The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-21
DOWNWARD TARIFF
 REVISION POPULAR Seems to Be Tendency in
 Foreign Countries
NEW DUTY ON SUGAR
Some Interesting Data Being Received From Consular and Diplomatic Officers-Revision Downward
 Movement at Stockholm

lar and diplomatic o1lceTS ol the state department have been sending tc the department some interesting reports on tariff In foreign countries, till most all of these reports show tendency to revise the tariff downward and they are particularly interesting in view oi the coming debates in Congress.
 Consul General R. M Bartleman has transmitted from Buenos Ayres copy of law passed February 21, 1912 which establishes new rates of duty on sugar for that country. They become effective June l. 1912.
 This law provides for the imposition of specific rates of duty. which are to be gradually reduced from 1912 to 1921. The duty applicable from June 1. 1912. on sugar of not less than ,t degrees of polarization is 0.0SS peso per kilo (about cents per pound). On un' refined sugar, or sugar of less than 9e degrees of polarization, duty of 006S peso per kilo (about 3 cents per pound) Is imposed.
 After 1912 the annual reduction on both the refined and the unrefined sugar Is to be 0.002 peso per kilo Ca peso equals 95 5 cents, and kilo 2.2046 pounds) The present rates on the grades of sugar mentioned are 0.09 and 0.07 peso per kilo, respectively.
 From Minister Larz Anderson at Brussels comes a report on the Brus- sels sugar convention, in which Ger many, Austra Hungary Belgium France. Luxemburg, Netherlands, Peru, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland par ticipated. The minister reports that tn convention decided to continue In force after August 31, 1913, the international union constituted by the Brussels meet ing of March 5, 1902.
 The main point at Issue in the recent conference, the minister reports, was the amount of sugar which Russia should be allowed to export annually. In 1907, when Russia first became a party to the convention, 1t was agreed that during the following campaign year Russia should be allowed to export 300, 900 tons of sugar to countries where such sugar would come into competition with that produced by the other coun- tries party to the convention. For each of the following four campaign years the exportation of Russian sugar to such countries was limited to 2oU,- GOO tons.
 Russia at the recent conference suc- ceeded In having its annual export quotas increased as follows: For the campaign year 1911-12, 150,000 tons; 1912-13, 50,000 tons, and the campaign year, 1913-14. 5O,000 tons. These ex- tra quotas were permitted because of f.-- .t.,, tn 1-1D scarcity of sugar and at the same time a considerable increase in price of sugar in the world market"
 limitation is put on the extra quotas, however, for the campaign years of 1912-13 and 1913-14, so that during each of the four six month periods in- cluded the exportation of Russian sugar shall not exceed 25,000 tons. Minister Anderson further reports that the pro- tocol makes provision for the continuance of the convention after 1918, as follows:
 "In the session which precedes Sep tember 1, 1917, the permanent com mission will enact by unanimous vote the course to be followed by Russia in case she should be disposed to continue her participation in the convention aft CT September 1, 1918. In case the com cannot agree, Russia will be considered to have denounced the con- Yent1O1, as lTOfl otllttiitDci if l'ios
 The governor of Chile, according to a report to the state department, has by a decree recently issued, determined that mineral 1ubricating oil, even when 1t contains some addition of other sub stances such as vegetable oil or ani- nal oil. shall be dutiable under tariff No. 1792, at the rate of 50 cents per 100 This rate is imposed on fixed oils. not refined, for lubricating ma rrtx rnft n nt which had arisen in the administra- tion of the customs, as to whether or not the addition of vegetable or animal material would serve to change the classification of oil which would other wise fall under the provision applicable to paraffin, petroleum and kerosene oils
 The consul general at Stockholm re- ports movement there, also to revise the tariff downward. A number of pri- vate bills have been introduced In the Swedish legislature for this purpose One of the bills, jointly introduced by 10 members of the house, contemplates a general reduction or the abolition of the customs duties on food products, while another proposal is for the abo- lition of the duty on bacon, which Is imported chiefly from America. The re- duction of the duties on oatmeal and greats is proposed by another measure.
 Still another bill would abolish the duty of 0.60 crown per 100 kilos c cents per 100 pounds) on cement, it be- ing asserted that the present duty al- lows the Swedish cement manufacturers to charge abnormally high prices for their product, and that the protection is unnecessary for the industry. which has become firmly established.
 Another duty sought to be abolished is that of one crown per 100 lSilos 12. cents per 100 pounds) on chloride oi lime which was originaly imposed tc protect the chemical industry. It is declared to have proved serious intolerance to the manufacture of pa per and wood pulp, which has become greater industry than the chemical one Chloride of lime Is an important bleaching agent in the manufacture of pa per and wood pulp. For this proposal A substitute has been offered that a drawback be provided on the exporta- tion of wood pulp bleached with inn ported chloride of lime.
 It also is proposed to wipe out the duty on iron plates coated with pure or mixed lead of thickness of less than one-fourth of a millimeter. Sucn plates were duty free before the last revision of the tariff. when they were made to pay duty of seven crowns per 100 kilos (S5 cents per 100 pounds). the rate applicable to other iron plates. These coated plates are used especially in packing matches for exportation. The proposal was reported on favorahly by the committee to which it was referred, but at the time of the sending of the report to the state department had not been acted on by the house.
 
 Small Fire on Southside
 A short run was made this morning by fire stations Nos. l. ? and to Avenue A and Twenty-third street to the house oc- -t,,,iods ,,, fslar c,,,;tI Tu,o l,o al,