New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-10-26
TARIFF CONCESSION
OPEN CUSTOM HOUSES
Longer Hours When Agree
ment 10ith France ErmreS.

Washington, Oct. 25.-what Is regarded
as distinct concession to importing inter-
ests and to France was made by the Treas
ury Department to-day, when it directed
the collectors OF chstoms at the United
States ports to keep custom houses open
until $3.50 p M on Saturday, October so.
when the commercial agreements with
France. Switzerland and Bulgaria will ex-
pire The purpose of the order is to give
every facility to importers to enter goods
at the reduced rates Of the expiring treaties.
and applies particularly to New York and
few other cities where the custom houses
ordinarily close at p. m. on Saturday in
Difference to local law or custom
The order. signed by Acting Secretary
Hilles. follows:
In view Of the fact that the commercial
agreements with France. Switzerland and
bulgaria would expire with the close of
business on Saturday. the S0th inst. the
o'clock p. m, instead of being closed at /
O'Clock for the usual half holiday. II this
Treasury decision OF the 30th ult Uelat
to the termination of the commercial agre..-
ments between the United States and
France.
The decision referred to was the one fix
ing October 80 as the date of the expira-
llpil VI the agreements instead or Lll6 SlSLs
because the latter date falls on Sunday.
The acts of Congress do not recognize
Saturday afternoons as half holidays. and
the executive departments of the govern
ment at Washington therefore. remain
open until 4:9O every Saturday, the same
as other week days, except in the summer.
But at New York, Chicago and other cities
Saturday afternoon is a legal holiday and
brokerage and other business houses are
generally closed. In Difference to the local
laws the customs officers at those cities
have generally closed on Saturday ct l
o'clock.
A French transatlantic liner is making a
race against time in order to get a cargo
of goods In under the lower rates provided
by the commercial agreement. The steam
er is scheduled to arrive early Saturday
afternoon, and to-day's extension of hours
will probably permit her to enter the goods
under the expiring agreement
FRENCH TARIFF NEGOTIATIONS.
With the return to Washington from
Paris of Ambassador Jusserand. the ne
gotiations between France and America
regarding the application of the new tariff
act to French imports into this country
have crossed the Atlantic. and here in
Washington will be framed the terms of
the agreement which it is assumed will
regulate for several years the trade rela-
tons Of the two countries.
There is little danger of a tariff war
in the opinion of the men whose business
it is to deal with the making of CONNER
cial treaties. Neither country can afford
to embark on such a suicidal policy as
wholesale retaliation, nor is there any ne
cessity for it. It Is true that France will
have to submit to higher duties on her ex-
ports to the United States as result of
the enactment of the Payne bill, but so
long as it does not discriminate against
her she cannot find ground for serious OBJ
lection.
While NJ Jusserand is automatically
silent as to the course he is under instruc-
tons to follow. there is reason to believe
that, having in mind the conciliatory state
ments made in Paris by Senator AIdrich,
his purpose is simply to make the best of
the situation and to obtain the minimum
tariff rates for French products entering
the United States in return for the smallest
possible amount of concessions of similar
reduced rates American imports into
France.
The ambassador has the considerable ad-
vantage that France can shade her con-
cessions, while the United States must
grant the minimum rates on all or none
OF the products of France. At least, that
is the present view Of the tariff experts in
Washington, though it should be said that
so far there has been no official declaration
to that effect If Senator Aldrich correctly
represented the administration it would not
be necessary for France to accord the min
imum rates imports from the United
States in order to obtain the remission of
the maximum rates on all her imports into
the United States. All that would be nee
essary for her to do would be to satisfy
the President that she is practising no I'M
proper discrimination against the United
States, and that might be done even by
the retention of maximum rates on con-
siderable number of articles which now
enter France from this country. AS a mat
ter OF fact, it is said, in many cases these
maximum duties are regarded by the
French government simply as necessary
sources of revenue, and there is no dis
criminatory purpose in levying them
If the President can be convinced that
such is the fact there is no doubt that he
would be willing to issue the proclamation
required to admit French goods and prod
ucts to the advantages of the minimum
schedules Of the new tariff act, and that is
believed TO be the present purpose of the
French Ambassador. Few American prod
ucts now enjoy the minimum French tariff
rates, so that France has much to offer for
the concession she asks, and it will be the
business Of the ambassador to get the
most he can for what he can offer.