Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-21
CUBA COURTS US NOW
She Expresses Wish to Enter Into
Reciprocal Relations.
HER SPANISH TRADE TOO SMALL.
The United States Considered the Greatest
Market for Them.
MR.. BLAINE'S IDEA MEETS WITH FAVOR

WASHINGTON. October 20.-The Depart
ment of State has received copy OF the
minutes OF the debates which have recently
taken place in the Chamber OF Commerce of
Havana with reference to the Mckinley
bill and the question of reciprocity. This
statement which was transmitted to the
Spanish Ministers of the Colonies was ac-
companied by letter from Segunda Al
vardes, President, and Saturnino Martinez,
Secretary General of the Chamber. which
shows the existence of a strong sentiment
| favorable to reciprocal relations with the
United States. The letter says the Cham
ber thought it proper not only to consider
the new Cuban tariff bill, but correlative
matters which, owing to their natural and
logical connection, directly affect the f1nan-
cial condition of these provinces, which is
far from being prosperous and which may
become even worse than it now is, If, as is
possible, the principle eofreciprocltyls of defn-
itelv adopted in the the tariff o. the United
States. and ii the changes made in our tariffs
are not such as to correspond with that re-
form.
The writers further say that the new
Cuban tariff proposed by Spain must be
preceded bv the repeal of the act of 1882,
cles to the development of the foreign COM
merce of Cuba, which is indispensable TO
the encouragement OF the cultivation of its
products. The law of 1882 which abolishes
import duties on goods coming from Spain
is stated to be the cause of incalculable in
jury, for Cuba must not expect more
favorable treatment in foreign markets for
its productions than is accorded in its ports
to foreign goods Tt is here, they say, that
the pernicious effects of the law have become
manifest. The conditions are such that the
trade between the mother country and the
colonies is not sufficient for their support.
"We have become convinced" the letter
continues, that our production will decay
and die out il we are debarred from offering
our productions in those markets where they
would really find consumers on the sane
terms of which similar goods ar offered by
other countries
The opinion Of all Cubans is that this law,
which interieres with their trade, should be
repealed. With equal unanimity, the
writers add, it is considered that the greatest
market for Cuban goods is the nation whose
ports lie at its very door. The Chamber of
Commerce, they say, does not hesitate to
affirm that the United States are to-day the
regulators of the economical market inst as
England is of the money market The law
makers of the United States, they further
say, know perfectly we'll that the people
whom they represent have an abundance of
the necessaries of life. They know that by
imposing heavy duties upon the manu-
factured goods of Europe they favor the de-
velopment of their own industries, compel
the well-to-do classes to pay indirect taxes,
and that they have no cause to fear Euro
Dean reprisais, because such reprisals would
have to apply to cereals, meat, petroleum.
etc., which are the very articles that those
nations absolutely require.