The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-01-09
AWAIT NEW
TARIFF
FOREIGNERS ANXIOUS TO
AVAIL THEMSELVES OF
NEW PROVISIONS.
Said Germany Will Be Among the
First to Make Arrangements
With United States to Secure
the New Rates-How It Is Ex-
pected to Operate.

Washington, D. c., Jan. 4.-The work
of preparing the revised tariff bill has
been resumed by the subcommittee of
the house ways and means committee.
Two meetings have been held and
there is every likelihood that the tariff
framing committee. which consists of
the republican members of the full
committee, will continue to hold daily
meetings until the time comes to re-
port the bill to congress at the special
session in March.
Judge E. H. Gary has returned the
printed copy of his testimony with the
corrections he desires to make in the
final report of the hearings. He does
not change the substance of his. testi-
mony but has made several corrections
in the figures he gave while on the
stand before the committee.
The tariff trainers are giving consid-
Grafton to the maximum and minimum
duty problem in connection with the
new tariff. Although the United States
was the first to apply this method of
securing favorable trade relations with
other countries, it has never applied
the principle to more than few arti-
cles, while several countries have
adopted the system to cover every
thing.
How 1t Will Work.
If a maximum and minimum tariff
bill becomes law it will be possible
for the president to extend the bene-
fits of the minimum tariff to those
countries which give to this country
the benefit of their differential rates
Of duty. Great Britain would secure
the benefits of our minimum rates be.
cause it levies no duties on importa-
tions Germany and France, each OF
which has a maximum and minimum
tariff law, would probably prefer to
grant to this country their schedule on
duties if the same privilege is extend
ed to their importers.
The United States has treaties with
France, Germany, Italy, Portugal
Spain and Switzerland granting re.
duction in the duties on certain arti-
cles only.
There are indications that Germany
will be among the first European coun-
tries to seek advantage of an arrange.
ment with America to secure mini.
mum tariff rates. Count Won Berns.
dorff, the newly arrived German am.
bassador who has arranged with Sec
rotary Root for his presentation next
Wednesday to President Roosevelt as
ambassador from Germany, succeeding
the late Baron Speck Won Sternburg
is believed to have been thoroughly
equipped by consultation with the
German foreign office before his de-
parture from Germany to undertake
the task.
Playing Sharp Game.
Indications are that the new tariff
act will be framed to take effect i'm
mediately upon its approval by the
president. Therefore in order to Sc
cure whatever advantages may be ex
pected to follow the Inauguration OF
minimum and maximum rates to the
United States it will be necessary fol
the foreign ambassadors and ministers
resident in Washington to have ar
ranged in advance Of that date new
treaty relations with this government
In the case of some European coun
tries a disposition has been shown to
forestall action by the American con
gress and guard their own export
trade with America by considerably
increasing their existing tariff rates
with the design of securing the basis
of new arrangements with America
without sacrificing to any considerable
extent the protection which they now
enjoy against competition with Amer
lean imports.
So far as is known here this is not
true of Germany, and with this ele
ment of good faith in his overtures
the German ambassador is likely t.
meet with a cordial reception at the