Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-28

States and none from Spain. During tn
month of January, 1891, there were i'm
ported into all the ports of Cuba from tn
United States 8, 234 bags of -four. Durin
the month of January, 1892, 67,478 bags o
-four were imported-an increase of NOR
than zoo per cent.
The exports to Porto Rico during tn,
four months since the reciprocity treat,
went into effect were valued at $e73, $50, al
increase over the corresponding period o
1890 of $285, 212
The Merchants Must Cooperate.
The results sought by and expected from
the reciprocity policy cannot, however, b'
accomplished without the enlistment o.
private enterprise The Government ha.
obtained advantages for the merchants and
manufaeturers, which they are able to en-.
Joy at their pleasure; but many serious OBJ
stacles to an increase of trade remain,
which must be overcome by individual
zeal and intelligence. By the arrange.
ments already negotiated population Of
more than 1900, 900 of people have been
enabled to purchase the products of the
United States at prices very largely below
what they have hitherto been compelled to
pay. but to place those products in their
|
rather than the Government
The merchants and manufacturers of
Europe by long and careful study of the
tastes and requirements of consumers in
| Central and South America and the West
Indies; by the establishment by agencies;
by the granting of liberal credits and intel
Iigent advertising, have obtained control of
the trade and cannot be expected to retire
from large and lucrative market without
resistance. That resistance has been Sc
riously felt in the negotiation of the
treaties, and will be encountered in an
even greater degree by those who attempt
cured.
The Drummer Has Gone Forth.
But the fact that the efforts of the Gov
ernment are appreciated and reinforced by
those whose benefit they are intended is
fully demonstrated by the postal statistics
and the passenger lists of outgoins steamers.
Commercial travellers from the United
States are now to be found in every city of
this hemisphere south of the Gulf of Mex
leo and the Rio Grande, and the mails for
warded in that direction are laden with
catalogues and price lists and circulars in
tended to bring to the attention of import
ing merchants the superiority and the
cheapness of American goods
The total weight of letters sent from the
United States to the Latin-American coun-
tries and colonies during the fiscal year end
ing June 30, 1890, was Is, $3.50, 40 grams.
The weight of letters sent during the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1891, was %, 137, ,374
grams, an increase of more than 81 per cent.
The weight of printed matter sent by post
amounted to 2S6, SS8, ,473 grams in 1890, and
S15, ,050 grams in 1891, an increase of
"a, ,647, ,577 grams, or more than Sc per cent.
That Government may do much to in
crease the trade of its people bv legislative
and executive acts is not only demonstrated
by the commercial history of England, Ger
many and France, but with equal force by
the statistics of our own exports to the
Latin-American countries since the move
ment to seek markets in their direction be-
gan. In 1885 the exports from the United
States to those countries amounted to $62-
000, 1000, in 1887 to S68, ,OO0,0 900. in 1891 to
S91 ,000, 900; and these figures do not include
the enormous overland traffic with Mexico
since the four railways connecting the two
republics were opened
Has Doubled in Seven Years.
Unfortunately there is no law requiring
the collection of statistics Of exports from
the United States by land, and the reports
by the Bureau of Statistics only represent
from 81, 900, 600 to SIS, ,0OO, 900 during the past
five years, while the official returns of the
Mexican Government show an increase
from 81 0O0 600 to $40, 600, 900, which bring the
total exports to Latin-America in 1891 to |
nearly $l26, 600. 900, more than double what |
they were in 1885. |
This is the result of agitation, of adyer- |
tising, of awakening an interest among the |
merchants of the United States in markets |
to which they had frequently been indiffer-
ent. Those markets have not been sought |
by impairing the prices or the quality OF |
our goods. We have sacrificed none of the |
protection that American capital and labor
have enjoyed, but have simply asked our
neighbors, to whom we have opened our
to apply to trade that principle of
reciprocity which was pronounced 1900 |
years ago by the wisest teacher Of econom-
cs, philosophy and statesmanship the world
has ever known.
In 1870 we took the duty off rubber. In
1872 we took the duty off hides In 1873 |
we took the duty off coffee without asking
Brazil or Venezuela or any other nation
rom whence these products came to make
is concessions in return. For the last 18 |
years 81 per cent of the products we pur-
,hase in the republics of Central and South
America has been admitted free to our Gus
;om houses, and when the last Congress re-
moved the duty upon sugar but 8 per cent
If our entire imports from these nations
we're referred to in the tariff schedules
It's Not Blaine Boom.
The reciprocity policy is not intended to
ldvance the ambition of any man or promote
he success of any party. There is no poll
les in it. 1t is purely commercial trans
Iction; plain, simple and wise proposition,
uch as every merchant and manufacturer
Employs in the conduct of his own business;
,ased on ordinary common sense, but SO far
eaching in its influence that, if it be car
led out successfully, its effect will be felt
n the income of every farmer, in the profits
# every merchant and in the wages of
very mechanic and laborer in this land.
1t requires no argument to demonstrate
hat the people of Cuba will consume more
lour if the duty on that article is reduced
rom S. 78 to 90 cents barrel, or that the
'eople of Brazil will buy their cotton goods
n the United States if they can import
hem from this country at duty of 25
'er cent less than they must pay on the |
anne articles when imported from Europe.
And when one considers that the value of
otton goods imported into the Latin
American countries annually reaches be-
ond S100, ,000, 900, it is waste of time to
iscuss the advantage of securing such
oncession.
The annual imports of the Lstin-Amer-
,an countries average 5000, 600, 900; and of
hose we have usually furnished about 10 ,
er cent. The ANIMAL exports of the Latin
american countries average about $500, ,O0O.-
90. and of these we bought last year nearly
zoo, 900, 600, or about 33 per cent. In their
ommerce with Great Britain these condi-
ions are reversed.
The American Laborer's Products.
There is no country in which labor is so ,
ell rewarded as in this, nor where the