New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-11
THE FIGURES OF RECIPROCITY.

THE FIGURES OF RECIPROCITY.
The Bureau of Statistics, by timely pub
lication concerning the commerce OF ooutn
American countries, has enabled the people 10
appreciate the value of the Reciprocity treaties
which this Administration has negotiated. The
poicy communicated TO the country by Mr..
Blaine just about year ago was inspired by
the wonderful growth of the commerce OF Latin
America. Since 1870 it had increased In the
sum OF S494, 422, 91S, or 1925 per cent,
amounting in 1889 to S1,2os,S77, Ala. Our
part in this great trade had grown with that OF
other countries, but it had not grown in the
right direction nor considering our geographical
situation had 1t grown in anything like proper
amount Our aggregate trade was much larger
than that of any European country, but 1t was
one in which we were enormous buyers and small
sellers Taking the year 1889, and including
all the countries of Mexico, Central America,
the West Indies and South America, it appeared
that we had bought to the value OF S2O7,-
3s4,3S9, or 3597 per cent OF their total ex-
ports but had sold to the value OF only
So ,sO4,64O, or 1896 per cent OF their total
imports, while Great Britain, our leading rival,
had bought only $50, 4S4,50S, or 1882 per
or 35. O4 per cent of their imports. In certain
cases, as in those of Brazil and Cuba, these dis
PARTIES were especially marked. The exports
of Brazil had gone in the following amounts
To the United States, $50 62O,047i to Great
Britain. S24. 676211 to France, S26179, 2O3
and TO Germany, 500 ,164996, while her i'm
ports were brought from the United States in
the amount of S1O,S4S,271; from Great Brit
ain, S32.S5O,573 from Germany, S1S,952,-
500, and from France, S1S,467,23O. The
trade of Cuba and Porto Rico was similarly d.
rooted to our disadvantage While selling us
goods to the amount of S612O2,084; England
to the amount of sos, 1856, and Spain Of
SO. 7S6,O26, they bought of us only S14,270,-
GS3 of England, $13,466, $50, and of Spain,
S19127,O72.
The reciprocal treaties negotiated by Mr..
Blaine with Brazil and the Spanish West Indies
are drawn upon the principle that one good turn
deserves another, and that, their products being
preferred in our markets, ours should be pre-
ferred in theirs Accordingly, they propose to
admit certain of our productions at heavy dis
counts from their regular tariffs, and an ex-
animation of these goods and the character of
their trade in them heretofore enables us to
appreciate what we have gained by Mr.. Baine's
diplomacy. We already monopolized BraziPs
trade in imported breadstuffs and provisions, so
that our advantage there accrues simply from
the increased purchases likely to result from
their position on the free list This is also true
of agricultural tools and scientific instruments.
Coal, however, which is now to be sent from
this country free of duty, was purchased by
Brazil in 1889 from Great Britain in the sum
Of S2,294,671, and from us Of only S46,750
Cotton manufactures now admitted from this
country at a 25 per cent reduction, were pur
chased from Great Britain, S12,499,274; from
Germany, S3,0S4, 004, and from the United
States, SS13,7O0. Manufactures Of iron and
steel, now admitted from the United States at
a similar reduction, were sold by us in that
year in the sum of S93s,659; by Germany,
S1,67S,376, and by England, S6,sO6,311.
Manufactures of leather similarly reduced, came
to Brazil in 1889 from France, S2,217,13S;
from England S1,O61,135; from Germany,
S4O6, O2s, and from the United States, S15,-
1911. The products now made free to American
exporters by this treaty were imported in that
year from the United States to the value of only
SO, 1914 ,G33, and from other foreign countries
to the value Of S16,6O9,3O6; and those the
tariff on which is reduced by % per cent to
American exporters were imported from the
United States, S2,035, 500, and from other
countries, S36,595,343 The value Of these
concessions is not matter of speculation.
The Cuban treaty is longer, more complicated
and probably even more valuable. Its prin
cipal features after July 1, 1892, are the adj
mission free of iron and steel manufactures,
vegetables, fish and provisions of breadstuffs
at specific duties much lower than the regular
tariff of earthenware copper, cutlery, furniture
and canned goods at a reduction of so per cent, !
and of petroleum, cotton goods, paper, leather |
goods and paints at a reduction of % per cent. |
In 1889 the Spanish West Indies imported |
breadstuffs from the United States, 50 292,374
from Spain. S1,546,4S3: chemicals from the |
United States, 1902, 713; from other countries
S530,716 copper from the United States !
S24950 from other countries, S97947 cot |
ton goods from Spain, SO, 667, 1876; from Eng |
land. S3,26S,47S; from the United States |
S17O462 earthenware from England, S109,- |
GAP, from Spain, S194,337 from the United |
States, 50, 500, and from other countries S14s,- !
500; manufactures of fax and hemp from the |
United States, S4S0.035; from England, 81 J
1904, and from Spain, SS15,4 25 manu-
features of leather from the United States, |
sos, S33 from France, S3O1,5O3, and from !
Spain, SO, PAS 1913. These figures illustrate the !
nature of the treaty That it will double our
export trade with Cuba is as certain as the
operation of any rule of mathematics. The pol
icy of Reciprocity is as practical as any ma
teralist could wish.