Mr. Gresham to Mr.
Planten.
Department of State,
Washington, September 17,
1894.
Sir: Referring to your note of the 31st ultimo,
in which you inform the Department, with reference to a recent United
States Treasury circular, that no duty is now levied on salt in certain
Dutch colonies, I have the honor to inclose a copy of a letter from the
Secretary of the Treasury of the 10th instant, in which he says that the
information relative to the Dutch colonies upon which they were included
in the list in the circular in question was derived from the
publications of the international customs bureau.
Calling your attention to the statement of the Secretary of the Treasury
that the colony of Curaçao is not included in the list of those colonies
which were supposed to levy a duty on salt, I beg you to accept, sir,
the renewed assurance of my high consideration.
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Carlisle to
Mr. Gresham.
Treasury Department,
Washington, September 10,
1894.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 1st instant, in regard to the
inclusion of certain Dutch colonies in the list of countries
imposing duty on salt, published by this Department in its circular
of the 29th ultimo, and stating that you have been advised by the
chargé d’affaires and consul-general of the Netherlands that “the
colony of Curaçao, comprising Curaçao, Buen Ayre, Oruba, St. Martin,
St. Eustatius, and Saba, do not impose duties on salt, these duties
having been abolished six years ago.”
In reply I would state that the colony of Curaçao is not included in
the list, and that from the International Customs Journal it appears
that duty is imposed on salt imported into the Dutch colonies, East
Indies, by ordinance of the governor-general, which went into force
on July 1, 1886, and on salt imported into St. Eustatius, St.
Martin, Oruba, and Buen Ayre by decrees of the governor of Curaçao
of December 24, 1892. These decrees were issued subsequently to the
exemption from duty of salt imported into the island of Curaçao by
ordinance of the governor of August 28, 1888, and being contained in
the official publications of the international customs bureau, from
data furnished [Page 1021] by the
respective governments, were accepted by the Department as
conclusive on the subject.
Under the terms of paragraph 608 of the new tariff act each of the
dependencies of the colony of Curaçao must be treated per se, and
should any of them impose a duty on salt exported from the United
States it would be necessary to treat salt coming from such
dependency as dutiable, although the same merchandise coming from
Curaçao would be entitled to free entry.
Respectfully, yours,