The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-02-12

with Brazil Naturalization ofthe Blaine Idea
Washington Post, Feb 81
The Post can positively state this morn-
ing that the first agreement under the
reciprocity clause of the new tariff law
between this government and South
American republic, is now an accomp-
lished fact Negotiations which have
been in progress between the United
States and Brazil for some months, re-
suited last Saturday in the signing of an
agreement by Secretary Blaine and
Senior Mendonca, the Brazilian minister.
This agreement has been approved by
President Harrison, and the proclama
tion announcing that fact would have
been issued last Tuesday, but for the
fact that President Fonseca, of Brazil,
with whom the plenipotentiaries here
have been in correspondence by cable,
requested a slight delay. No further
reason now exists for this delay, and the
proclamation will probably be made pub
lie tomorrow. 1t will be accompanied
by a message to Congress, in which the
President will state the advantages to be
gained by a reciprocity of trade. 1t is
probable that the correspondence which
has been in progress will also be trans
mitted to Congress.
The agreement will go into effect on
the 1st day of next January. It is the
direct result of the amendment proposed
by Senator Aldrieh to the Mckinley
tariff bill, and which is now a part of
that measure. This amendment, it will
be remembered, gave to the President
the power aud made 1t his duty to sus-
pend, by proclamation, the free intro
duetion into this country Of sugar, mo-
lasses, coffee, tea, and hides, from any
country from which these articles were
imported which imposed unequal and
unreasonable duties upon the agrieul-
tural and other products of the United
States. Instead of free entry, the Pre-
sideAt was empowered to impose duty
of from seven tentils of cent to 2 cents
Il lioaud on the various grades of sugar,
respectively. On molasses of cents a
gallon, n coffee cents q paupd, on tea
10 cent? 1. pound, and OH hides, Il cents
per pound.
When this provision became law the
balance of trade between the United
States and Brazil was largely in favor of
the latter country. Last year, in the
single item OF coffee, which has been on
the free list since 1878, this country i'm
ported $45, f00,0o0 worth, while the ports
ducts. The Brazilian government realiz-
ed that it must make some concessions
if it hoped to continue in possession of
the custom of the United STATES, and
negotiations were at once entered into.
These negotiations have been conduct
ed, however, in the most friendly spirit.
There has been no attempt to drive p
hard bargain with Bra@il, 1t was realiz-
ed that Brazil depended for her revenues
on import duties and that her treasury
was not burdened with surplus. As it
is, the Brazilian government reduces, by
the concessions granted to this country,
its annua. revenues to the amount of
$5,000 900 While this does not seem a
large amount in this country, it was
quite as far as Brazil could at present go.
Under the agreement coffee, tea, sugar,
molasses, and hides will continue on the
free list. At present the consumption of
sugar in this country is about 1000, 900
tons, Of which $500 tons is produced in
the Southern States, and in the sorghum
and maple sugar districts; 100000 tons
comes from Cuba and Porto Rico, and
1885, 600 tons comes from Brazil. The fact
that the production Of sugar in Brazil is
languishing was another important fac
tor in the negotiations. 1t is believed
now that under the stimulating influ-
ence of free imports Brazil will send this
year at least 100000 tons, next year 500, :
600 tons, and that within three years, or
five years at the furthest, Brazil will fur
nish, if necessary, every pound OF sugar
used in the United States. Its sugar
district is large enough to produce this
immense quantity just as soon as the
market is afforded. The result will be q
Il,li NEi lCodSpiOti ~ fly M Ivy ~ sSRSnl
for every consumer in this country.
The interests of the United States have
been admirably guarded by Secretary
Blaine. who in his negotiations has ar
ranged that every section shall be bene-
fitted by the new markets which Brazil
now opens for our productions. Brazil
has opened the door to the manufacture
ers of the East, the iron men of Penn
sylyania, the meat producers of the
West, and the great grain and -four pro
ducers of the South and Northwest. All
farm products are to be admitted free,
thus putting the United States on a bet
ter footing than is enjoyed by even the
Argentine Rupublic, which has hitherto
supplied Braail with cereals. The man
nfacturers OF agricultural implements
will also find q new market for their
goods. The flour manufacturers of Vir-
ginia, especially, will feel the good effect
of the agreements, for although large
quantity of -four Is now shipped from
Richmond and Newport News to Brazil
the amount will be largely increased.
Some idea of the far-reaching import
I ance of this reciprocal agreement may
be gathered from the est.mates which
have been made OF the increased trade
which will result At present the United
States pays to Brazil annually about
| $65, 100000, while it only receives SO, 900,
000 in return. 1t is expected that in
three years Brazil will pay the United
States in return for our manufacture
and products at least $4,000. 900, which
amount will be distributed through
every section of the country
Not only does Brazil place grea
many American articles on its free list
but it has been arranged that on othel
articles, in the manufacture of which
Europe completes with this country, the
/ tariff will be lowered in our favor to al
extent which will make it more profita
4 BILE for Brazilians to import goods from
this country than from Europe. This
discrimination is to be shown, of course
only to the United States, the tariff OF
European articles remaining unchanged
1t is understood that similar agree
ments with Cuba and Venezuela are also
IL, ing negotiated.