Mr. Vignaud to Mr. Olney.
Paris , March 1, 1897 . (Received March 16.)
Sir: The interpellation on the decrease in the sale of pork products mentioned in my No. 642, of February 26, took place on Saturday last in the Chamber of Deputies.
M. Meline, minister of agriculture and president of the council, replying to those who ascribed the depression of French trade in pork products to the large foreign importation, said this depression was mainly caused by overproduction; but he nevertheless declared that when the bill for increasing the duty on foreign pork products came up the Government would favor it, so far as pork butchers’ meat (charcuterie) was concerned.
M. Gruet, a French deputy, from the Gironde department, stated that the proposed increase of duty would not end the crisis and could be attended with disagreeable consequences, as the United States might retaliate by increasing the duties on French woolens and silks.
In the course of the debate the president of the council said that he had in preparation new rules of inspection for pork butchers’ meat (charcuterie) imported from abroad.
I have, etc.,