The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-06


In time Of war would. under existing oon-
tracts with those governments. speedily take
ON guns, for which th0ir docks ars already
prepared and ontsr with terrific efficiency
upon the work of destroying our commerce.
An undisputsd fact 10 that the great steam
ship lines Of Europe wsre built up and are
now in part sustained by direct or in
dirsot governments aid. this taking the form
Of liberal pay for ths carrying Of mails or
OF an annuai bonus given ia confederation
of agreements to construct tho ships so -
to adapt them for carrying armament and
turn them over TO the government on de-
mand upon specified terms. II IL plain TO
sveTv intelligent American that II ths
United States would have such lines sim
liar policy must bo entered upon. The
Fifty-hrst congress sxacted such law, and
under Its bensfcent influence sixteen Amor
lean steamships of an aggregate tonnage of
$4,000 tons, and costing $7.400. 600. have
yards. In addition to this IL 10 now prac-
tically certain that We shall soon have. un-
der the American flag, one of the dneat
steamship lines smiling out of New York Tor
any Europsan port. This contract will re-
suit in the construction ny American yards
OF four, new passenger steamships. l0.OoO
tons each. costing about e8, ,OO0, 900. and will
add to our naval reserve six steamships,
the fastest upon the sen.
Special interest has been taken BY mo In
the establishment of lines from our south
Atlantic and gulf ports, and though my ex-
pectatons are not yet realized, attention
has been called 10 the advantages POS
pie are more fully alive to their interests /
do not doubt they will bs able to secure the
capital needed to enable them to profit by
their great natural advantages. The demo-
cratic party found no place in its plat
form for any reference to that subject and
has shown its hostility to the general policy
by refusing to extend the appropriation
made during tho last administration for
ocean mail contracts with American lines.
Patriotic people. workmen in our shops,
capitalists seeking nsw enterprises, must
decide whether the great ships owned BY
Americans. which have sought American
registry. shall again humbly ask place in
now on the Designers table
90 to foreign shops for oonstruc-
tion, and the United States lose
now Frightening opportunity Of recovering
place commsnsurAte with its wealth. tho
skill of ito constructors and courage of its
sailors. IN carrying the trade Of all.
Another related measure, a. furnishing
increased ocean traffic for our ships and great
and permanent benefit to farmers and man
| ufacturers as we'll, il the reciprocity policy
declared by section three of the tariff act Of
1890, aud now in practical operation with
five nations of Central aud South America,
San Domingo. Spanish and British West
India islands, and with Germany, under
| special trade arrangements with each. Ihe
removal of the duty on sugar, and the con-
tinuance of coffee and tea upon the free
list, while giving great relief to our own
| people by ohespening articles used increas-
ipgly in every household, was also of such
enormous advantage to the countries ex-
porting those articles as to suggest that
| - thopaof racinrOenI fAvnra
should be shown in their tariffs to articles
exported by us to their markets. Great
credit is due Mr.. Blaine for the vipor
with which he pressed this view upon
the country. We have only begun to real
ize the benefit Of these trade arrangements
| The work Of creating new agencies and Of
adapting our goods to new markets neces-
ssrily takes time, bus the results already
attained are sueh, ! am sure. a. to establish
| in popular favor the policy OF reciprocal
trade upon the FREQ importation of suol
| articles az do not injuriously compete with
the products of our own farms, mines or
| factories, in exchange for the free or favored
| introduction of our products into othel
| countries. The obvious efficacy OF this pol
| 10y in increasing the foreign trade of the
United tutes at onoe attracted the alarmed
attention of European trade journals and
| boards of trade. The British board of
trade presented that government memo
|
mission to consider the best means oi
oounteracting what is called tho CONNER
| cial crusade of the United States" AT a
meeting IN March last, of the associated
chambers of commerce of Great Britain, tbs
president reported that exports from Grea'
Britain to American countries dur.
| ing last year had decreased 1928. 75O, 600 and
directly to the reciprocity policy OF ths
United States. Germany and France have
also shown startled appreciation OF the fac
that now and vigorous contestant has ap-
psared in the battle of markets, and has al
ready secured important advantages Th'
most convincing evidence OF the tremeno
ous CONNIE, oial strength OF our position II
found in the fact that Great Britain ant
Spain found it necessary to make reclproca
trade agreements with us for their Wes
India colonies, and that Germany and Aus
tria have given MS important concessions II
exchange for the continued free importa
tion of their sugar product.
our trade can be given here. TAXING al
the countries with which ARRANGEMENT
have been made, our trade to June 30. 1882
inc eased 13. ~ per cent. With BAIL tn
increase was nearly II per cent. With
Cuba, during the first ten months. our sxpor
tstion increased IS, 7O2. LOB. or 45.o per cent
The liberal participation OF our farmers II
the benefits of this policy is shown by th
following report from our counsel Renera a
nt Havana, under date of June 26. dur
ing tho first half of the year of 1891. Havan
receivsd 140.O56 bags OF flour from Spain
and other ports of tho island about an equa
amount, or approximately $50, 112 bags
During the remaining portion of the yea
Havana received 1896 bags Of American
-four. and other ports approximately al
equal amount, making about 28.OO0 bags
But for the first half Of this year Spain ha
sent less than 1000 bags to the whole Island
and the United States sent to Havana alon
16S, ,4S7 bags. and about an equal amount t.
other ports of the island, making apt roxi
matsly 337, 900 for the first half OF 1892"
Partly by reason OF the reciprocal trad
agreement, but more largely by reason o
the removal of the sanitary restrictions o.
American pork, our export Of pork pro
CluCts to Germany iucre assd during tho to-