Arizona republican., 1890-12-02
HARRISONS MESSAGE.
Continued from First Page.

end. We are under no disadvantage in any foreign market, except that we pay our workmen better wages than are paid elsewhere, better abstractly, and better relatively to the cost of the neces- saries of life. l do not doubt that a very large increased foreign trade is ac- cessible to us without bartering our home market for such products of the farm and shop as our people can supply, for the wages of our working people. In many of the | products of wood and iron and meats | and bread-stutfs we have advantages | that only need better facilities of inter- course and transportation to secure | large foreign markets.
 RECIPROCITY.
 The reciprocity clause of the tariff act wisely and effectively opens the way to secure large reciprocal trade in exchange for the free admission to our ports of certain products. The right of inde- pendent nations to make special recip- rocal treaty concessions is well estab- lished, and does not impair the comity due to other powers, or what IS known as the favored ma ton clause" so generally found in commercial treaties. What is given to one for an adequate agreed consideration can be claimed by another freely. The state of the revenue is such that we could dispense with any import duties upon coffee, tea, hides and the lower grades of sugar and molasses, that the large advantage resulting to coun- tries producing and exporting these ar ticles by placing them on the free list, entitled us to expect fair return In the way of custom concessions upon articles exported by us to them. It was SC ob- vious, that to have gratuitously aban- doned this opportunity would have been an unpardonable error. There were two methods of maintaining control oi this question open to Congress. To place all of the articles upon the dutiable list, subject to such treaty agreements as could be secured, or place them all on the free list, but subject to the reimposition of specified duties, if the countries from which we received them should refuse to give us suitable reciprocal benefits. This latter method possesses great advantages. It ex- presses in advance the consent of Con gress to reciprocity arrangements affect ing these products, which must have been delayed and uncertain until treaties were made and ratified by the Senate, and the necessary legislation enacted by Congress. Experience has shown that treaties looking to reciprocal trade have failed to secure a two-thirds vote in the Senate, and others have passed that stage that have for years awaited that concurrence of the House and Senate in such modification of our revenue laws as were necessary to give effect to their provisions. We now have the concurrence of both Houses in ad- vance in distinct and definite offer of free entry to our ports of specific articles. The Executive is not required to deal in conjectures as to what Congress will accept. Indeed, this reciprocity proyi- sion is more than an offer on our part that the bargain is complete, delivery has been made and when entries for which we receive sugar, tea and hides are placed on their free list such of our products as will be agreed on as equiva- lent for our concessions, proclamation of that fact completes the transaction, and in the meantime our people have free coffee, tea and hides. The indica- tions thus far given are very hopeful of early and favorable action by the coun- tries from which we receive our coffee and sugar, and it is believed that if steam communication with these coun- tries can be improved, next year will show most gratifying increase in our exports of bread-stuffs as well as some important lines of manufactured goods.
 OCEAN COMMERCE.
 h addition to the bills that became laws be- fore the adjournment of the last session, some other bills of the highest importance were we'll advauaad fo a final vnt sfa the calendar of the two houses in favored posi- tions. The present session has fixed limit and if these measures gre not now brought 70 final yote,all the work that has been done upon them by this Congress Is lost. The proper consdera. tion of these acts; of an appOrtonment bill and of the annual appropriation bills, will require not only that no working day of the session shall be allowed to interrupt or retard the prog ress of those bill of universal interest. In view of these conditions cannot refrain from bring ing before you this time some suggestion that might otherwise be made and most earnestly evoke your attention to your duty of perfeoting the important legislation now well advanced. Some of these measures which seem to me most important, briedy call your attention to, and desire to request with added urgency, the rec ommendatiOn contained in my last annual mes sage to the development of American steamship lines. The reciprocity clause of the Tariff bin will be largely limited and it's benefits retarded and diminished If provision is not contempor- aneously made to encourage the establishment oi first class steamship communication such nations as may meet our over lures for enlarged commercial exchanges steamship line carrying tfe mails steadily and frequently, and offering passengers a com fortable safe and speedy transit is the first con dition of foreign trade It not only carries the order of the buyer but 1t gives to the sailing vessels such cargoes as are not urgent or perish able, and indirectly promotes that adjunct of commerce. There is now, both in this country and in the nations of Central and South Amer lea, expectation and confidence as to the in- creased trade that will give double value to your prompt action upon this question. The present situation of our mail cOmmunica- ton with Australia illustrates the importance ofearly action by Congress The oceanic Steam ship Company maintains a line of steamers be. tween San Francisco, sydney and Auckland, consisting of three vessels, two of which are of United States registry and one of foreign reg is.ry. For the service done by this line in car rying the mails we pay annually the sum oi Si6,OO0, being estimated the full sea and United States inland postage, which is the limit fixed by law. The colonies of New South Wales and New Zealand have been paying annually Co these lines t3I,OOO for carrying the mails from | sydney and Auckland to San Francisco. The | contract under which this payment has been made Is now about to expire and these colonies | have refused to renew the contract unless the l United States shall pay more equitable pro | portion or the sum necessary to hold the ser vice. l am advised by the Postmaster General that the United States received for carrying the Australian mails brought Co San Francisco in | these steamers by rail tO Vancouver an esti- | mated annual income of S5,OOO while, as l have stated, we are paying out for the support | of the steamship line that brings this mail to | the United States only Si6,0OO, leaving an annual surplus resulting from this service of s2900O, | The trade of the United States witn | Australia which is in a considerable part | carried by these steamers and the whole of which is practio ally dependent on the mail eommuni | cation, which they maintain is largely in our