REMOVAL OF DUTY ON WHEAT IN FRANCE.

The French Government has temporarily removed the tariff duties on wheat for the period from May 4 to June 30, both days inclusive. The duty heretofore collected was 7 francs ($1.35) for 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds). Immediately after the expiration of this period that is, from and after July 1-the full rate of 7 francs will be collected.

I inclose herewith the official text, together with a translation into English, of the decree signed by the President of the French Republic and published in the Journal Officiel under date of this day. E. P. MACLEAN, Vice-Consul-General.

PARIS, May 4, 1898.

[Translation.]

The President of the French Republic, considering article I of the law of March 29, 1897; considering articles I and 14 of the law of January 11, 1892; considering article 1 of the law of February 27, 1894; the council of the ministers having been heard, decrees:

ARTICLE I. From and after May 4, 1898, including that day, until July 1, 1898, excluding that day, the import duty on wheat in the grain, mentioned in Table A of the import tariff of the general customs tariff, is removed.

ART. 2. At the expiration of this period, the duty of 7 francs, as provided for by the law of February 27, 1894, shall be collected in full.

ART. 3. The President of the Council, Minister of Agriculture, and the Minister of Commerce are charged, each as to that which concerns him, with the execution of the present decree.

Done at Paris, May 3, 1898.

FELIX FAURE.

By the President of the Republic:

The President of the Council, Minister of Agriculture,

JULES MÉLINE.

The Minister of Commerce, of Industry, of Posts, and of Telegraphs,
HENRY BOUCHER.

REDUCTION OF WHARFAGE DUES IN FRANCE.

In order to encourage and increase the external commerce of France, a law went into effect on December 31 last which. considerably reduced the wharfage dues (droits de quai) to be paid by vessels of all nationalities entering and clearing from the ports of France and her possessions. Information concerning this law was embodied in my report of January 5 last, published in CONSULAR REPORTS

No. 210.

Upon a practical application of the law it was found that, instead of entirely ameliorating the condition of affairs, it actually increased the dues to be paid by vessels engaged almost exclusively in the passenger trade and carrying but little freight.

As it was not the intention of the framers of the act to discriminate against any class of vessel, a new law has been passed, bearing date of March 23, 1898, which is supplemental to the act of December 31, 1897, and is designed to extend the advantages of a reduction of wharfage dues to those vessels unfavorably affected by the previous law.

The new law went into effect on March 27, 1898. Its text is as follows:

ARTICLE 1. The amount of wharfage dues (droits de quai) to be collected by virtue of the law of December 23, 1897, from vessels engaged in the passenger trade, can not exceed in the same voyage, even if there should be several calls, I franc (19.3 cents) per passenger, 2 francs (38.6 cents) per horse or head of large cattle, 8 francs (57.9 cents) per each two-wheeled carriage, 4 francs (77.2 cents) per each four-wheeled carriage, and I franc (19.3 cents) per ton of merchandise which the vessel may have on board upon its entering French waters; provided that the total weight of merchandise, expressed in tons of 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) does not exceed one-twentieth of the net tonnage of the vessel.

These wharfage dues will be reduced one-half for vessels engaged exclusively in the international coasting trade.

In order to illustrate the reduction provided for by the new act, I give the following example:

A vessel of 400 tons net, plying between Southampton and Havre (international coasting trade), enters the last-named port with 19 tons of freight and 100 passengers, which are disembarked. She also embarks 100 passengers. According to the law of December 31, 1897, her wharfage dues would be as follows:

Net tonnage......

Freight......

Passengers disembarked (each passenger disembarked counting as I ton of freight)....

Tons.

400

19

100

Passengers embarked (each passenger embarked counting as I ton of freight)... 100 Total............. 219

which, being greater than one-half of the net tonnage of the vessel, and it being in the international coasting trade, the dues would be 9.65 cents per total net tonnage of the vessel, that is, $38.60.

This at 9.65 cents per ton equals $11.48.

Difference, $27.12.

The 19 tons being less than one-twentieth of the total net tonnage, and the vessel being engaged in the international coasting trade, the dues would be calculated as above.

According to the law of December 31, 1897, the operations of discharging and loading freight and disembarking and embarking passengers were included in calculating the tonnage. In the new law, however, only the actual amount of freight and the number of passengers on board at the first entry in French waters are taken into consideration.

There being a difference of opinion between the ship brokers and the custom-house officials as to the proper interpretation of the new law, the director-general of customs at Paris has issued the following circular explaining its workings, for the guidance of those interested:

CIRCULAR OF MARCH 28, 1898. NO. 2894.

A law dated the 23d of March, 1898, and inserted in the Journal Officiel of the 25th of the same month serves to complete article 4 of the law dated December 23, 1897, relative to the wharfage dues payable by vessels engaged in the passenger trade.

As provided for by article 7 of the financial law of July 29, 1881, vessels of this category shall pay wharfage dues according to the number of passengers, horses, cattle, carriages, and the quantity of merchandise on board upon entering a French port, provided that the total weight of the merchandise, expressed in tons of 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) does not exceed one-twentieth of the net tonnage of the vessel.

The Government directs the attention of its customs officials to the particular mode of taxation established by the law of March 23, 1898. By virtue of the regulations at present in vogue at Algerian ports, vessels coming within the requirements specified above shall pay no wharfage dues or tax upon the taking on of passengers and freight. But, contrary to the ruling of the law of December 23, 1897, that of the 23d of March, 1898, taxes not only passengers and merchandise debarked at a French port, but also the passengers and merchandise remaining on board while the vessel lies at her dock.

The taxes or dues to be collected under this ruling are fixed as follows: Nineteen and three-tenths cents per passenger, 38.6 cents per horse or head of large cattle, 57.9 cents per two-wheeled carriage, 77.2 cents per four-wheeled carriage, and 19.3 cents per ton of merchandise. Sheep, pigs, and animals of smaller species shall pay 19.3 cents for every four head.

These taxes shall be reduced one-half for vessels engaged exclusively in, and coming within the limits of, the international coasting trade.

Under the present law a vessel touching at several ports shall pay taxes on all passengers, merchandise, etc., at the custom-house of the first port only; and the receipt given at this port shall be sufficient in itself to exempt the ship from paying further dues and to permit free entry elsewhere.

It is further provided that captains or owners of vessels are accorded the right to decide under which ruling they wish to enter their ships; that is, to say under the statute of December 23, 1897, or of March 23, 1898.

In any case, the tax applicable to vessels engaged in the passenger trade must

not exceed the maximum tax of 19.3 cents per net ton for vessels in general and 9.6 cents per net ton for those coming within the limits of the international coasting trade.

Collectors of customs are instructed to bring the present ruling to the notice of customs officials and to all others whom it may concern.

The following is a translation of an article taken from the Matin, of Antwerp, concerning the importation of cattle at this port:

The chamber of commerce has just addressed a very important letter on this subject to the Minister of Agriculture and Public Works, protesting strongly against the protectionist tendencies of the Government, which have caused much injury to Belgian commerce, and are likely to cause more, for Belgium will fail to obtain any concession in the negotiations with Canada and the United States, as was shown at the time of the termination of the Anglo-Belgian treaty of commerce. Canada will no doubt refuse to grant us the preferential rate of duty, and the President of the United States will refuse us the benefit of concessions upon the prohibitory rates of the tariff introduced in 1897.

It is to be remarked that there has been created since 1890 a new branch of trade between Canada, South America, and our country, namely, the importation of live cattle; which traffic has taken sufficient proportions to enable Antwerp to become the principal cattle and meat market of the Continent.

The agrarians were not satisfied with the then existing protective rates of duty, and the Government, resorting to pretexts which the chamber of commerce and ourselves had already shown to be unreasonable, granted them the exclusion of trans-Atlantic cattle. The direct consequence was seen in the arrival and departure of vessels, in the rates of freight, in our import trade, as a factor in our general commerce, and in the necessity of paying higher prices for beef and mutton than one pays in England.

The chamber of commerce recalls attention to these disastrous consequences, and adds that the prohibitory measures have had, on the other hand, a reactionary effect in our intercourse with the countries hereinafter named.

If the general interests of the port of Antwerp, of its commerce, those of the consumers of meat, have been and remain ignored, notwithstanding just protest, how much more serious are the consequences for our export trade by the application of the present tariff of the United States, Canada, and the Argentine Republic? What will be the consequence when in the near future these three countries apply to England and other manufacturing countries either a general preferential rate of 25 per cent, as in the case of Canada, or perhaps a reduction of duty on glass, iron, sugar, and other manufacturing products, which form the great bulk of our exports?

The statistics for the year 1897 show, in our export of glass to the United States a reduction of 400,000 francs ($77,200) in mirrors and a falling off of 6,000,000 kilograms (13,227,600 pounds) in window glass.

In 1897, the importation of cattle was considerably reduced; trans-Atlantic importation of horned cattle has entirely ceased, while that of sheep from the Argentine Republic, after falling off from 47,778 head in 1896 to 19,988 head, has ceased completely, for the reason that, although the agrarians have not demanded entire exclusion of sheep, the importation is only possible in connection with that of cattle. If the cargo of a vessel is not made up of the cattle and sheep combined, the rate of freight per head of sheep becomes excessive, and the result per se is exclusion.

The plea brought forward that, for hygienic reasons, severe administrative measures were necessary, was absolutely false. It has been demonstrated, without a possibility of being contradicted, that cattle in North as well as in South America were free from disease, and that no epidemic among cattle existed in either of these countries. Belgians have been deprived of the means of furnishing themselves with healthy meat at a low price, but horses from England (and what horses!) are daily received, destined to be used as food by the lower classes.

This deplorable state of affairs, in connection with the fatal influences it may exert upon our negotiations with the United States and Canada, urgently demands the immediate intervention of our Government.

ANTWERP, April 25, 1898.

GEO. F. LINCOLN,

Consul.

WATER SUPPLY FROM SAND DUNES IN THE NETHERLANDS.

Under date of April 18, 1898, Consul G. J. Corey, of Amsterdam, transmits memoranda regarding the water supply of that city, as collected from the sand dunes bordering the sea.

The dunes consist of sand blown up from the seashore. Their basis consists of sand, also, although this is mixed with peat at some points, and at the sea level layers of compressed peat are frequently found. It is noticeable that these peat layers are never found on the sides of the dunes next the sea.

The rainfall in the dunes percolates through the sand and flows landward and seaward. The surface is therefore a cone whose apex is the summit of the dune, which, sloping both ways, forms a continuous watershed. In the dunes near Haarlem, where they have a width of about 4 kilometers (nearly 21⁄2 miles), the summits are 20 to 23 feet above sea level.

Not only is the dune water fresh above sea level, but it is perfectly fresh to a depth of 20 meters (66.6 feet) below sea level. This fresh water being found at such depth under the dunes, while the water at the same depth, in the immediate neighborhood, is salt, goes to prove that either the subsoil must be based on fresh water, the hydraulic pressure of the dune water preventing sea impregnation, or that the water, originally salt, has become freshened