The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-27

x watched ny sugar-Producing
CcunfrSez-Hasyaii and BrsxiI.
Deeply Interested.
washington. Dec. 2s.--Unless the
Spanish government within a very short
time indicates its purpose to remove the
restrictions now placed oD American
commerce with the Spanish West Indies
by the imposition of the maximum
tariff on American commodities it is
probable the President viii issue pro-
clanation Imposing discriminating
flag duties,g upon Spanish, Cuban and
Porto RicanS imports into the United
States. The a. Imation of this purpose
on the part Of the President is distinctly
conveyed in request received by the
treasury depar t1nent from the depart
ment of state to furnish 1t with detailed
information as to the amount Of such
imports and a list of this vessels carry
ing the Spanish nag WHICH trade with
our ports. tt was the original intention
10 the power Of prohibition of Spanish
trade conveyed by the act of 1890. bat
as this power has never been exercised
and as it has been deemed best to fol-
! low the line OF precedent it is quite
clear that the department has fallen
back upon section 422S OF the revised
statutes.
The Authority.
A paragraph of the old Morrill, tariff
act. which still stands on the statute
Books, imposes a duty of 10 per cent in
addition 10 all other duties upon goods
brought into the United States in ships
of foreign countries unless they are
expressly relieved from the additional
duty by treat.r. These are known as
1 discriminating flag duties,'' section
422S above referred to authorizing the
President to suspend the benefits con-
ferred by the discriminating flag statute
on being satisfied that any country is
discriminating against the United
States in the matter of trade. 1t is a
singular fact that the only country
which has so far felt the force of this
lewiston ct the law is the very one
against whom 1t is to be again used.
In 1856 our relations with Spain were
so strained that President Cleveland
Issued a proclamation recitiug that
Spain had failed to carry out the first
article Of the commercial agreement
signed at Madrid, February 13, 1884,
which stipulated that the differential
flag duties should be relieved at once
from the United States products enter
ing Cuba and Porto Rico. Being salts
Nee that higher and discriminating
duties had been imposed, he therefore
revoked the suspension of the discrimi-
mating. customs duties imposed in the
ports OF the United States upon Cuban
and Porto Rican products coming under
the Spanish flag. The effect of this
action by the President was almost in
stantaneous, for in fourteen days there
after he issued q. proclamation stating
that by an agreement entered
into that day October %, 1861
Spain had removed the source of our
complaint and me consequently again
restored her to treatment under the
Favored nation clause of our treaties.
Treasury officials at the request of the
state department are engaged in col
9ecting statistics showing the volume
of the trade that would be affected by
a. repetition of his action in 1856 by the
. president.
Bank For Spain's Colonies.
1t appears that the Spanish colonies
would have much the worst of it. The
tables show that during the fiscal year
ended June 80 last. Cuba alone eX-
ported to the United States goods to
the aggregate value OF s75,67S 261, and
took from us goods to- the amount of
only SO, S55, 227. Porto Rico sent us in
the same time goods valued at S3145,-
6S4. and received in return goods to the
amount of S2.705,6 45. With the direct
trade with Spain the case was re-
Versed, for exports to that country
were $13104,076, as against imports
amounting to s4,255,S75. The tariff diff
ferences between Spain and the United
States are being watched with keen in
terest by other sugar-producing coun-
tries particularly Hawaii and Brazil,
as the execution of Secretary Gresh-
ANS threat to discriminate against
Cuban products will create a heavy de-
mand for raw sugar, now brought al
most exclusively from Cuba.
Mr.. Hastings, the charge d'Affaires
of the Hawaiian legation, is an inter
ested observer of the Spanish negotia-
lions The Hawaiian sugar planters
have given close attention to
Cuba of late, many Of them visiting the
Island and studied the Cuban pro-
cesses of making sugar. One of them
wrote Mr.. Hastings recently of the an
tiquated methods prevailing, and other
Hawaiian planters pointed out to him
that. the Cubans got but % tons OF
cane and two tons Of actual sugar to
the acre. The Hawaiians thought that
double this yield could be obtained and
that Cuban plantations could not exist
If cut off from the United States mar
kets.
Being dependent on this country for
their product, Hawaii would expect to
benefit if Cuba was shut out. The
HawaiianS expect soon TO conclude
European treaties. Minister Thurston
has written to Mr.. Hastings briefly
from Lisbon to the effect that his trip
TO Spain is proving entirely satisfae-
tory. The minister has visited many
European countries for the purpose Of
5nducing them to renew their treaties
of commerce and anity with the new
republic of the Pacific. He has also
sought to make arrangements for the
immigration to Hawaii of the better
classes of the laborers. While he gives
no exact details, the tenor of his letter
indicates success. He will return to
Washington ABOUT January Is.