The herald., 1894-12-27
UNCLE SANS "uTTLE JOKER. F"
Flag Duties May Be Enforced
Against Spain.
The Spanish Govern ment to Be
Taught Lesson.
Hawaiia Interested I'm the Matt or Fig.
ures In Regard to Imports
and Exports.
Rr thu AannninIoa prans

By the Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, Dsc. 25.-Unless th'
Spanish government within very shor
time indicates its purpose to remove tint
restrictions now placed on American
commerce with the Spanish West Indie!
by the imposition OF the maximum
tariff on American com modities, it il
probable the president will issue proc
lamation imposing discriminating fai
duties" upon Spanish, Cuban and Porte
Rican imports into the Unit ed States.
The intimation of this purpose on the
part OF the president is distinctly con-
veyed in request received by the treas
ury department from the department oi
state to furnish it with detailed infor
nation as to the amount OF such inn
ports and list OF the veasels carrying
the Spanish flag which trade with our
ports. 1t was the original intention oil
| the state department to have recourse
to the power OF prohibition OF Spanish
trade conveyed by the act of 1890. but
| 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 1928 of the revised
statutes,
THE FIRST LESSON.
Ap aragraph OF the old Morrill, tariff
act, which still stands on the statute
books, imposes duty OF 10 per cent in
addition 10 all other duties upon goods
hro,,n h - ha TIr, ;x, ri ,,o
OF foreign countries unless they are ex-
pfessly relieved from the addiio nal
duty by treaty. These are known as
discriminating flag duties" section
422S abovs referred to authorizing the
president to suspend the benefits COM
ferred by the discriminating flag stat
ute on being satisfied that any country
is discriminating against the United
States in the matter of trade. 1t is q
singular fact that the only country
which has SO far felt the force of this
revision of the law il the very one
against whom it is to be used.
In 1886 our relations with Spain were
so strained that President Cleveland
issued q proclamation .eoiting that
Spain had failed to carry out the first
article of the commercial agreement
eigned at Madrid, February Is, 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 satis-
fed that higher snd discriminating
duties had been imposed he therefore
revoked the eunpenson OF the discrim-
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
instantaneous, for in IA days thereafter
he issued q proclamation stating shat
by an agreement entered into that day
October 27, 1867 Spain had removed
the source of complaint and he conse-
quently again restored her to treatment
under the favored nation clause of our
treaties. Treasury officials at the re-.
quest of the state department are en-
gagged in collecting statistics showing
the volume of the trade that would be
affected by repetition of his action
in 1886 by the president.
HAWAII INTEREST.
1t appesrs that the Spanish colonies
would get much this worst OF it. The
tables show that during the fiscal year
ended June 80 last, Cuba alone exported
to the United States goods to the aggre.
gate value of $75.678.26 26l, and took from
us goods to the amount of $40, ,855, ,237.
Porto Rico sent to us in the same time
goods valued at So, 145. .734. and received
in return goods to the amount of 81 1,705,-
646. With the direct trads with Spain
the case was reversed for exports to
that country were s13, ,304 ,076 as against
imports amounting to 81. 255, ,875. The
tariff differences between Spain and the
United States are being watched with
keen interest by other sugor producing
countries, particularly Hawaii and Bra
zil, as the execution of Secretary
Greaham's threat to discriminate
against Cuban products will create
a heavy demand for raw sugar, now
brought almost exclusively from Cuba.
Mr.. Hastings, the charge d. affaires of
the Hawaiian legation, is an interested
observer of the Spanish negotiations.
The Hawaiian sugar planters have been
giving close attention to Cuba of late,
many OF them visiting the island and
studying the Cuban process of making
sugar. One of them wrote Mr.. Hastings
recently OF the sntiquated methods pre-
veiling and other Hawaiian plan.oTs
pointed out to him that the Cubans got
but 25 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 markets. Being depsndent on
this country for their product, Hawai-
would expect to benefit if Cuba was
shut out.
The Hawaiisns expect soon to con.
clude European treaties. Minister
Thurston has written to Mr.. Hastings
briefly from Lisbon to the effect that his
trip to Spain 10 proving entirely satisfac-
tory. The minister has visited many
European countries for the purpose OF
inducing them to renew their treaties of
and smity with the new re-
public of the Pacific. He has alao sought
to make arrangements for immigration
to Hawaii of the better classes OF labor
ere. While he gives no exact details,
the tenor of his letter indicates SUCCESS.
He will return to Washington about
January 18th.
rIo r. O.,