The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-10-27

August had really-quite unexpectedly 1t seems
"a very busy time of it, in the midst of its
war speculations, in dealing with the unusual
subject of Commercial Reciprocity and Protection
list Tariffs. 1t is amusing, not to say surprising, to
find the Times, that great oracle of British wisdom,
all of a sudden placed in the vulgar necessity OF
taking up the cudgels in defence of Free Trade,
on British soil itself, where heretofore all the
world and bis wife were Inclined to suppose that
the genius of Free Trade was as unassailable as
any of its kindred genii in their enchanted
castles of the " Arabian Nights" or the daunt-
less Oman Pasha in Plevna. slime works
wonders says the trite adage,-and, in truth,
it would seem that Free Trade, after having been
put for several years past on its trial by the wise
men of Britain, is found to have its drawbacks
as well as its advantages. 1t has even become
an open question whether in certain cases the
real drawbacks of Free Trade may not, and do
not counteract all its Wanted advantages. Now,
it is evident that, wherever a case can arise in
which a commercial community finds out to its
own cost that Free Trade with a foreign country
is a dead loss to Its own industry, it is only
natural to expect that the commercial commu-
nifty SO taken aback by the awkward incongrui-
ties of Free Trade will seek to fortify its own
commercial position by Protectionist Tariffs,
and even, if desirable, by Reciprocity Treaties.
This is exactly the state of the case now in Spain
and Portugal, and, by a singular coincidence, the
subject has been brought upon the tapis in Lon
don at the Foreign Office, just at the time that
our own Hawaiian diplomatist is engaged in
arranging the differences arising out of the Reel
procity Treaty between this country and the
United States. By the still more singular con-
catenation of events, it appears that at the very
same time that a difficulty has arisen between
England and Spain on the subject of the injurious
effect of the British Free Trade Tariff on the
wine trade-the grand industry of the lberian
Peninsula,-a great Colonial British Possession
the Canadian Dominion-is actually engaged
in a~gitating the policy of a commercial measure
with the United States similar to that which our
own able diplomatists recently secured for this
Kingdom with the North American Republic.
Here we think our readers will pause, with our
selves, to enjoy a hearty laugh at the ludicrous
feature of this commercial complication for Great
Britain, as it is really one of the best jokes that
has come on the diplomatic tapis since Free
Trade became the law of the land in the British
realms. We have no doubt that our own humor-
Gus diplomatist, now near the Court Of st. James,
enjoys the fun keenly as, of course, he now may
hold the game in his own hands,-with Spain on
the one hand adopting a Projections Tariff to
save herself from commercial ruin from the Free
Trade Tariff of Great Britain, and Canada on
the other hand, disposed to negotiate a Recipro-
city Treaty with the United States-the Hon.
Mr.. Carter's pet policy for Hawaii mel
With these preliminary remarks, we now pro-
pOse-as we consider this a circumstance which
is calculated to interest all classes of our COM
mercial community, as well as our political men,
or, in general terms, the King and country-to
draw up a statement of this case from the
columns of the Times, even though we should
be obliged to exceed somewhat the limits of an
ordinary editorial article-belieVing that our
readers will find this new Free Trade complica-
ton highly interesting at the present conjuncture.
The issues of the Times to which we refer are
those of last August 21st, 25th, 9th, and Both.
Under the heading of IS the Spanish Tariff
that journals issue of August 21st publishes
what may be termed a statement of the case as
follows -
British Trade with Spain in 1876 showed imports from
that country amounting in value to fs, 763, LAG, and exports
valued at "a, 1885, 98. The general history of the last ten
years QlSCl0Seu b gradual Increase OF trade. The imports had
increased by so per cent and the exports had doubled. An
exceptional movement in 1873 made the imports greater than
in any other year. This gradual development will now be
rudely interrupted by the step, taken with unwonted prompti-
tude, OF the Spanish government in raising the customs tariff.
A reduction OF duties has been fixed in favor Of countries
which have Commercial Treaties with Spain. England,
which admits to the benefits of Free Trade merchandise ar
irving under any flag, is excluded from fiscal advantages.
France and the United States suffer the same exclusion. The
favored nations are Austro-Hungary, Belgium, Germany,
Italy, Morocco, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia. Norway,
and Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey. The Budget was
passed on the 11th of July; on the 18th, the Tariff received the
appreciation of the King. On the 2lst the King fixed the date on
which II should come into force. 1t was published in the
Madrid Gazette on the 22nd Of July, and came into operation
on the 1st Of the present month. Some Of the more startling
results of the new regulations have been already published in
these (Tines) columns. For instance, gray yarns from En-
gland are to pay 74s. per cWt; from other countries, 4ss. per
cwt. Bredford dress goods zoos. from other countries, 140s.
per cwt."
Then follows the enumeration of the duties
imposed on the several articles of trade set forth
in the new Spanish Protectionist Tariff. 1t is
noteworthy that England, France and the United
States are equally and alike excluded from the
advantages of this new Spanish Tariff. In the
same issue of August 2lst, the Times has a
long editorial article on the subject of the new
Spanish Tariff in question. With a degree of
naivete which is highly amusing, the Times re-
marks -
"There is at present no danger Of too rapid q triumph of
Free Trade. We may, in truth, remark on all sides a revival
Of Protectionist fallaeies."
The Times proceeds 20 comment on the deplor-
able want of faith in Free Trade which is still
evinced in France and Germany, although that
journal adds, Sc there is, perhaps, a frmer hold
of the truth of Free Trade in France than in
Germany The writer in the Times alludes to
Mons. Pouyer-Quertier, of whom he says that
he is f" a Protectionist, just as Lord George Ben
timex used to be, and will never change his opin-
IONS" 1t is plain that the friends of Free Trade
in Great Britain are beginning to take the alarm.
They think that by offering Free Trade to the
whole world, they are entitled to claim the same
treatment from all commercial nations-even
from Hawaii mel. They are disposed almost to
enforce their Free Trade principles by the logic
of the lannon's mouth. Thus, in this matter of
the new Spanish Tariff, the writer in the Times
p~ettishly remarks =
"our conduct Gas Free Traders) gives us a right to claim
-