Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-04-24
RECIPROCITY TREATY WITH SPAIN.
1t Makes Granl o,en,ug for American
T.ou~ Merchants.

MADHIp, April % The reciprocity con
ventiou rntvocc Snai1 and the United
States. rs dr lftet hy Premier C.nota, Del
Castillo. representing SJli1. AMI IN. !.
". Fo.ter. lcpresont.n5 the Urilel states,
i based As ter Is the Uuitcd state, j, con-
cetrcl, upon the tA.rl or reciprocity sec
ton - tnr new American tariF wv IN
re,u L tor tue privilege OF free entry into
u" UIij.d state. Of Antilles sugars, mplas-
ses. coffee aud hides, and reiuction OF the
duty Oh tea. America wil obtain exemption
from duties on post o. uer raT and ma
lGCturoI iroducts and auction of the
tariff on cereals and ii"Ur.
The negotiations wore nrntracted upon
tLt onIo,ti of the entire al ltlun of She
tariff on c-enl, liours eni o /. intending
petroleum aud lard. TIC same question in
regard to tnbacco was also raised, but not
comin6 wilma the scope of the third section
OF the American tariff law, was put aside.
Premier Canovas offered protractad ress
ta1cc to tho abolition OF the tHr.R on -four.
Enrcelona mi SGnlandcr traders who arc
largely Interested in flour shipments present.
ell energetic protests which fortified tho
minister In his indisposition TO acce ie to the
American proposals. Eventually, represen-
impossible without the free admission OF
Amer can ciels, induced Premier Canovas
TO assent to such a deduction Of the tariff
as will place American -four upon nearly
equal footing with Spanish four
Santander merchants declare that taking
into consideration the cost OF the transpor-
tat!Cn Of CASTLE grain of which the bulk
goes to the Antilles, American flour Will
crush out the Spanish product in the Span
ish West Indies. Cuba now consumes 300
coo barrels of -four Yearly-chie1y Spanish
which entors free Of duty and pays for II
SIP per barrel. Trade in American -four,
burdened with an extra duty of 90 per cent
since 1889, has been completely wiped out
to the advantage Of the Spanish product.
| Jnier the new convention the entry o!
| American flour practically free of duty, will
lower the price to about 50 per barrel and
will eXtinguish the Importation of Spanish
-four while increasing the Cuban consump
ton to LOCO, 900 barrels yearly, al oil
which will be American product. If the
pressure of Spanish interests had not been
counteracted by the demands of the Cuban
commission Of notables, who were deter
mined to obtain reciprocity with the United
States, Premier Canavos would have de
clined TO make such CONCESSIONS The pros
poets Of a dangerous tension of the rea
tons Of Spain with Cuba and Porto Rico,
resulting possibly in civil war, Obliged th'
government to sacrifice home industries L
colonial interests.
Under the new convention America viii
obtain a kind OF zolverein with the Span
ish Antilles. Her wheat, beans, -four, lard
petroleum. manufactured products aud m IA
chinery will enter practically free OF duty
Among other Spanish exports olive oil vii
be replaced by American lard and beans
now exported to Cuba in large quantities
will cease to be sent. The advantages re
sulting to Cuba will be great, but it is i'm
impossible to estimate the injury to Spanish
trade.