Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-04-21
RECIPROCITY WITH SPAIN.


Basis of the Convention Between
That Government and the United
States-List of Articles That will be
Exchanged Free of Duty.
MADRID, April 20.-The reciprocity con-
vention between Spain and the United
States as drafted by Premier Canovas del
Castillo, representing Spain, and General
J. w. Foster, representing the United
States, is based, as far as the United States
is concerned, upon the third or reciprocity
section of the new American tariff law. In
return for the privilege of free entry into
the United States of Antilles sugars, mo-
lasses, coffee and hides and reduction of
emption from duties on most of her raw
and manufactured products and reduc-
ton of the tariff on cereals and flour. The
negotiations were protracted upon the ques-
ton of the entire abolition of the tariff on
cereals, fours and oils, including petroleum
and lard The same question in regard to
| tobacco was also raised, but not coming
| within the scope of the third section of
| the American tariff law was put aside.
Premier Canovas offered protracted resist
ance to the abolition of the tariff on -four
Barcelona and Santander traders, who are
| largely interested in -four shipments, pre-
sented energetic protests which fortified
the minister in his indisposition to accede
| to the American proposals. Eventually
representations that American reciprocity
would be impossible without the free ad-
| mission OF American cereals induced Pre-
| mier Canovas to assent to such a re-
duction of the tariff as will place Amer
| lean flour upon nearly equal footing
with Spanish flour. Santander merchants
declare that taking into consideration the
cost of the transportation of CASTLE grain, of
which the bulk goes to the Antilles, Ameri-
can -four will crush out the Spanish pro-
duct in the Spanish West Indies. Cuba
now consumes 200 barrels of flour
yearly-chiefy Spanish, which enters free
of duty-and pays for it $12 per barrel.
| Trade in American -four, burdened with
an extra duty of 80 per cent. since 1889,
has been completely wiped out to the ad-
vantage of the Spanish product. Under
the new convention the entry of American
-four practically free of duty will lower the
price to about Sc per barrel, and will ex-
tinguish the importation of Spanish -four
while increasing the Cuba consumption
to a million barrels yearly, all of
which will be American product. If the
pressure of Spanish interests had not been
counteracted by the demands of the Cnban
commission of notables who were deter
mined to obtain reciprocity with the United
States, Premier Canovas would have de-
clined to make such CONCESSIONS. The
prospect of dangerous tension of the re-
lations of Spain with Cuba and Porto
Rico, resulting possibly in civil
war, obliged the government tc
sacrifice home industries to colonial
II interests. Under the new convention
= America will obtain kind of zollvereir
J with the Spanish Antilles. Her wheat
beans, -four, lard, petroleum, manufact
ured products and machinery will enter
practically free of duty. Among othel
Spanish exports olive oil will be replaced
} to Cuba in large quantities, will cease t.
/ be sent. The advantages resulting to Cubs
will be great, but it is impossible to esti
mate the injury to Spanish trade.