The Wilmingtonian., 1884-12-13
War Tax es In Tlme of Ponce.

A short visit to Washington naturally
made me anxious to learn something of the
proposed Spanish reciprocity treaty Com.
mercial treaties are supposed to reduce
taxes and lead to free trade. Unfortunately
we have seen, as in the treaty with the
Sandwich Islands, quite the contrary. While
that one-sided treaty has undoubtedly en-
riched some private interests to large
extent, it has not much benefited the people
on the Pacific coast. And, although San
Francisco imports some 100, 900, 600 pounds
of raw sugar free OF duty from the Hawaiian
Islands, yet sugar is dearer in California
than in Chicago, where duty of 2 cents
pound in average has to be paid. In short,
reciprocity treaty may be made for the bene-
fit of monopoly and be detrimental to freeing
commerce from its shackles.
But to return to this proposed Spanish
West Indian treaty. Nobody in Washing
ton seems, except the President and Cabinet,
to have seen the real text of the treaty But
all agree that the basis is free raw sugar
from Cuba and Port Rico as the main fea-
ture, and reduction of duties i'll Cuba ON
| our exports.
| Now, it is almost inconcevable how we
can afford to allow some 1900, 900, 600
pounds of raw sugar to come in free of duty,
and charge cents a pound duty on 1,3OO,-
O00,0 pounds ofsugar that came to us
from all the rest of the world. What effect
would such policy have? There can be
no doubt the raw sugar from Cuba that has
not paid duty of cents pound in New
York would bring as much money as SINH
lar sugar testing the same strength by the
polariscope, and coming from the French
| West Indian Islands that paid the duty of .
cents pound. Who will benefit by this
cents pound remission of duty on the
Cuban sugar? Clearly not the American
consumer, because he has to pay duty on
the ], 300, 100000 pounds of sugar coming
from other countries, which decidedly
edualizes the price OF the whole consump-
| tion.
Again, if it should be argued that the
other sugar-producing countries outside of
Cuba would have to lower their prices 9
cents pound in. order to meet the Cuban
opposition, the answer is clear and forcible-
that the average price of raw sugar is about
A cents pound and it goes without saying
that it would be impossible for planters to
produce sugar at cents pound. We'll.
then, clearly tax Of at least $50, 600, 900 to
SS4, 600, 600 annually pressed out of the peo
pie Of this country must go to benefit Cuba.
am not at present prepared to go into
details on this treaty, as the text is not yet
before us. | shall certainly consider this
treaty in good time in all its phases. AT
present look upon this proposed treaty as a
gigantic scheme. And may be pardoncd
Tor surmising that some of the Paris Bourse
Ethlopians are peepng out of the fence
There is tritle of "A debt that Cuba owes
believe it is $75,0OO,OOO OF course she
owes great deal more. But these $7j, ,OO0,-
600 bonds are held by the Colonial Bank of
Barcelona. the parties interested in these
'bonds" are said to be from the very high-
est downward. But suppose great many
of these bonds are held in Paris
The Spanish Cuban-Amercan reciprocity
treaty would make these bonds rather vain.
able, las indeed would the local debt of Cuba
become valuable also. AS usual in financial
affairs schemes are discounted, and agitation
may be of great value even if reality after
ward dispels the golden illusion. The Sec
retary of the Treasury, who certainly must
know something of the text Of this proposed
treaty, seems rather to put wet blanket
on all reciprocity treaties. He says: "The
advantage to be derived from such treaties
would be restricted and partial" which is
exactly the very gst of that policy-'re-
strcted" and ''partal'' to Cuba, but rather
detrimental to the 60, ,OOO 900 taxpayers at
home.
Now, as shall not again revert to this
treaty until see the text, l wish to put
myself on record that first, believe in free
sugar, pure and simple; that is, FREQ refined
sugar as well as free raw sugar; the time
has come when sugar can be refined as
cheaply here as abroad, and, as a late
lamented statesman said, ''It is only ques-
ton of finance;" second, as free sugar may
not be possible all at once, IA substantial re-
duction in the present duties ought, in the
interest of consumers, to be made, and thus
lessen the present onerous war taxes in time
Of peace.
i 6 JDnRE