The Globe-republican., 1891-11-19
RECIPROCITY.

les Limit Undefined-The Tariff Re-
|. formers Left Without a Plank to
Stand On.
WASHINGTON, D. C.-What will the
tariff reform issue have to feed upon
when the present administration COM
pletes the reciprocity work now laid
out? The reciprocity policy has a great
field before it. It's scope is not yet ap-
preciated. Even the West Indian and
Central American colonies OF Great
Britain have the power, with the ap.
proval of the colonial governors, to reg.
ulate duties on imports, and it is under
stood that most of them desire to enter
into reciprocal relations with the United
States. The provielons OF the third
section OF the tariff act will soon be in
full operation. The president will be
free to exercise at his discretion the
authority with which he was clothed
by the last congress in respect to the
the further admission, free Of duty, OF
sugar, coffee, hides and tea products
imported from countries which decline
to enter into reciprocal commercial ar
rangements with the United States.
There is good reason to believe that
agreements will be concluded and pro-
claimed with several countries, neg0tia-
tions with which have been pending
for some time past, and slso that Ger
many will soon be able to give public
notice of her agreement with the United
States. No time has been lost or effort
spared by the administration since the
law was enacted. to execute its prOvi-
sions by such negotiations as have ap-
peared to be practicable, and large
measure of success has already crowned
those efforts. Few persons are probably
aware that more than one-fourth of all
the importations into the Unitee States
consists OF coffee, sugar and hides,
which are conditionally placed or con-
tinued on the free list by the last con-
gress. To be exact, the total importa-
tions of all articles in the year ended
June 80, 1880, amounted to $7S9,31O,-
400, end the total value of coffee, hides
and mo,asses and sugar not above No.
13, amounted to $2O1, ,4O4,O84.
The relative proportion which coffee,
hides, sugar and molasses bore to the
total importations for the year ended
June 80, 1891, was still greater, and this
is what the administration has got to
treat upon in demanding reciprocal ad-
vantages from these countries. The
of the work already accom-.
plished by the administration under the
third section of the act, will be clearly |
and better appreciated by
the mere statement that reciprocity
agreements already concluded and in
force, and the reciprocity treaty with |
Hawaii which is still in force, cover con- |
siderablv more than one half of the an |
nual importatlons of coffee, hides, sugar
and molasses. The total importation |
Of those articles from Brazil, Cuba,
Porto Rico, Hawaii and San Domingo,
in the year ended June 30, 1890,
to $105. 358, ,962; the total |
from all other countries amounted to
only $96,O45, 122, of which Germany
$18. ,O22, which amount
being deducted in anticipation of the
early PRONUNCIATION of an agreement
with that country, leaves only $77,317,-
100. The administration will use this
trade of S77,O0O.0O0 for all it is worth
in requiring reciprocity concessions.
The following shows the countries which
can be reached and the extent to which
heir trade may be affected unless they
shall find the way clear to enter into
arrangements, or the pres
dent ehall become convinced that it
will be impracticable for them to do SO.
Imports into the United States of
sugar, coffee, tea and hides: