CO129-371 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 280

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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