New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-22
THEY WANT RECIPROCITY.
.,rpcuANTs SUBMIT THEIR VIEWS TO A
COMMITTEE OF CONGRESS.
,rxrrrrs OF THE SYSTEM TO AMERICAN TRADE
POINTED OUT AS WELL. AS THE DIS
AsTROUs EFFECTS OF REPEAL
OF THE TREATIES
inv TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.1

inv TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIDUNE]
r.sA,pcton March 2l.-Strong representations in |
>or Of a return the policy OF reciprocity, which
las adopted by a Republican Congress and Admin |
,s,ration in 1890 and abrogated and repudated by
nec,ocratic Congress and Administration in 1894
a,e made before the subcommittee on reciprocity
:, tho Ways and Means Committee to-day. Among
the benefcaries OF that policy were the merchants
md shjpowners of Baltimore. who were engaged in
.,ade with Brazil and the Spanish West Indies
They we're represented before the subcommittee by
PRESIDENT lowering. OF the Baltimore Board OF
rrade and c. Morton Stewart, whose firm owns
rpmber of vessels employed in the Brazilian trade
sna IS largely interested in that business. 1t
onneared from the statements submitted by them
that not only did the exports of -four from Balti-
more TO Brazil drop from $780, 900 barrels in the year
ended June 80 1894 (Which was an increase OF 2'sWo
bsrre,s over $780, the year preceding the adoption
OF the reciprocity agreement. to $4,000 In the year
1906 after the abrogaton of the agreemenO. but
that owing changes in the Brazilian tariH ana
IN Brazilian railroad freight rates, the trade IN
Aour with that country has been virtually destroyed
within the last few months and the American YES
sells which therein employed are ioie lot lack
of profitable cargoes The nature OF the discrmina-
tions against American -four in Brazil when nave
resulted from the unwise action of the last Demo-
cratic Congress- explained in protest which was
addressed by lowering & Co. Under date OF Janu-
airy s. 1896. 10 Mr.. Thompson. the Minister OF t"e
We beg respectfully TO call your attention to tbs
radical changes which have been enacted recently
by the Brazilian Government in the mater OF tue
rssative position Of wheat and wheat -four in the
new tariff While the import duty on the latter was
raised from "a reis 70 80 refs per kilo wheaa "o ~
ner cent. has been made entirely free. This In
itself is heavy blow to the American snlpp, ping
have supplied the Brazilian markets with hour ana
have invested millions of capital both IN the com
strucfion of mills Of the most approved Pdttein
for the Manufacture OF flour suitable for this
%ss and in hi! an ss Of
ponds almost exclusively upon nouf 10 supply '"'
In addition the above disparity. we Just learn
Of what we cannot term anything but most start
ling 'ns'i ,hc already struggling hour trade be-
tween the United States and Brazil I'VE TraneS
BY the Government railroads to -four ground mere ERE
over -four We mention Tro as R1o 10
Chapel de twas station on the Central k sna
road is 2 refs per ten sGs o while OU e nre are
dependent on interior points for market ior our
American -four 1t Is 9Swo.s ,m ona
The exporters Of provisions TO Brazil have also
suffered serious injury on account OF the apro-
cation Of the reciprocity agreement WIN ORA
I'll according to the statements OF Messrs
Iavsrins and stewart They both declared
MAINLY that the reciprocity agreements mao
resulted in a large and remuneratiVe IN
crease of the foreign trade of Baltimore tha' .he
abrocaton Of those agreements had resulted ois-
STIR 70
Of that city as well TO Western producers anu
,bav strongly advoca ted return 20 the pohcy 50
unwiseIv and improvidenty abandoned by Congress
two years ago. <.x ,uo,s
John w Gates Of Chicago president OF the limos
Steel Company and director OF the CohsoNua.
Wire and Steel Company. also MADE an ih'eres'ine
s,a,eu,ent in behalf Of reciprocity and gave many
facts relating the trade In manufactures % o
and steel with South America and the SPANS. We,
Indies Mr.. Gates also submitted ietter auui So So,
manager of the Consolidated Wire and steer Co'n,
many which contains some pertinent ana lmpol' a''
information. The manager wrote:
Hn e the su Ssds9 e.
could that from the time n9se coun.
barb wire with those countries increased lapo ~
and uniformly My sna able b for the 2st time
history of our companyNwnicn cove Certain extent
pain wire and wire nails and eve1E,hins ., n our
GATED continued nue. ongons re M the
soon however these treaties were ,hr ta-,iy
tne o tyade with the countries which affect
ed became practically nothing As an raser Se
Sardssips entaed by their abrogaon we rO wogs
cite the instance OF Cuba This country 1fo eyerv
article These yarSu rd rates nnm nse
designated as the bs I5 ss hghes, and the
the lowest, and on our goods at Least s 'n ro,mns
wide difference between escn Gi low 5ueI rate and is
ony Tranted to certain favored countries under o
certain ,reay with them therefore American
manufacturers had the benefit OF tns vet INTO that
ony 10 sooner was the reciprocity arrange
Terminated than hs ne nssd States rate Of duty
from the third column TO the first that is, 70 e
highest possible limit ana SDs as we Of course had
no redress our principal Egrqgean Germany
that tina Is tn9 ws4e to goods 70
Cuba under the SECOND column oi er rapid regi-
ag ines Of steamers from Europe TO the Wes1
Indies together win the low ports made any
export ations from the United states 10 ~ % The
least in line OF goods aDsoiu'e'S o"' u
similar condition Of affairs is true in ers sch
The tinted States had similar aTrahge ne,.s .,n
general we may say that the reGiproc yreat ad
vantage 10 American manufacture ana we wou n
be very glad indeed to see eher 'nder no other
known set o, conditions can Amehcan anh na
egrer pay meet iUs Competition Of
foreign manufacturers. ,,.,o -, ~. h.-d
sh,n entailed on the manufacturers by the abro.
cation OF these treaties, ana as an -.
the retaliation nstued1 oy nt rsses we would
saw that we have been requested, pro'iul"s we
y Would make the oTs sr to
South American countries WIN ,ne eod '' az
pSckaees Should indicate the actual origin of the
goods In other words II ne gooas Were Were poId he
entered ~ a better rate OF duty than otherwise
GOVERNMENT ARMOR WORKS PROPOSED.
THE SENATE NAVAL. COMMITTEE GIVES ANOTHER
HEARING on MR. SMITHS BILL.
Warrington. March 1.-THE Senate COMMITTEE on
Naval Affairs continued its hearing on the bill OF
Senator Smith. which proposes the establishment OF
factory by the Government for the manufacture
OF Its own armor plate. Those who appeared were
LieutenantCommander Rodgers. who represents the
government al the Bethlehem works ana CoH'-