Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-14
FRANCES PROPOSED TARIFF
Important Changes in Duties Made
in Il.
NOT A GOVERNMENT MEASURE
Customs Commission sought 90 Pro-
tect French and Also TO
Secure Concessions from
Other Countries.

sion OF the Chamber OF Deputies has fin
ished its labors. which have taken over
two years. and has presented to the Cham
Der a new customs tariff which the Cham
Der is to take up and discuss as soon as
It has finished with NJ. Caillaux's bill to
reform Frances methods OF taxation. NJ.
Caillaux introduced this bill on February
Z. 1907, and the Chamber expects to wind
up its discussion OF II in a few days.
It should be understood that the pro-
posed new tariff is not a measure intro
duced by tho government through NJ.
Cruppl, the minister Of as the
taxation bill was by NJ. Caillaux, minister
OF finance; in fact, the cabinet on receipt
of the new schedule at once said that It
would oppose certain of the proposed in
creases In duties az being liable to en-
barrass IL in its foreign relations and that
II the commission insisted on these par
ticular items II would raise the question
of confidence on them. No official state
ment has as yet been made as 10 which
articles are opposed by the cablnet
stood for Years.
Frances present tariff dates from 1892,
and the commission maintains that changes
In other countries tariffs since that date,
notably in Germany in 1908, and the crea-
ton Of new industries due to the progress
OF science have made It obsolete. > The
commissions leading objects in making its
revision have been:
First-To increase the maximum duties
whose goods pay those duties to make con-
cessions to France to obtain. Frances
minimum tariff.
second-To specify in the new tariff a
large number OF articles which have been
introduced into France since 1892.
Third-To create special classes or SUD-
diViai0na in tho tariff In order pitheT to
favor the products of a given country OF TO
discriminate against Its goods.
M. Klotz, the president OF the commits
sion. says:
The commission has not simply made
increases; 1t has made some decreases. We
have considered that protection ought
really to have as It's chief characteristic to
take into account the handwork incorpo-
rated in an object and consequently to
have a character clearly and strictly COM
~pensatory."
Some Changes suggested.
Turning to the proposed new tariff, the
first change we find affects ham. boned
and rolled, the general duty on which is
raised from $40 to $2, find the minimum
from Sc to IS per 100 kilos 600 pounds.
Hard cheese is unchanged, but for soft
cheese, like Camembert, the general duty
~ ~ W - oiA NAO
from % to Sc iper 100 kilos.
Honey Ia an example, on a small scale
of one Of the leading principles on which
this new tariff has been drawn up, to give
separate duties to every possible classi-
~fication of any product. Thus honey under
the old tariff paid SO general and 50 mini
mum per 100 kilos, while the new tariff
fixes these duties: Pure natural honey. Sc
general and 81 minimum; artificial honey,
so general and Sc minimum.
Prepared sponges are raised from ST to
326 general and from $13 to S7 minimum
per 100 kllos-unless otherwise specified
all duties are assessed on 100 kilos, or 22O
pounds. Artificial ivory lie raised from $40
to $50 general, but the minimum is left
at 81.
The duty on wheat. oats. barley. rye,
= maize. buckwheat, malt. millet and most
other fsrinaceous food is left unchanged,
except on gluten. semolina and sage,
where the general tariff Is raised.
Table apples are raised from 81 to Sl.6O
general and from 10 cents to 81 minimum.
walnuts are reduced from s. to 50 cents.
Oleaginous fruit and seeds. hitherto free.
will pay: Beechnuts. IS cents; cottonseed,
raw, 30 cents; decorticated. so cents; olives,
SO cents; mustard seed, 40 cents flax, so
cents; sesame, c. cents.
On Opium and Wood Pulp.
The general duty on opium is raised from
$50 to $50, the minimum remaining $40. The
duty on wood pulp is unaltered.
An important change is made in cotton.
Ginned cotton not prepared remains free,
but II washed, freed from grease. purified.
bleached, mercerized and dyed the general
rate will be $3.50. and minimum 50. instead
OF being, as heretofore. free.
Yeast from distilleries is raised from Sc
to s2 general. and from s. to IS mini
mum. Corn straw, cleared and bleached,
is raised from Is cents to 10 cents general,
and from 10 cents to % cents minimum.
oilcake. hitherto free. will pay 20 cents
when 1t contains over II per cent Of oil and
60 cents for over rs per cent.
Beer is raised from S2.D to $50 general
and from $50 to sos minimum.
Precious stones, rough or cut. are still
left free.
The general duty on heavy oils and resi-.
dues OF petroleum remains at 2.40, but the
minimum is raised from Sl6O to $3.50. The
general tariff on parafflne is raised from
s. to 50. on vaseline from $40 to So the
minimum not being altered.
Changes in Metals.
For iron there are many and varied
changes. Article 206, which formerly con.
tanned fourteen clasificatlons, now ha,
tWenty-three; article 2o7, dealing with
rolled iron or steel. has fifteen classified.
lions instead Of five. Two new c~lasifica-
lions are manganese metal. with more thar
W per cent of manganese. SIS general and
$40 minimum; silicon metal. with over q
per cent OF silicon. 1850 general and 8
minimum.
Ferrochromium instead of being gener-
ally charged IS cents general and 70 cents
minimum Is classified, as II contains q
per cent chromium and 6 per cent carbon
81 general and s. minimum for per cent
carbon; up to s per cent, s. and 81; for
per cent carbon up to 2 per cent, 50 and IS
less than l per cent, S2 and s.. Pure
chromium is changed from 6 per cent at
valorem 10 SIS general and so minimum
per 100 kilos.
Tungsten, not specified in present tariff
Is charged u2 general and s. minimum
Molybdenium and tltanium, now 5 pei
cent ad valOrem, have a duty OF $50 gen
eral and so minimum per 100 kilos.
Vanadium is raised from s. to 500 gen
eral and $50 minimum. Ferroaluminum