New-York tribune., 1891-05-25
RECIPROCAL ARRANGEMENTS.
AN ANSWER TO THE CRITICISM OF FREE
TRADE NEWSPAPERS.
PROVISIONS OF THE TARIFF LAW WHICH HAVE
BEEN ovERLooKED-AN ANALYSIS OF
IMPORT STATISTICS.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TkIBUSEf

TBY TELEGRAPH TIE TkIBUSEf
Washington, May 23.-several Inaccurate and mis-
leading paragraphs have recently been set ahoat In
the columns Of FrseTrade and anti-Adrninistratlon
| newspapers In relation to the pending commercial
arrangement between the United states and Spain.
Among the statements thus made is to the effect
that the arrangement treaty. it Is incorrectly
styled, cannot become operative until after its rat-
cation BY the senate Of the United States and another
which afirms that it includes propositions agree
ments looking TO the removal modification Of the
duty on Cuban tobacco.
The authors Of these paragraphs seem to have fer
gotten or 10 have ignored the provisions Of the third
section Of the Tariff law. under and by virtue OF which
reciprocal trade agreements arrangements, tnclud
ing the with spain, must be made. That section
provides:
That with a view 10 secure reciprocal trade with
purpose and after the first day of January, 1892,
Whenever and 20 often AZ the President shall be salts
fed that the Government OF and country producing and
exporting sugars mOlasscs coffee, tea and hides, raw
and uncured. any Of such articles imposes duties or
other eXacOns upon the agricultural other products
Of the United states whicn. in view OF the free intro
ducton OF such sugar molasses coffee tea and hides
into the United States lie may decree TO be recprocay
unequal and unreasonable. he shall have the power
and 1t shall be his duty suspend, by proclamation 20
that effect the provisions Of this act relating to the
free Introduction Of such sugaT molasses. coffee tea
and hides the production OF such country, for such
such suspension duties shall be levied, collected and
paid upon sugar molasses, coffee. tea and hides, the
Then follows the schedule of duties to be imposed
upon the several articles above named, which
sugar, 7-10 Of l cent to cents per pound; moasses
cents per gallon coffee cents per pound tea, 10
cents per pound, ard hides, IL cents per pound
Tobacco is not the free lst and therefore is not
mentioned it be considered in negotiating or
making any commercial agreement under the authority
conferred by the law. such an agreement, and such
only is the one with SPAIN which, In It's essence, h the
same the entered into with Brazil OF course
therefore, action by the senate by Congress Will not
be necessary In order 10 make the agreement operative
The law requires only that tine President shall see
that no unequal or unreasonable duties other
exactons" are imposed upon agricultural or other
products of the United states by countries which enjoy
the benefits Of United states tariff legislation In re-
spect to the five commodities before named
careful examination ond analysis Of the tariff laws
and regulations of the foreign countries which in
teresed has been made and the result is basis OF the
reciprocal trade arrangements already made which
are pending or proposed. There is nothing in
the law which prescrbes limits the benefits or con-
cessions which teh United States may demand and
ceve in return for it's liberal action In respect TO the
free importation of five staples which comprise the bulk
Of mportatons from number of foreign countries
the President is simply authorized, in an arrange
ment satisfactory to the interests OF the United
States cannot be made with the Government
Of any country to suspend the free importa-
product Of exported from such country. whereupon
they at once become subject to duty under and
cOrdng to the provisions OF the third section Of the
act approved october l. 1890. II may be Of interest
add that the total imports in 1880 Of each Of the
five specified articles from the several countries with
which reciprocal arrangements have been made or are
now pending as follows:
Spanish possessions Of Cuba. Porto Rico and Philip
pine Isands-sugar, S44 .935 900; moasse5, $4.793
600: coffee, 100000; hides and skins, 1921 900 ;
''5i' BFazi"SugaT 81 $4,000; coffee, s45.eo4, 900;
hides and skins 80, l7s,oOo total, $40. .5ol 900:
and skins. $3.50 900 total 5l49 900.
so, ye6e5neaGoee 0eo ,,a $4,000 hides and SKINS
Central American states-sugar, s94 900; coffee,
s3.976OOO; hides and skins, S357,o0o; total,
colombia-Conee. 81 $4,000; hides and skins.
Ecuador~coffee, $50 900 hides and skins $4,000;
Hayti-cofee. s1,27o.OOo; hides and skins, $4,000;
san DOmngo-sugar. s1.715OOO; coffee. $4,000;
hides and skins. S77 ,OOO total, 81 ,s41 600.
Peru-Hides and skins, S239 600
Uruguay-Hides and skins 81 473,OOO.
The total value Of the imports of each article from
all countries and the total value of the imports Of each
article from the countries above-nsmed fol-
lows:
Article. countries. named.
Sugar ........-.-........ $96o93,o0o s4o.4so,ooo
Coffee .................. 7s267 900 oG.255.OOO
Tea ....................-... 1887 900
Hides and skins So. 2Iss2,OO0 1882. 900
1t will be observed that onehah of all the sugar
imported come from the countries with which ii is
expected that reciprocity arrangements will be made
OF the remaining one-hah the chief sources of i'm
pOrtatiOn follows
germany sleO3l.OOO CbeeD Austria Hungary,
rs6 T1aoQS % Oef hao H"gsa 5and h SSs
81 ,324 900: Dutch Fast Indies. -. 100 900.
OF the MOlasses nearly all from the countries
named and from the British West Indies. OF the
coffee nearly s5 per produced in the countries
specified. OF the total imports Of tea China con-
rlbuted 2G555, 200. and Japan, a.. .525 ,0Oc while