The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-28


of Spain in an earnest desire to evade the
threatened tarifT war between Cuba and
the United States mas. under serious and
favorable consideration the cession to-
Cuba Of the privilege Of arranging her
own revenue budget, Including tariffs
with the United States. This Cuban
budget is to be subject to the approval of
Spain. The negotiations now progressing
at Madrid are partly on these lines, but
the state department authorities are pro-
ceeding nevertheless with their retaliatory
plans, as they do not believe spain 5 con-
cessiors to Cuba can be carried on and
made beneficial to us for some months 70
come. The Significance q the mater
in its commercial and political aspects
is realized.
1t is said Spain viii be careful not to
relinuulsh her sovereignty over the Is
land nor to permit this to become the
first sep towards Cuban Independence.
For that reason the contemplated priv
iiege will not include full home rule.
Advisory Powers.
The general purpose is to give Cube. adj
viscry powers. Her local officials wilt
take up the economic necessities of the
island e5tinate the needed revenue from
tariff duties and advise the Spanish gov
erninent of duties that should be levied
and of other measures which ought TO
be taken in order to secure the best
thus retain complete sovereignty over
Cuba, it is suggested that the home.
government would as q rule approve
Guba's revenue budget with the United
States. In the present contention be-
tween Spain and the United States, the
CuDans are solicitous of retaining their
American markets for sugar, and 1t is
urged for this reason. the local officials
tariff duties with the United States.
SPANS approval would follow, almost
certainly; her approval in reality being
largely a formality performed in de-
sire to show her purpose OF retaining SOW
ereignty over the island.
While it is recognized in official circles
here that these changes doubtless would
be beneficial to the United States, it is
feared such extensive changes In the re-
lations between Spain and Cuba cannot be
made within a reasonable time and that
before the United States can thus secure
reduction of tariffs, our trade with
Cuba and iRorto Rico will be irreparably
injured. The great importing houses of
the Atlantic cities are ciamoring at the
doors of the state department and threat
en- TO appeal to Congress for some speedy
action to protect their business. They
represent that at present the United
States is losing a trade of 100 900 barrels
of flour Per annum, all our commerce in
machinery and formerly purchased by
the Cubans exclusively in the United
States, all of the hardware and a large
proportion of the potato trade, every i'm
VI
Indias.
Reduction in Exports.
The total reduction in our exports to
Cuba for the year since the lapse of the
reciprocity agreement will amount to not
less than so per cent.
The tables prepared by the exporters
showing the extent of the discrimination
against United States products under the
minimum tariff recently Imposed by Spain
have satisfied the state department that
there is no opportunity for Americans un-
less the tariffs are abated.
All the arguments of Spain in extenua-
ton of her action in increasing the duties
have been based upon the contention it
was an inevitable consequence of the re-
peal of the reciprocity agreement by our
tariff act and that this was to exclude the
United States from the benefits of the
minimum tariff, no matter what the dis
position Of the Spanish government may
have been, in fact that it was the result
of our own act. But at the state depart
ment it is held the reciprocity agreement
has nothing to do with the case, and that
the president has no discretion under the
law, but must re-impose the discriminate
ing duties as soon as he is satisfied the
Spanish government is discriminating
against our commerce.