The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-01-03
RELATIONS WITH SPAIN.


 Concessions to Be Made to Cuba-The State
 Department Perfecting Retaliatory Meas-
 ures.
 WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S.-The govern ment of Spain, in an earnest desire to svade the threatened tariff wars be. tween Cuba and the United States, has under serious and favorable considera- tion the cession to Cuba of the priv llege 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 proceeding nevertheless with their re- taliatory plans, as they do not believe Spain's concessions to Cuba can be car ried out and made beneficial to us for some months to come. The signifi. canoe of the matter in it's commercial and political aspects is fully realized.
 It is said Spain will be careful not to relinquish her sovereignty over the island nor to permit this to become the first step toward Cuban independence. For that reason the contemplated privi. lege will not include full "home rule." There will be no Cuban parliament, with independent authority to make laws, similar to Canada's colonial sys- tenn under Great Britain. On the con. trary the general purpose is to give Cuba advisory powers. Her local off. cials will take up the economic neces- sities of the island, estimate the needed revenue from tariff duties and advise the Spanish government of duties that should be levied and of other measures which ought to be taken in order to se- cure the best results for the island. While Spain would thus retain com. plete sovereignty over Cuba, both com mercial and political, it is suggested that the home government would as a with the United States.
 In the present contention between Spain and the United States the Cubans are solicitors of retaining their Ameri. can markets for sugar, and it is urged for this reason the local officials would undoubtedly advise a lowering of tariff duties with the United States, and it is probable Spain's approval would follow almost certainly her approval in reality being largely a formality desired to show her purpose of retaining soy. ereignty over their land.
 While it is recognized in official cir cles here that this change doubtless would be beneficial to the United States, it is feared such extensive changes in the relations between Spain and Cuba cannot be made within a reasonable time and that before the United States can thus secure a reduc- ton of tariffs our trade with Cuba and Porto Rico will be irreparably in jured. The great importing houses of the Atlantic cities are clamoring at the doors of the state department and threaten 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 700,0 ,000 barrels of flour per an mum, all of our commerce in ma chinery formerly purchased by the Cubans ex' clusively in the United States, all of the hardware and large proportion of the potato trade, every important part of our exports to the West Indies. The total reduction in our exports to | Cuba for the year since the lapse of the reciprocity agreement will amount to not less than 50 per cent.