El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-10-01
RECIPROCITY AND THE TARIFF.
Reciprocity Needed to Foster Trade
With Mexico.

Joseph =. Smith, director of the bu-
reau of American republics, will have
ar article in the forthcoming bulletin
of the bureau outlining the extent to
which, in his OpiniO n, reciprocity can
be applied under the new tariff law in
fostering the trade between the United
States and Mexico, Central America
and the West Indies. He shows the
expansion OF the trad through recent
improved means of communicating by
rail and steamship, and concerning
Mexico says:
"If ira sportation en- erprises are sup
plemented by wise system OF reel
proclty there will be no bounds to the
development Of mutually beneficial
trade under the stimulus CT closer in
tercOurse and a better acquaintance
The tariffs OF the two countries levy
duties on the products of each. which
afford the basis for ad analogous con-
cessiOD. The Tn ted States could well
afford, in my Judgment, to remit or
modify taxes on Mexican hides, tobac-
co. ores, ard fruits. in exchange for the
lowering OF Mexican imports upon
manufactured articles which Mexico
does not produce, AID there can be
but little doubt that governments
so friendly and keenly DESTROYS of
increased trade, the one with the
other, will quickly agree upon some
plan that viii be heartily applauded by
the masses of both countries. The able
and progressive president of Mexico,
Gen. Diaz, has frequently exhibited
the friendliest spirit toward the United
States and is understood to be strongly
inclined to some eff ctive work of re-
ciprocity. The administration of Pre-
| sident Mckinley can be assumed to be
equally interested in removal of obste-
cles to trade development, for it is an
| nOunced that the president will shortly
issue proclamation granting the
same exemption from discriminating
| duties to goods taken into Mexican
ports in vessels of the United States
AS Mexico has already repealed her
discriminating duties upon goods i'm
ported in sailing vessels and imposes
no such duties upon goods arriving in
steamers President McKinley's propos-
ed action will undoubtedly promptly re-
| move what now seems to be threaten
| ing impeachment to trade. If the same
spirit should extend to an entire read
| iustment of the tariff relations of the
TWO countries to each other. as it GER
tainly does, there can hardly be any
serious difficult g. in reaching a perm a.
nent agreement for greater exchange
upon terms ike just. honorable, lib
ersl and highly satisfactOTy to all.
MIR. Smith says the same is true as t.
the trade of c. ntral America and the
West Indies with the single exception
of Cuba. Many Of the Br4 fish colonies
to the southwark are, he says, prac.
tically dependent on the United States
for the necessaries of life, and reel
procity would insure the sale to then
of many articles which they now buy
in Europe.
AS to Cuba he says: Economic
forces alone may be expected to compel
d solution of the Cuban trou bleS, which
will again bring the fertile island into
closer relations with the Unite States
Exhaustion must ultimately bring one
or the other of the parties to the pres
eut struggle 10 terms, even should the
| United States, as 1T is most unlikely,
fail ia endeavOrs to effect an adjust
ment in the interests of humanity and
the principles which all true Ameri-
cans have ever had at heart. A step
toward reciprocity has already been
| taken, even under the present cOpdi-
ton. Notwithstanding the frequently
exhibited disinclination of the Spani b
government to make any concession to
the United States, the cable dispatch hes
announce that new customs tariff he 5
been formed in Cuba, where there arr
duties upon nearly al goods imported
from the United States