Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-04-02
SOUTH AMERICAN RECIPROCITY


Our esteemed contemporary. the San
Francisco Bulletin, in discussing the rumor
to the effect that the Pan-American Con-
gress would perhaps resolve in favor Of
complete reciprocal trade relations with
the South American States, equivalent to
free trade relation, declares that the peo-
pie OF Mexico, South America and the
West Indies can produce fruits, raisins
sugar and other objects of field culture,
and import them into the United States
much cheaper than they can be produced
at home.
If 1t be true that the indolent Mexican.
or the slothful Portuguese and Spaniard in
Brazil and Cuba, through the labor of the
lazy peone, can produce any object Of field
culture cheaper than the people of the
United States, then lack of intelligence,
Incidence, sloth and enervating climate
are factors of economic production. Every
thoroughbred disciple of the doctrine of
protection is constantly procIaiming the
superior economic methods of production
IN other countries, and the inferior pro.
ductlve capacity in our own. If all other
nations can surpass US in the economies of
production, then one great essential of
civilization has been overlooked in our
country, for economic production, either
IN neld culture or in artistic and skilled
labor, is the result of intelligence and in
dustry. 1t is between two nations as be.
tween two neighbors. The intelligent
farmer ought to be able to reap a
more abundant harvest as the re-
suit of his labor than the ignorant. in
dolent, slothful farmer who cultivates land
under exactly analogous conditions. The
United States comprises territory embrac-
ing every climatic condition necessary to
produce the entire round of the objects of
human desire. Is 1t true that we have not
the intelligence or industry to take ad-
vantage of these climatic advantages? Is
1t true that all other peoples under the
sun have productive capacity superior to
our own? Then it follows that nothing
we produce, nothing put forth as the re-
suit of our skill or our industry, can be sold
to other than our own people. If ali other
nations surpass US in economic production
then ali other nations can buy of each other
or themselves cheaper than of us. If we
stand alone as the most extravagant pro-
dueers in the world, then we must trade
with ourselves solely, and a scale of high
prices will neutralize all devices of pro
duction by equalizing the purchasing
power OF all articles produced within our
borders. The underlying truth in this
matter is that We can produce fruits m ore
cheaply than Mexico.
Government with us ought TO be more
economic. 1t is not so in California un-
der existing conditions, but it is so in mcst
of the States of the Union hence taxation
should be less. In the second place, the
productive capacity of an individual la
borer is proportioned to his intelligence
and industry. The intelligence and in
dustry Of the people of America surpass
those Of the Mexican or Brazilian. In the
next instance, ingenuity is capable of
adopting economic methods Labor aid
ing machinery may reduce the cost of pro-
duetion. Cheap transportation should be
a concomitant of intelligence and indus
try, and thus production with us should
be cheaper than with any other nation. If
costliness of production is an inheritance of
free institutions, then industrial and com
mercial isolation is the ultimate goal of
all free people
a comparison of statistical facts bearing
or the subject proves conclusiyely that
raisins can be grown more cheaply in Cal
ifornia than in Italy and Spain, notwith-
standing the difference in the rate Of
wages. In England to-day the regular
church 1.-THE rate on cultivated land is
81 so an acre. Just so soon, however. as
the acreage owing this tithe is planted to
orchard, from the date of the planting the
annual 1.-THE is s. an acre. Since 4 per
cent. Is the ruling rate OF interest in Eng
land the capitalized value on this tax is
S125 per acre. This tithing is q perpetual
mortgage upon the land. 1t can be dis
charged by the payment to the church of
twenty or twenty-five years tithing in ad-
vance, but an orchard in England is per-
petually mortgaged to support public
worship on the sum Of S125 an acre. This
sum is charged from the date of the plant
ing and during the existence of TIE
orchard or until the trees are re-
moved and the land restored to other
culture. In England il requires six years
to bring an orchard into its first bearing.
Thus the fruit.grower of that country
must pay the ruling rate of interest on
mortgage Of Sl25 per acre, and this in ad-
dition 70 other taxes, 50 that when his
orchard is brought into bearing, he has
eisea the Church Of England $50 an acre.