New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-25
TRADE WITH MEXICO.
,usrEApEG ASSERTIONS MADE IN THE
NETWORK TINES.
xsw THE ACCOUNTABLE M'KIxIEY BILL SHUTS
OUT MEXICAN PRODUCTS.

OUT MEXICAN PRODUCTS
washington July "a CspeciaD-A st. louis dispatch
uuhlshed in The New-lork Times of to-day says
80 party of distinguished Mexicans has been Wis
,,,,gs that city, and that one of them Emilio
vsaseo in speaking Of trade relations between Mexico
md the United states, said
lust now there is almost insurmounabe barrier 10
,uenc up successful trade between and that s the
,bOnabie Mckinley bill 1t shuts out our trade to such
An extent instead OF increasing revenue you get
none al all least Mexican produce. for scarcely
,ny Is into this country especially minerals Inc
Nnican people believe IN low tariff low a. IL can
,osbly I've made but they will have to put their tafu
Nh by way retaliation II your tariff lis not revised we
,hink this be Of necessity, with de-
,,ebsd Treasury which have heard Of your papers
claim and which shuts out imports nearly Alto
reher and OF the OF revenue, the present se
Of things cannot long continue.
He was asked what he thought Of reciprocity
All such thing would only be to the advantage OF
one party would be the loser BY IT, because we have
not so many articles 20 export as you nave IL Is
,hrewd scheme and may well for political pur-
poses but politics and business two separate Things
entirely and business nen arc not easily fooled in a
business principle
The dispatch saws that other members of the party
talked in the same strain" senior Nelasco Is not
as well informed as ne might De either IN respect
IN what he calls the abominable Mckinley oill' or
as 10 the trade between his country and the United
STATES As 10 the siIver-bearing ore he ought to
know that il is admitted duty free, except that a
suty is imposed upon the lead therein contained IN
less the smelted refined product OF The SAID ore
Is TO be exported in which case no duty Is exacted
Under the provisions of section "a Of the existing
tariff law every ounce OF the silver-lead ore pro
suced in all the mines of Mexico might be imported
into the United states smelted refined and ex-
uorted without payment of one dime In the shape
OF customs duty. This is fact which free traders
In the United States well the owners Of Mexican
silver-lead mines find it convenient to ignore. For
T~,.s+. -~.4.r
has been subject duty for longer period silver ore
has been admitted free of duty The new law pro
yideo against an evasion OF the old one; 1t also
provides that may be imported into the United
States free of duty. provided tie smelted re-
fined products thereof are exported.
enor Velasco appears to bolieve that sver-lead
Is about the only commodity which Mexico exports
70 the United States In the fiscal year ended June
80 $780, silver-bearing comprised less than
third OF all the imports into the United states from
Mexico and less than onehah Of the imports free of
duty. To be exact the total imports from Mexico in
that year amounted 10 800 800 9I5 Of which 81 53e
100 admitted free of duty. while the total
imports of siverbearng Amounted TO 81 ,262.
OF course nobody doubts that great deal Of lead
was smugged into the United States that year under
Of the provision for the free admission of silver
ora and provision made IN the new law to stop
that leak. Senior Vessco says that since the enact
'p1ent Of the new tariff law I" scarcely any Mexican
produce sent into this country especially minerals
His statement may be correct, but he gives figures,
Consul smith, Of Nogales, in a report to the
state Department under date Of January g.,
1891 embodied table showing, by months the
quantity and value Of ores passing tn. Nogales
suate the State of Sonora into the United States
in the year ended December 81, 1890 That report
does not bear out senior Velasco's assertion. In the
last quarter of the year the exports amounted to
2.93s, $40 pounds Of silver valued at S35O,7o4.
That exceeded the exports for the first third quarter
in quantity and of the first, second third quarter
in value.
In his report Consul Smith remarks that quite ex
tensive arrangements being made for large ship
mens of during this year and it is presumed they
win than double those of 1902 The shipments
in that year amounted to 1854 $40 pounds, valued
at SI,139565. II will be observed that the report
was dated than three months after the tariff
flaw became operative. But there are other pro
visions Of what senior velasco is pleased to call the
to abOminabe Mckinley bill which appear TO have
escaped his notice. The dutable imports from
Mexico last year amounted TO S7154s15. Among
the items which made up this total the following
Ssal grass other vegetable substances So 266 063
sugar, S27 ,l22. These two items made total Of
E 29355 about "a per cent Of the entire dutiable
imports from Mexico.
Now. if senior velasco and the other distinguished
MeAicanS7 viii examine the abOmnable Mckinley
BILL they Will discover that sisal grass and other
vegetable substances, and sugar were transferred
from the dutiabe list to the free list by that atrOcOus
measure Those TWO items amounted 10 more Than
20 per cent much did the Item Of sllverbearng
ore which was partially transferred 70 the dutiabe
list under certain conditions. senior NelascOs ODJec
ton reciprocal trade between Mexico and the United
States is what might have expected from a Mex
can who INDUCES in threats of retaliation unless the
United states snail revise lis tariff 10 suit that coIn
try. II true that the United states has articles
70 export than Mexico La, but that has bearing
the question Of reciprocity, which is Of mutual
advantage As matters now stand the United states
buys from Mexico about SlO,OO00O0 a year more
than Mexico buys from the United states and admits
free OF duty nearly twOthirds Of al the Mexican
products imported Among the free imports are cot
zee, and hides. items which in the year ended
June 80, 1890 amounted 10 S5.149 DOB. The total
exports Of domestic merchandise from the United
States 10 Mexico ia that amounted To only SD
66e log. The proportion admitted free OF duty was
very small, compared with the proportion OF i'm
ports from Mexico admitted into the United States
tree of duty.