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treaty.
Before we were informed of the objections taken
by the French Authorities to shipments by this route
a total of 6340 cases of canned salmon had been shipped
by us to Havre, including 1950 cases which arrived per
This shipment was,
after some delay, accepted by the Director of the Havre
the Antenor on the 20th December.
Customs at the minimum tariff.
The shipments now in dispute amount to a total of
4390 cases, of which 2250 cases have already arrived, as
stated, by the Menelaus. The difference between the
maximum and the minimum duty on these 4390 cases amounts
to 34,000 francs, which shows that the matter is one of
some importance.
As a matter of fact, however, the
decision not to allow the minimum tariff would not bene-
fit the French revenue, because we cannot afford to pay
the maximum duty and will be compelled, if the French
Government persist in their refusal to accept the mini-
mum duty, to re-export the above 4390 cases from Havre
to England and to substitute other goods shipped direct,
the expense involved in such substitution being over
As charges are being incurred on the 2250 cases
already arrived in Havre per the Menelaus we would, in
the event of your being of opinion that you could in-
tervene with effect, be much obliged if action could
be taken at a sufficiently early date to prevent the
accumulation of charges and enable us to deliver our
goods to our buyers in time to fill their Lenten re-
quirements.
Awaiting the favour of your early reply,
We remain ac.,
(Signed)
Simpson Roberts and Company.
Copies enclosed:
(1) Letter to Foreign Office of 7th January. (2) Letter of Messrs H. Genestal and Fils to Havre
Chamber of Commerce of 15th January.
(3) Letter of Directeur Général de l'Administra-
tion des Douanes at Paris to J. Lorin, our
agent at Paris.
£500.
As