Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President, Transmitted to Congress December 2, 1895, Part II

Mr. Planten to Mr. Gresham.

New York, September 27, 1894.

Sir: In connection with my letter of September 25, last, I have the honor to inclose translation of a letter of the governor of Curaçao in regard to the laws on the importation of salt in the Netherlands West Indian Islands, addressed to me.

Accept, etc.,

J. E. Planten.

[Inclosure.]

[Translated abstract from letter of September 13, received by Hon. John R. Planten, consul-general of the Netherlands at New York, from the governor of Curaçao.]

By decree of August 28, 1888, the import duties on salt for the entire colony of Curaçao (comprising Curaçao, Oruba, Buen Ayre, Little Curaçao, Little Buen Ayre, St. Martin, St. Eustatius, and Saba) were abolished and they have never been reimposed.

It is probable that the Washington authorities were misled by consulting the tariff laws of 1892, in which, as is the case every year, also the article salt is mentioned, and they must have overlooked the fact that these published tariff laws refer as well to export as to import duties; and, for instance, as St. Martin and Buen Ayre pay export duties, the mention of the duties as regards salt simply refers to these export duties and not to import duties, which latter were abolished since 18—, and never reimposed.