Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-06-26
AMERICAN COMMERCE.

the Carrying Out of the Recommends
tions of the Pan-American Congress In
Relation to the Establishment of Re-
| ciprocaI Trade Relations Between the
| Western Nations Transmitted to Con-
grC~s by the President.
| WASHINGTON, June 2O-The Presi-
dent transmitted to Congress yesterday
the report and recommendations OF the
| international conference, on ''Cus-
TOMS" The report upon the Customs
Union" adopted by the International
American Conference is accompanied
| by a letter of Mr.. Blaine to the Presi-
dent, briefly reviewing the proceedings
of the conference, which declared that
partial reciprocity between the Amer
lean republics was not only practicable,
but must necessarily increase the trade
and the development of the material
resources of the coun tries adopting that
system, and it would in all probability
bring about as favorable results as
those produced by free trade among the
different States of this Union. The
conference recommended, therefore,
that the several governments repre-
scented negotiate reciprocity treaties
upon such a basis as would be accept
able in each case, Taking into consid-
Grafton the special situations conditions
and interests of each country, and with
| view to promote their common well
| fare
| only those" writes Mr.. Blaine, "who
| have given the subject careful study realize
the magnitude of the commerce of these
! sister nations. In 1855 the combined imports
of Chilli and the Argentine Republic reached
the enormous sum of S233, 127 ,69S. The sta
tistics of CHILEAN commerce for 1889 have not
| xatb hoo, l,rrtf l,n ,Ft
| Argentine Republic for that year were $143,-
100000 These imports consisted in the
| greater part, of articles that could have
been fnrnis he'd by the manufacturers of the
United States, yet in 1883, of the total of
| 900 imports, we contributed but s13.-
| 100000, while England contributed 100000, 900,
| Germany $43,o000O0 and France S34,00oO00.
With our extraordinary increase in popu-
! lation, and the even more extraordinary in
| crease in material wealth, our progress in
! trade with South America has been strange
| ly hindered and limited In 1868 our total
| exports to Eli the world were $780, 900, OF
| which $50, 1877 900 went to South America-14
| per cent. In 1888 our exports to all the
| world were $742, 26s 900, an increase of one
| hundred per cent; while but S69, 273. 0J0 went
| to Spanish Amerca-a little more than per
| cent.-and the greatest gain ($9,0OO000) has
| been noticed during the last two years.
| 1t was the unanimous judgment of the
| delegates that our exports to those coun-
| tries and to the other republics could be
! increased to great degree by the negotia-
| ton of such treaties as are recommended
| by the conference. The practical, every
| day experience of our merchants engaged
in the trade demonstrates beyond ques-
ton that in all classes of merchandise
which we have long and successfully pro.
duced for export, they are able to compete
with their European rivals in quality and in
price and the reiterated statements that
our Latin American neighbors do not buy
of us because we tax their products, has
been annually contradicted by the statistics
of our commerce for a quarter of a century.
The lack of means for reaching their mar
kets has been the chief obstacle in the way
of increased exports. The carrying trade
has been controlled by European merchants
who have forbidden an exchange of com
mOdities. The merchandise we sell in South
America is carried there in American ships,
or foreign ships chartered by American
houses. The merchandise we buy in South
America is brought to us in European yes
sells that never take return cargoes, but sail
for Liverpool, Havre. Bremen or Hamburg,
with wheat, corn and cotton. There they
load again with manufactured goods for the
South American markets, and continue their
triangular voyages, paying for the food they
are competed to buy of us with the proceeds
of the sale of their man ufactures in markets
that We could and would supply il We con-
troled the carrying trade.
The conference believed that, while great
profit would come to all the countries if re-
ciprocity treaties should be adopted, the
United States would be by far the greater
gamer. The articles we export to our neigh
bors are subjected to heavy customs taxes,
80 heavy in many cases as to prohibit their
consumption by the masses of the people.
On the other hand more than eighty seven
per cent. of imports from Latin Amer
lea are admitted free, leaving but twelve
per cent upon which duties may still be re-
moved. But mindful of the fact that the
United States has from time to time
moved the duties from coffee. cocoa, India
rubber, hides, cinchena bark, dye and cab
met woods, and other Latin American pro-
ducts our Government may confidently ask
the concessions suggested. The increased
exports would be drawn alike from our
farms, factories and our forests. None
of the Latin American countries produce
building lumber; the most of them are de-
pendent upon foreign markets for their
breads tufts and provisions, and in few is
there any opportunity or inclination for
mechanical industry. The effect of such
reciprocity would be felt in every portion of
the land.
In closing his letter the Secretary
says:
Fifteen of the seventeen republics with
which we have been in conference have in
dictated by the votes of thei Representatives
in the international American Conference
and by other methods which it is not nee
essary to define. their desire to enter upon
reciprocal commercial relations with the
United States. The remaining two express
equal Willingness could they be assured
that their advances would be favorably con-
Sidered.
To escape the delay and uncertainty of
treaties, it has been suggested that a prac-
ticable and prompt mode of testing the
question was to submit an amendment to
the pending Tariff bill, authorizing the
President to declare ports of the United
States free to all the products of any alton
of the American hemisphere upon which no
port duties are imposed, whenever and SO
long as such nations shall admit to its ports
free of all national, provincial (State),
municipal and other taxes, flour,
corn meal and other Dreadstuffs; pre-
served meats; fish, vegetables and
fruits, cotton seed oil, rice and other provi-
sions, including all articles of food; lumber,
furniture and other articles of wood; agri-
cultural implements and machinery; min
ing and mechanical machinery; structural
steel and iron; steel rails, locomo tives, |
railway ears and supplies; street cars and |
ular articles because they have been most |
frequently referred to as those with which a |
valuable exchange could be readily effect |
enlarged by Il careful investigation of the |
foreign markets.
Gompers Win Be There.
New YORK, June 20.-Samuel Com
pers, president of the Federation of |
Labor, in reply to Mr.. Powderly's letter
81