Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-27
Canadian Tariff Concessions
Pleasing to Experts.
ON FOOTING WITH FRANCE
Advantage for Articles Especially
Interesting to American Exporters.
SATISFACTION IS FELT HERE
All Danger of Temporary Breach
Regarded as Past.

General satisfaction Is expressed here
at the announcement made yesterday
that an agreement practically had been
reached between the officials representing
the Canadian government and the Pres
ident and Secretary Knox respecting the
adjustment of the tariff of Canada ana
the United States. No one i'm authority
here Is willing 10 discuss the details,
but there is good ground for the belief
that material concessions have been
granted by Canada, and that the United
States will receive in return for it's min
imum the intermediate rates given By
Canada to France and twelve other coun-
tries on a considerable number of arti-
cles in which exporters from the United
States are specially interested
This understanding is said to have been
reached after a prolonged conference yes
terday, participated in by President Taft,
w. S. Fielding, the Canadian minister of
finance; George P. Graham. the Canadian
minister of railways; Secretary of State
'reau of trade relations of the State De-
partment.S
Under the existing treaty between Can
AGA and France the latter country re-
ooives the conventional rate on about
nrGty articles. AS to many of these,
however. the United States has little o.
10 interest, and there is reason to believe
that this government has consented to
receive the intermediate on much less
than half that number.
Tariff Experts Pleased.
The tariff experts who have so sue
cessfuly concluded this large work take
particular pride In the fact that for the
first time the United States now enjoys
the minimum tariff rates OF all important
nations. Heretofore American goods have
generally paid the maximum rates and
have. had to force their way into foreign
markets solely on the basis of their SUI
perior merits or because they could not
be produced outside of America.
The possibility of temporary breach
in tariff relations with Canada owing to
the expiration next Thursday OF the
period allowed by the Payne-A1drich act
for the making of such arrangements
was at one time regarded as very close.
But it is now said that it will not be
necessary to consume time in the Canadian
parliament in giving the arrangement vi
tally by legislative enactment, for the
reason that it can be put into operation
at once by an order in council, which is
likely to be the course followed. Although
details of the arrangement are refused
at this moment. it is understood that it
WAS concluded upon the basis of future
negotiations between the United States
and Canada for a general trade treaty
between the two countries.
Canada's Four Rates.
Canada has four rates of tariff which
differ materially from one another. The
rate which the United States probably
will receive is classed as rate number
three or the treaty rate, and within the
limitations as to the number of articles
involved is the same as that allowed
to France under the existing treaty.
Up to this time about 1O2 nations and
theic dependencies. by proclamation of
the President, have been granted our
minimum rates. and this leaves only
about twelve countries upon which action
is still to be taken. The most important
of these is Canada.