The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-09-15

'tleIelltt W liIlS SuUJSSo. oiit AtsS oiiV' - |
is hostility to the general policy by refus-
nc to expend an appropriation made dur
ne the last administration for ocean mail !
contracts with American lines. The pa
triotic people. the workmen in our shops, /
the capitalists seeking new enterprises,
must decide whether the great ships own
ed by Americans which have sought
American registry shall again humbly ask
a place in the English naval reserve, the
great ships now on the designers tables
60 to foreign shops for construction, and
the United States lose the now frightened
of recovering a place com
mensurate with its wealth, the skill OF its
and the courage of its sailors.
in the carrying trade of all the seas.
ADVANTAGES OF RECIPROCITY.
Another related measure, as furnishing
an increased ocean traffic for our ships, and
of great and permanent benefit to the
farmers and manufacturers as well, Is the
reciprocity policy declared by Section 3 OF
the Tariff act of 1890 and now in practical
operation with five of the nations OF Cen
tral and South America-San Domingo,
the Spanish and British West India Is
lands and with Germany and Austria
under special trade arrangements with
each. The removal of the duty on sugar
and the continuance of coffee and tea up
on the free list. while giving great relief
to our own people. by cheapening articles
used increasingly in every household, was
also of such enormous advantage to the
countries exporting these articles as to
suggest that. in consideration thereof,
reciprocal favors should be shown in their
tariffs to articles exported by us to their
markets. Great credit is due to MI.
Blaine for the vigor with which he press
ed this view upon the country
We have only begun to realize the bene-
fit of these trade arrangements. The
work of creating new agencies and of
adapting our goods to new markets has
necessarily taken time, but the results al
ready attained are such, l am sure, as to
establish in popular favor the policy of
reciprocal trade, based upon the free i'm
portation of such articles as do not in
juriously compete with products of our
own farms, mines or factories, in eN
change for the free OF favored introduce
ton of our products into other countries.
EUROPE ALARMED.
The obvious efficacy of this policy in in
creasng the foreign trade of the United
States at once attracted the alarmed at
tention of European trade journals and
boards of trade. The British Board of
Trade has presented to that government
a memorial asking for the appointment of
a commission to consider the best means
of counteracting what is called 1.-THE com
mercial crusade of the United States"
At meeting held in March last of the
Associated Chambers of Commerce of
Great Britain the President reported that
the exports from Great Britain to the
Latin American countries during the last
year had decreased s23. 80. 600, and that
this was not due to temporary causes. but
directly to the reciprocity policy of the
United States. Germany and France have
also shown their startled appreciation OF
the fact that a new and vigorous conteS-
tant has appeared in the battle of the mar
kets. and has already secured important
advantages
The most convincing evidence of e
tremendous commercial strength IF oul
position is found in the fact that Great
Britain and Spain have found it necessary
to make reciprocal trade agreements with
us for their West India colonies, and that
Germany and Austria have given us inn
portant concessions in exchange for the
continued free importation of their beet
StiStI. ~ Lew utldllS OlllN DIS " lllt III
crease of our trade can be given here
Taking all tile countries with which an
engagements have been made. our trade t.
June 30. 1892, had increased %. IS pei
cent. With Brazil the increase was near
ly II per cent. with Cuba during the first
ten months our exports increased s.. 702.
1913. OF "a. 50 pei cent and with Porte
Rico 500. 500. OF 81 per cent.
BENEFITS TO FARMERS.
The liberal participation of our farmers
i'll the benefits OF this policy is shown by
the following report from our Consul Gen
eral at Havana under date of July - last
During the first half year OF 1901 Havana
received 40, 056 bags OF flour from Spain
and other ports of the island about AZ
equal amount, or approximately $50. II.
bags.
''During TIE same period Havana receiv-
ed 13,91G bags OF American flour. and
other ports approximately an equa
amount. making about y. 900 bags.
But for the first half OF this year Spain
| has sent less than ,O0G bags to the whole
island. and the United States has sent tt
Havana alone los. 4S1 bags, and about al
| equal amount to other ports of the island,
making approximately 80 600 foI the first
! nan OF lS!2.
| Partly by reason of the reciprocal Goa
trade agreement, but more largely by rea.
son of the removal OF the sanitary restric-
lions upon American pork, our export OF
! pork products to Germany increased dur
ing the ten months ending June 80 last,
81 OPS. 014, or about thirty-two per cent
The British Trade journal. of London,
in recent issue, speaking of the increase
OF American coal exports and of the fall
ing off OF the English coal exports tc
Cuba, says
| sit is another case of American compe-
tition. The United States now supply
Cuba with about $50, 900 tons of coal an
nually, and there is every prospect of this
| trade increasing as the forests of the
island become exhausted and the use OF
steam machinery on the sugar estates is
developed. Alabama coal especially is
securing a reputation in the Spanish West
/ Indies, and the river and rail improve
ments of the Southern States will I'M
doubleday create an important Gulf trade.
The new reciprocity policy by which the
United States are enabled to import
Cuban sugar will, of course. assist the
American coal exporters even more eff
! fectively than the new lines of railway. -
| DEMOCRATS WANT A REPEAL
! The Democratic platform promises a
repeal of the tariff law containing this
provision, and especially denounces as q
sham reciprocity that section of the law
under which these trade arrangements