The Portland daily press., 1894-09-12
TARIFF BLOWS, HERE.
Interesting Facts From Portland
Merchants.

L. A. Goudy's Trade With Cuba stopped
Willis Nj. Chenery Talks of Pearl But
tons-He Has just Returned from
Europe.
A blow from the Democratic Congress
has struck Portland in way that was
not expected. The firm of Il. A. .Goudy &
Co. had built up quite business with
Cuba under the reciprocity treaty, and
sent all kinds of biscuit to Cardenas
But theynwill send no more till the Re-
publicans get into power again. They
have received news to that effect from
Cuba. The following extract from a
letter received yesterday speaks for it.
self
"Owing to the abrogation of the treaty
between Spain and the United States we
find ourselves compelled to stop our
orderssfor the moment, until we see what
may be decided about it. So then, do
not ship anything for oul account until
we tell you to do it. IL would please us
very much to know what is said there
about this interesting matter, and to
hear your opinion on the sE bject. Should
we be in want of any particular article
during the present abnormal state OF
things we will let you know it by cable"
Following is an extract from another
letter from the Munson Steamship Com
pany, plying between New York AID
Cuba. Il is dated Aug. 31st:
From what we can learn the Spanish
government has abrogated the reciprocity
treaty with the United States, and has
imposed duty on all goods from this
country arriving in Cuba on or after the
29th of this month. We regret extreme
ly that the fine business that has been
built up with Cuba in q great many
commodities will be practically ruined,
for we fear that Europe will be able to
supply them with a great many goods
at a less cost than we can"
The above fear is substantiated by the
following facts from two copies of the
Havana Price Current. The one is dated
Aug. 25th. the other Sept. 1st. In the
former bacon is free from this country
and Spain, but has duty OF IS per 100
kilos from all other countries. In the
latter bacon from this country has
duty of $40 and from all other countries
&c. There is the same change in regard
to beans, Goldfish, bran and oats, etc. The
duty on the articles from this country is
larger than from other countries. L. A.
Goudy & Co. were about to send an or
der of 40 dozen of biscuit on the next
steamer, but this has been cancelled.
Mr.. Willis M. Chenery, president Of the
Chenery Manufacturing Co. of this city,
arrived home last week from Europe,
where he has been absent several
months. He says that years ago under
a low tariff all the pearl buttons used in
this country came from Europe, princi-.
pally Vienna. His firm used to import
thousand of dollars worth annually.
Within year after the establish ment OF
the Mckinley law $4,000 people were
manufacturing pearl buttons in this
country and the competition reduced the
price to below what it was in the former
days of importing and low tariff.
Since the present tariff bill became
law the price of pearl buttons, Mr..
Chenery says, has gone up 10 per cent,
despite the low tariff which Mr.. Cleve-
land holds lowers prices. Under the Nc
Kinley law the factories in Vienna were
closed. Now they are opening, and
those i'll this country are closing.
These statements of Mr.. Chenery are
facts. and Mr.. Chenery is Democrat.
On the voyage home he stated these
facts to Hon. Levi P. Morton, who was
on the steamer, and the latter took very
careful notes of them for use in the cam
paign. Thus was presented the spectacle
of Portland Democrat furnishing great
Republican statesman with facts for use
against the Democratic party and policy.
The pearl button situation is this:
Under the Mckinley law the raw mate
rial, the shells, had low tariff, and
the manufactured article, the buttons,
high tariff. Our people could import the
shells, but with our better machines,
undersell the Vienna producers shut out
by the high tariff.
The Democrats have lowered the tariff
on buttons and put it on the same level
with that on the shells. This of course
shuts up our factories and opens those
of Vienna.
How the tariff bill is looked upon
abroad can be seen from this clipping
from Galignani's Paris Messenger, the
oldest English printed paper in Paris
with tremendous circulation anon 6
Americans:
Mr.. Willis Chenery, president of the
Chenery Manufacturing Company, Port
land. Maine, returned yesterday from
Chemnitz, where he bought many thous-
and dozen hosiery and gloves at the low
est prices ever known. Wages are very
low in Chemnitz, on account of dull
business, and the makers were glad to
get orders even at such low prices. The
nassage of the tariff bill in the States
gives much pleasure to the manufac-
turers in Chemnitz, as they expect large
orders, and prices will soon advance.
Mr. Chenery says the bill will cause a
general resumption OF business in the
States, but not in as large volume as
forrnpr1un u