The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-09-06

IlAlGS Sd4llllS OliG Vi New LUX lOI any
European port. This contract will result
III the construction by American yards of
four new passenger steamships of 10000
tons each, costing about 100000, and
will add to our naval reserve six steam
ships, the fastest upon the sea.
Special interest has been taken by me
in the establishment of lines from our
South Atlantic and Gulf ports, and
though my expectations have not yet
been realized. attention has been called to
the advantages possessed by these re-
ports, and when their people are more
fully alive to their interests, l do not
doubt they will be able TO secure the cap
ital needed to enable them to profit by
their great natural advantages. The
Democratic party found no place in its
platform for any reference To this subject,
and has shown its hostility to the general
policy by refusing to extend the appro-
priation made during the last admins
tratlOn Tor ocean mail contracts with
American lines. Patriotic people, work
men in our shops and capitalists seeking
new enterprises must decide whether
great ships owned by Americans, which
have sought American registry, shall
again huinbly ask place in the English
naval reserve; whether the great ships
now on the designers tables shall 90 to
foreign yards for construction and the
United States lose the now Frightening
mensurate with its wealth. the skill OF its
constructors and the courage of its sailors
III the carrying trade OF all seas.
RECIPROCITY POLICY.
Another related measure, as furnishing
increased ocean traffic for our ships, and
of great and permanent benefit to farm
erS and manufacturers as we'd, is the re-
ciprOcity policy declared by Section % of
the Tariff Act of 1890, and now in practi-
COL Will Cont,
and South America, San Domingo, the
Spanish and British West India Islands
and with Germany and AuStria-uuder
special trade relations with each. The
removal of the duty on sugar and the
continuance of coffee and tea upon the
free list while giving great relief to our
own people by cheapening the articles
used increasingly i'll every household,
was also OF such enormous advantage to
the countries exporting these articles as
to SuggeS that in consideration thereof
reciprocal tavors should be shown in
their tariff to articles exported by us to
their markets. Great credit is due Mr..
Blaine for the vigor with which he
pressed this view upon the country.
We have only begun to realize the ben
efts of these trade arrangements. The
work of creating new SgencieS, and of
adapting our goods to new markets, has
necessarily taken time, but the results
already attained are such, l am sure, as
to establish in popular favor the policy of
reciprocal trade upon free importations of
such articles as do not injuriOuSly COM
pete with the products of our own farms,
mines or factories, in exchange for the
free or favored introduction OF our pro-
ducts into other countries.
The obvious efficacy of this policy is
that the increasing foreign trade of the
United States st once attracted the
u q r. L',,rA,1n,, L.
journals and Boards of Trade. The Brit
ish Board OF Trade presented that Gov
eminent a memorial asking for the ap-
pOintment Of a commission to consider the
best means to counterfeit what is called
the commercial crusade of the United
States. At meeting 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 decreased 1913, 750, 900, and this was
not due to temporary causes, but directly
to the reciprocity policy of the United
States. Germany and France have also
shown startled appreciation Of the fact
that new and vigorous contestant has
appeared in the battle of markets, and
has already secured important adj
vantages.
The most convincing evidence of the
tremendous commercial strength of our
position is found in the fact that Great
Britain and Spain found it necessary to
make reciprocal trade agreements with
US for their West India colonies, and
that Germany and Austria have given us
important concessions in exchange for
the continued free importation of their
beet sugar production.
\ few details only as to the increase in
our trade can be given here Taking all
the countries with which arrangements
hnnTo trnr1 do tn
1892, increased 1918 per cent; with Bra
I'll the increase was nearly IL per cent;
with Cuba during the first ten months
our exports increased s., 702, 1913, or SIS
per cent, and with Porto Rico $500, 500, or
"a per cent.
The liberal participation of our farmers
in the benefits Of this policy is shown by
the following report from our Consul
General at Havana, under date OF July
10Th last. During the first half of the
year of 1891 Havana received l4OOj6 bags
of flour from Spain, and other ports of
the island about an equal amount, or ap-
proXimately, 2S0,1 bags. During the
same period, Havana received Il, 97G bags
of American flour, and other ports APP
proXimately an equal amount, making
about 5000 bags. But for the first half
Of this year Spain has sent less than 900
bags to the whole island, and the United
States has sent 10 Havana alone l6S. 4S7
bags, and about an equal amount to
other ports Of the island, making. ap-
proXimately, 900 bags for the first
half Of 1892"
Partly by reason of the reciprocal
trade agreement, but more largely by
reason OF the removal of the sanitary re-
strictiOns upon American pork, our ex-
port OF pork products to Germany in
creased during the ten months ending
June 3Oth last, 81, 025, O74, or about 81 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 to
Cuba, says: 1T is another case of Ameri-
can competition. The United States now
supplies Cuba with about 100000 tons of
coal annually, and there is every pros
pect of this trade increasing as the for
eSts OF the island become exhausted and
the use OF steam machinery on the estates
is developed. Alabama coal especially is
securing reputation in the Spanish
West Indies, and the river and rail inn
proVementS OF the Southern States will
undoubtedly create an important gulf
trade. The new reciprocity policy by
which the United States is enabled to inn
port Cuban sugar will, of course assist
the American coal exporters even more
effectively than the new lines of railway
The Democratic platform promises
IepeaI VI lIo IaA LII Law CohtdIulHS LhlS
provision, and especially denounces as a
sham reciprocity that section of the law
under which these trade arrangements
have been made. If no other issue were
involved in the campaign, this alone
would give it momentous Importance.
Are the farmers of the great grain-grow-
ing States willing to surrender these new,
large and increasing markets for their
surplus? Are we to have nothing in ex-
change for the free importation of sugar
and coffee, and at the same time to de-
stroy the sugar planters Of the South
and the beet sugar industry of the North
"a Of 81. orr