No. 88.
Mr. Bayard
to Mr. Hall
Department
of State,
Washington, January 23,
1888.
No. 538.]
Sir: I inclose herewith, for your information in
respect of previous correspondence, a copy of a letter from the secretary of
the Pacific Steam-ship Company, dated the 6th instant, concerning the
continued imposition by Costa Rica of a discriminating duty of 5 percent,
against American vessels in favor of those of the Spanish Central American
Line.
I have laid a copy of this correspondence before the Secretary of the
Treasury, as desired.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 538.]
Mr. Lane to Mr.
Bayard.
New
York, January 6,
1888.
Dear Sir: Differential duties granted the
Spanish Central American line of steam ers by the Republic of Costa
Rica.
Referring to previous correspondence on this subject, and especially to
our letter of September 19 and your letter of November 2, 1887, I now
have the honor to submit herewith the following copies of
correspondence, from which you will notice that the Government of Costa
Rica persists in maintaining its unjust position of discrimination
[Page 117]
against American vessels to
the extent of 5 per cent differential duty in favor of shipments by the
Marquis de Campo steamers, viz:
Letter from Mr. J. H. Leverich to this company, dated San José, November
15.
Letter from George H. Rice, dated San Francisco, December 15, 1887,
inclosing three letters from shippers.
Letter from J. H. Leverich, dated San Jose, December 16, 1887, inclosing
copy of letter from that gentleman to Mr. Hall, United States minister
to Central America.
We have therefore to beg that the honorable Secretary of the Treasury may
be advised of the situation, and that immediate steps may be taken
having for their object the application of the provisions of section
2502 of the Revised Statutes of the United States by directing the
collector at San Francisco to exact the additional duty prescribed by
the above-mentioned section of 10 per cent on all merchandise imported
into San Francisco from Costa Rica by said steamers.
Respectfully,
[Inclosure 2 in No.
538.—Extract.]
Mr. Leverich to the
Pacific Mail Steamship
Company.
San
José de Guatemala, November 15, 1887.
Dear Sirs: Costa Rica is still paying 5 per
cent, rebate on all goods imported by the Campo steamers. Mr. Hall is
still awaiting a reply from that Government to his protest. I would
mention that Minister Von Bergen leaves shortly for Costa Rica for the
express purpose to obtain, if possible, the same 5 per cent rebate for
goods per Kosmos and Hamburg American Packet Companies; so between Mr.
Hall and Mr. Von Bergen, I hope the matter will shortly be arranged.
I have called Mr. Hall’s attention to that shipment of cigars from La
Libertad for Punta Arenas, which the shipper refused to forward by our
line at Campo Line rates, owing to the 5 per cent differential duty, and
he will report this to the Department at Washington.
Respectfully,
J. H. Leverich,
Special
Agent.
[Inclosure 3 in No. 538.]
Mr. Rice to Mr.
Gould.
Agency
Pacific Mail Steamship Company,
San Francisco, December 15,
1887.
Dear Sir: Referring to our conversation on the
subject of differential duties in favor of Del Campo Line to ports in
Costa Rica, I have secured three letters from large shippers on our
Panama Line on this subject. I find there are no shippers here who do
not perfectly understand this to be the case. It is not only claimed by
all houses in that country who order goods shipped from here, but is
advertised in the Government organs of the country. This surely is a
discrimination against an American line which is having its effect.
Very truly yours,
Geo. H. Rice,
Freight
Manager.
[Inclosure 4 in No. 538.]
Messrs. Sperry & Co.
to Mr. Rice.
San
Francisco, December 5,
1887.
Sir: Regarding your inquiries concerning the
rebate in duties at the port of San Jose de Costa Rica, would say that
our customers in Costa Rica have advised us that we should ship by the
Spanish-American line, as they are able to collect 5 per cent, rebate on
the duties, and they have also inclosed us advertisements cut from their
papers stating such to be the case.
Hoping this will be satisfactory, we are, etc.,
Sperry & Co.
[Page 118]
[Inclosure 5 in No. 538.]
Messrs. Urruela &
Urioste to Mr. Rice.
San
Francisco, December 7,
1887.
Dear Sir: On the steamer San
Pablo, arrived 5th instant from Hong-Kong, we have several
invoices of silk goods for Central America. Among them there is
Nov 11, one hale silk goods for Punta Arenas, Costa Rica, and
we propose to you to take delivery of same here, we releasing the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company from any claim whatever on this account,
and assuming all the responsibility for this action. The freight to
Punta Arenas has been prepaid at Hong-Kong, but we do not ask for the
refunding of any part thereof, only to have the goods delivered to us
here so that we can ship them in bond by one of the steamers of the
Marquis de Campo’s Line, thus insuring the 5 per cent drawback in
custom-house duties which the Government of Costa Rica allows on all
merchandise shipped by said steamers.
Hoping for a favorable answer, we remain, etc.,
Urruela & Urioste.
[Inclosure 6 in No. 538.]
Messrs. de Sabla &
Co. to Mr. Rice.
San
Francisco, December 12,
1887.
Dear sir: In answer to your inquiry in regard
to reduction of duties allowed on freight shipped to Costa Rica per
steamers of the De Campo Line, we have been informed by several of our
correspondents that the said reduction amounts to 5 per cent.
Very truly, yours,
Eugene de Sabla & Co.
[Inclosure 7 in No.
538.—Extract.]
Mr. Leverich to
Pacific Mail Steamship
Company.
San
José de Guatemala, December 16, 1887.
Dear Sirs: Although Mr. Hall has informed this
Government of the wish expressed by the State Department that this
company should be placed on the full 3 per cent basis without the
one-tenth per cent discrimination, still no action has been taken to
that end, and this one-tenth per cent discrimination is still in
force.
Mr. Hall has heard nothing from Honduras nor from Costa Rica in reply to
his official communications. I inclose you press copy of my letter to
Mr. Hall pointing out how handicapped this company is so long as the
Costa Rica Government pays the 5 per cent differential duty to the Campo
Line.
If you will study the treaty with Costa Rica you will see that this
discriminating duty is a direct violation of same, and being such I
believe the tenth per cent, discriminating duty can be applied by the
United States at San Francisco on all products imported by the Campo
Line steamers from Punta Arenas. The present Campo steamer Costa Rica has on board 1,600 packages from Punta
Arenas. I have also informed Mr. Hall of this. You can rely on Mr.
Hall’s most zealous efforts to get this differential duty either removed
or granted to American vessels. I would mention that Minister Von Bergen
has not yet left here for Costa Rica.
Respectfully,
J. H. Leverich,
Special
Agent.
[lnclosure 8 in No. 538.]
Mr. Leverich to Mr.
Hall.
Guatemala, December 14,
1887.
Dear Sir: I beg to transcribe for your
information the following from a letter which I have received from this
company’s agent at Punta Arenas, dated 24th ultimo.
“The 5 per cent question is still in the same shape, and certainly this
protection of
[Page 119]
Campo induces
importers to prefer this line, and more for articles like cigars, paying
over $2 kilo duty. The Guatemala brought 80 tons
of different goods from San Francisco to here.”
This will show you how handicapped this company is in meeting this
competition as long as this 5 per cent differential duty exists in favor
of the Campo Line.
Yours, truly,
J. H. Leverich,
Special
Agent.
