Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-07
DELEGATE ESTEE.
His Impressions of the Pan
American Congress.
An Outline of the Work Ac-
cOmplished.
He Thinks 1t Will in Time Bear
Rich Fruit.
The Lack of Trade With South America
Attributed to the Absence of
Mere h ant Marine.
Associated Press Dispatches.


SAN Francisco, May 6.-The annual
banquet of the San Francisco chamber of
commerce was held at the Palace hotel
this evening, Ex-Governor George c.
Perkins presiding. Many prominent
guests were present. The banquet was
held at later time of the year than
customary, in order to enable Hon. NJ
M. Estee, delegate to the recent interna-
tional American congress, to be present
and outline the work of the conference.
Mr.. Estee was heartily cheered when he
arose to speak. He commenced his adj
dress by referring to the novelty of the
recent conference, and the fact that
there were more nations represented
than had ever before met together for
any purpose. The gravest question
which the conference had to consider
was "What would be of advantage to
all the American republics ?" There
was substantial unanimity on the sub
ject of international arbitration, and
also upon all questions tending
to build up trade between the Ameri-
can states. Reciprocity could not be
reached without change in the revenue
laws Of all the American countries, and
could not be accepted by any American
nation until some other means was
adopted to provide for revenues to main
tain their governments. Free trade was
impossible, because every American
nation largely maintained it's govern
ment by imposing duties on imports.
The speaker declared that it was
fallacy to suppose that the United States
tariff laws had any considerable effect
on our trade with South America, or
that an adequate remedy for the evils
complained of would be found in recip-
rocity. The conference therefore deemed
1t best to adopt as far as possible uni
form commercial and trade relations
without attempting to change import
duties.
Mr. Estee said that hitherto the
United States had neglected the South
American trade, and the principal cause
was that the United States had not
maintained a merchant marine, and that
the prestige Of American influence was
lost by transporting our products on
foreign ships. He said the South
Americans treated us as peddlers when
we sent them American goods in British
ships. The business world forgets a
country whose flag is never seen. Sta
tistics for the past year showed that the
United States bought So per cent. of the
exports of the other American republics,
while the latter bought of the United
States but a fraction over Is per cent. of
their imports.
1t was one of the aims of the confer
ence to furnish remedy for this condi-
ton of things, and among the recon-
mendations which the representatives of
the eighteen American republics made to
their respective governments were the
following:
A uniform system of weights and
measures; the survey Of a railroad from
Mexico to the Argentine republic; the
subsidizing of steamer lines from San
Francisco to Valparaiso and intermediate
ports; from New York and the Atlantic
ports to Buenos Ayres and Rio Janeiro,
and between United States, Mexican and
Central American ports; uniform sys-
tenn OF customs regulations, with general
recommendations as to customs union
providing for an international bank, an
American monetary union, and for arbi-
tration in all matters affecting the peace
or integrity of the American states.
Mr.. Estee expressed the belief that
while some of these recommendation
will be neglected, others will ripen into
truition. He said: "No part of the
American union will receive greater ad-
vantages from this conference than the
Pacific states and territories, because we
are more remote from the eastern por-
tion of our own country than from a
large part of Mexico and Central Amer
ica. Our trade with the countries south
of us is necessity to us; their trade
with us is a necessity to them. The
Central and South American republics
are willing to pay their share to main
tain steamship communication with us,
and this great country will have to bear
its portion or cease to compete in the
American markets."
Mr.. Estee said, in part, in closing:
"When American lines of steamers shall
regularly ply to all American ports !;
when we shall have adopted uniform
standard of American customs when all
the American republics shall have direct
communication with each other; when
arbitration shall be the universal rule on
the western continent, then we will reap
some of the rewards of this conference,
and the world will look upon it's labors
as the most spendid achievement of the
age"
Other addresses were made by Major
General Nelson A. Miles. Rear Admiral
George Brown, Collector &. Phelps, Irv-
ing M. Scott, Mayor Pond, Captain T..
Merry and Hon. George 7. Bromeley.