Tariff Changes in Norway.

Report by Consul Gade, of Christiania.

Few important alterations were made in the customs tariff during the last session of the Storthing recently adjourned. It was expected that the great question of free-trade or protection would come before that body, where the protective policy had many advocates, but the vast material prepared by the different committees appointed to report on the question made a thorough investigation necessary, and the final solution of the question was put off until next year. On a few articles, not included in the great principle of protection, such as currants, figs, oranges, hops, and spices, the duties were somewhat raised, but the increase of duty on tea from 1.60 to 2 kroners (1 kroner = 26.8 cents) per kilogram (1 kilogram = 2.205 pounds) was a more serious affair. The rates of tare on some other articles were altered and reduced, as, for instance, on coffee in barrels to 8 per cent., butter to 18 per cent., cigars and cigarettes to 27 per cent., and on sugar to 12 and 9 per cent. By this reduction of tare the treausry will gain about 80,000 kroners on the single article of sugar. On the other hand, the reduction of the import duty on sugar from 41 to 40 öre (100 öre = 1 kroner) per kilogram will probably cause an annual loss of 115,000 kroners. It was even proposed to reduce the duty on sugar to 20 öre per kilogram, but the proposition was rejected by a large majority. The Government desired to reduce the import duty on salt from 28 to 18 öre per hectoliter (1 hectoliter = 2.838 bushels) and the export duty on lumber from 33 to 20 ore per cubic meter for lengths below 19 page 63 decimeters (shorter lengths do not pay any duty), but the propositions fell through. The loss on the lumber duty would have been nearly 150,000 kroners a year, but the tariff committee urged that the entire removal of this export duty was only a question of time, and would probably be effected the very next year, when a general revision of the tariff was to be made. In connection with the tariff the existing laws on taxation may then also undergo some alteration.