The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-03-04
RECIPROCITY WITH MEXICO.
4 Country Where Time is no Object
Special Agents Observations.

= Country w here Time is no Object
Special Agents Observations.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-The report of
Special Agent Evans, of the treasury de-
9artment, ON the operations of trade be-
tween the United States and Mexico, as
the result of his Investigations under in
structions, has been received by Seere-
tary McCulloch. 1t sets forth that the
Mexican custon1s regulations are diff
cult of comprehension and unnecessarily
onerous, no less than seventeen papers or
copies being required to be presented on
direct Importation, and a consular in
voice, costing $1456, being required,
when the value of the goods exceeds $40.
Irregularities in papers, from whatever
cause, render the importer liable to a
charge of double, and in some cases, of
treble duty, and petty fines are imposed
for the omission of minor words and
misspelling. Everything seems to be
done by the customs officers to retard
business, trains carrying goods being de-
| layed, and permits and stamps being re-
quired at almost every stage of importa
ton, while the number of examinations
required after goods have passed the
frontier and paid duty are extremely an
noying, Independent of the delay. The
findings of one custom house do not ap-
pear to be regarded by the officials at an
other. and it is impossible to foretell
with any reasonable degree of certainty
the time when merchandise can be de-
livered or received or to estimate what
the goods shall cost when they reach the
importer.
On the question Of reciprocity Mr..
Evans says: Disappointment, in my
judgement, awaits any expectation of
benefit. OF the % articles to be admitted
free from Mexico under the treaty IA are
now free uuder the general tariff law.
OF the 73 articles to be introduced into
Mexico without duty so are now free ex-
cept charge for package or bulk duty,
and 90 comprise articles for which there
appears to be no market in Mexico"
He gives instances of unjust exaction
for irregularities in the mode of proce-
dure. In one Instance fine of 1000
was imposed upon the owner of machin-
cry shipped from San Francisco because
no manifest was produced, although he
had consular invoice and had been told
by the Mexican Consul that certified
manifest was not required.
Mexico he continues, ''does not ap-
pear to be in condition, financially, to
enter upon free trade relations with any
country. and it is also matter of grave
doubt whether she has Che power to en-
force such trade regulations among the
states." One of the greatest drawbacks
to commerce is the insecurity of life and
property and another is the slow-going
methods of the natives, to whom appa-
rently timeis no object. The report COM
ments unfavorably on the social condi-
| ton of the Mexican people, saying '',hey
have no arts but the rudest, noliterature,
no school system, no modern agricultu-
raj implements, and no accurate krowl-
edge of their population, having never
taken a census. / have given some of the
convictions forced upon me, that the
traffic possibly, certainly rot within the
near future, cannot and will not be i'm
portant to the United States.