Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-10-21
THE NEW CUBAN rARnF.

Cubans Awake to Their Interests-A
Strong Sentiment Favorable to Re.
ctprocal Relations The United
States the Greatest Market for Gu
ban Goods.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct 2O.-The de-
partment of state has received copy of
the minutes of the debates which have re-
Gently taken place in the chamber of, COM
merce Of Havana with reference to the
Mckinley bill and the question of reci-
procity.. This statement, which was trans
mitted to the Spanish minister of the col
onies, was accompanied by letter from
Segundo Alvarez, president, and Satur-
nino Martinez, secretary general of the
chamber, which shows the existence of
strong sentiment favorable to reciprocal
relations with the United States This
statement was sent to the minister in re-
Spouse to message from him requesting
suggestions from the chamber as to
any notifications desired in the proposed
new Cuban tariff. The letter says the
chamber thought it proper not only to
consider the new Cuban tariff bill, but
also corelative matters which, owing to
their natural and logical connection, di-
rectly affect the financial 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 of reciprocity is definitely adopted
in the tariff of the United States and if
the changes made in our tariffs are not
such as to correspond with that reform.
The writer's further say that the new
Cuban tariff proposed by Spain must be
preceded by the repeal of the act of 1882,
because that act creates insuperable obsta-
cles to the development of the foreign
commerce of Cuba which is indispensable
to the encouragement of the cultivation of
it's products. The consumption of sugar
they say, is so limited in the Spanish
peninsular that Cuban producers are COM
PEELED to seek other markets for their
Commodities. The law of 1882
which abolishes all import duties
on goods coming from Spain is stated to
be the cause Of incalculable injury, for
Cuba must not expect more favorable treat
ment in foreign markets for its produc-
ton than is accorded in it's ports to for
eign goods. 1t is here, they say, that the
pernicious effects of the law become mani
fest. The conditions are such that the
trade between the mother country and the
COlOAlcS 10 uOU SuLlClcaO LII OuclI buppOIb.
We have become convinced, the letter con-
tinues. that our production will die out if
we are debarred from offering our pro-
auctions in those markets where they
would really find consumers on the same
terms on which similar goods are offered
by other countries. The opinion of all
Cubans is that this law which interferes
with their trade should be re-
pealed. With equal unanimity the
writers add it is considered that
the greatest market for Cuban goods is the
nation whose ports lie at it's 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 just as England is of
the money market. The law makers of
fectly we'll that the people whom them
represent have an abundance of the neces-
saries of life. They know that by impos-
ing heavy duties upon the manufactured
goods of Europe they favor the develop
ment of their own industries, compel the
well-to-do classes to pay indirect taxes
and that they have no cause to fear Eu-
ropean reprisals, because such reprisals
would have to apply to ce-
reals, meat, petroleum, etc., which
are the very articles that those nations
aDSOlutely require. Inc united otateS
care but little for reciprocity with Europe
for they know that Europe has need of
them and they will grant it or refuse it as
may suit their own interests; they care a
great deal, however, for reciprocity with
the nations of America and are seeking to
establish it. They want sugars of low
grade for their refineries, also coffee,
hides and timber and they think they can
get them by reciprocity. Attention is
then called to the fact that Brazil is pre-
pairing to secure the market of the
United States for its sugar and to the ad
ditional fact that the government is
encouraging sugar production by large
loan to planters. The manner in which
Brazil wrested from Cuba the palm of be-
ing the chief coffee producer is alluded to
and warning is sounded that the same
thing may happea with regard to sugar
The letter closes with the expression of
the hope that the gravity of these economi-
cal problems in the Antilles will receive
the attention they deserve and with the
apprehension, well founded, the writers
think that Cuban productions, especially
sugar, may be unable to compete in the
North American market with that of other
suuar-nroducinu countries