The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-03-23

1T LEAVES THE WAY OPEN FOR
TRADE AGREEMENTS OF RE-
clpRoCAL CHARACTER-IS \
GENERAL INCREASE IN RATES

WASHINGTON, ID. [. March Il
The attention of American manufac-
tnrers will not for the next few
months be entirely focused upon the
proposed tariff revision in this coun-
try. France proposes to revise its
tariff and in the changes to be made
the United States is vitality interest
ed. If the proposed French tariff bill
should be enacted into law in its pre-
sent shape. American trade would be
! in iuriously affected
Contrary TO the usual custom, the
measure had its origin in the Tariff
! Committee of the French Chamber
of Deputies and the attitude of the
Government towards It, therefore, has
not formally been defined in Parlia-
ment
Theprobab ililies are, however, that
the bill will undergo large number
of changes before it finally is enact
ed into law which, ir is expected, will
be about the first part of next year.
Some interesting facts in regard 10
the new measure are CLEANED from
compilation entitled 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
exports to France or could export nm
der favorable conditions.
Taking up the articles covered by
the existing Franco American agree
ment IL is found that the following
are affected by the proposed changes.
Canned meats. 1t is proposed 10 ad-
vance the general rate of 20 francs
per 100 kilos To 80 francs, an in
crease of 80 per cent while leaving
the minimum rate of ID francs UNI
changed. While the agreement re-
mains in force, the proposed change
would. therefore. not affect American
canned meats.
Fresh apples and pears. Under the
existing agreement these fruits are
admitted at the rate of francs per
100 kilos. 1t is jrojosed to advance
the minimum rate TO ) francs, an in-
crease of $50 per cent, and to in
crease the general rate from > TO 5
francs. Should the increase of these
ed by the existing agreement lead 10
its abrogation. il would result in an
increase from the present minimum
rate of francs TO the new general
rate of francs. which would raise
the duty fourfold. II is proposed TO
increase the minimum rate on hops
from 20 TO 80 francs and the general
from a. to 60 francs per 100 kilos.
Far more numerous are the tariff
changes on articles which are not al
fected by the commercial agreement
at present in force between France
and this country. In proposing the
many changes, the French Commits
sion was guided by the object of max
ing the difference between the gem
eral and the minimum rates about
80 per cent on the average, being con-
siderably higher than the difference
in the present tariff, the purpose be-
ing to make it worth while for for
eign countries to negotiate recipro-
city treaties for the application of the
minimum rates.
As all the important commercial
countries except the United Staes en-
JOY the benefit of the entire minimum
tariff in France, the changes already
mentioned would affect injuriously
imports from the United States only,
and would still further aggravate the
disadvantages under which American
products must compete with products
from other countries in the French
market Among the more important
of these changes the following may
be mentioned, the rate being given