t these fruits are
 admitted at the rate of 2 francs per 100 kilos. It is proLsord to advance
 the ID n mum rate to francs, an in-
 crease of i50 per Cene, and to in- crease the general rate from to 5 | francs. Should the increase of these and the ether mi n mum rates covered | by the ex sing agreement lead to its ' ab ogatit b. it wCu result in an in
 crease from the present m nimun
 rate of 2 francs to the new general
 rate cf 8 francs, which would raist- the duty fOurfold. It is proposed to
 increase the minimum rate on hops i from 90 to 70 francs and the generai | froIa 45 to 60 francs per 100 kilos. | Far more numerous are the tariff ! changes on articles wlleh are not { affected by the commercial agreement at pre sent in force between France ' and tn 8 country. In propsing the many changes, the French Commis- 1 son was guided by the object of making tle difference between the general and the n nimum rates ah6u; | 50 per cent on the average, being coa 1 siderably higher than Sne difference in the present tariff, he purpose be ling to make it worth le for for eign countries to negodate Iecipproe' ity treaties for the application of the Iity treaties for the appl- cation of the minimum rates.
 As all the important commercial ! countries except the United States enjcy the benefit of the entire mini mum tariff in France, the changes l already ment oned would affect iniu
 yiously imports JfrOm the Un tec I states only and would still further
 laggravaie the disadEan5hges undel