Evening star., 1899-04-11
Senator Frye to 1the Lewiston Board
of Trade.
GROWING BALANCE IN OUR FAVOR
important Lessons Gearned in the
Last Few Years.
VALUE OF NEW TERRITORIES
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.


LEWISTON, Me-. April ia COM
plimentary banquet to United States
Senator William p. Frye was given last
evening by the Lewiston board of trade.
The number of tickets was limited to $50.
and that number of gentlemen were pres
ent. Col Charles H. Osgood acted as toast
master. Letters of regret were read from
Henry Lord, president of the Maine board
Of trade, and from Secretary M. G. Rich
Of that board. short speech was made
by George Pottle, the mayor of the city.
When Senator Frye arose to speak he was
greeted with round after round Of ap-
plause. He seemed greatly to appreciate
the compliment paid him and gave earnest
expression to his gratitude.
He said that the banquet having been
given by board of trade he felt justified
in discussing commercial questions, rather
than indulging in the ordinary after-dinner
attempts at wit, humor and anecdote. He
gave glowing description of the natural
advantages OF our country, the use we had
made OF them, the discovery by us since
1882; that our splendid home market could
no longer be our entire dependence; that
We must look to foreign markets in which
to dispose of our surplus. He then showed
how associations had been formed to Sc
cure this end: the active work done by
them; the result in 1898; our imports in
round numbers, 767,0OO,0OO; our exports,
$l,Soo,ee0,o00; the balance Of trade in our
favor, over $500 100000. He accounted for
this in, part by the skill and intelligence
Of our labor: by the inventive genius of our
mechanics; by the cheapness of our trans
portation both by rail and water.
Cheap Freight Rates.
He declared that our railroads were
carrying freight today for 7S-10O of a cent
per tone per mile, one-third of the actual
cost of them in 1865; that water freights
had been reduced more than one-half in
ten years, largely in consequence of the
increased size of our ships. He cited figures
proving this:
Rates from Chicago to Buffalo, on wheat,
1887, 81. Ii a ton; in 1898, s1.53 a ton.
On iron ore from Lake Superior to Ohio
ports, in 1887, s2.23; in 1898. 62 cents
On coal between the same ports in 1887
30 cents; in 1885, 43 cents; and claimed that
these reductions on iron ore and coal,
coupled with new devices for loading and
d1scharg1ng cargo, enabled us last year to
compete with the world in iron, steel and
their manufactures He gave an interest
ing statement of our domestic tonnage, its
growth, its present strength-over 7O0O-
600 tonnage of documented and undocu-
mented vessels, and ascribed that condition
to protection, no foreign ships being per-
mitted to engage inetllis trade. .'
What of our future? Our necessity for a
foreign market will increase year by year.
Competition with foreign nations will grow
sharper and sharper. He. discussed this at
some length, and how we should meet it.
He favored deep waterway from the
great lakes to the Atlantic ocean.
He insisted that We niust carry our own
imports and exports on American ships,
pay to our own people the $500 600 a day
we are now paying Foreigners He ad-
vocated subsidizing our ships as other rival
NATIONS did, and claimed that it would
prove economical to otir people in reduction
OF freight rates to the extent of $50, 900, 600
annually.
Unexpected Has Happened.
He said the unexpected had happened. in
creasing our chances tenfoid; the war with
Spain, the treaty of peace, the acquisition
of commercial supremacy in Cuba, though
not Of sovereignty. through friendly gov
ernment to be established there. and con-
uguity; Porto Rico and it's trade will be
ours.
He said more promising than the acquisi-
ton of many such islands was the acquire
ment of the Philippines under the terms
of the same treaty. He showed from the
report of Commissioner Harden that not
withstanding the oppression of Spain and
rebellion, the exports from Manila in 1897
amounted to $41 ,342 600. the imports S17,-
343,0O0. leaving a balance in her favor Of
S23 500 900. He described the islands, their
fertility, their mineral wealth, their ca
pdClty 10 lHcTedSe pl'OiucIlOn under good
government, rendering life and property
secure.
He said that their domestic trade was in
significant compared with their Importance
as bringing us In touch with the 100 600, 900
or 800, 100000 of the people of the orient,
whose trade last year amounted to 81 800
100000; that our sovereignty there gave us
a great moral force with the nations. and
might prevent the division of China and
the closing of the door of trade against us:
that the trade of the Pacific would In time
exceed that of the Atlantic; that the pos
session of these islands would tend to give
us fair share of 1t, and would certainly
help sustain our treaty rights in China
Opposes Giving Up Anything.
He opposed surrendering the islands to
anybody, but intimated that In the distant
future, under our tutelage, the natives
might be found by US to be competent to
form a stable republican government, capa-
Bile of affording protection to life and prop
erty, of making treaties. sustaining their
rights under them, and performing their
obligations; that then we might surrender
them the sovereignty. retaining to our
selves such naval and coaling stations as
should be necessary for the protection of
our commerce
He advocated the construction of a water
route across the isthmus, neutral to all ma
ttons except to one which might be at war
with He claimed that the Suez canal
gave England an immense advantage over
US with the trade of the east, placing New
York several thousand miles further off
from these possessions than Liverpool, 600
miles nearer all the northern ports of
China, 1,SOO miles nearer Yoke oharna, 1000
miles nearer Corea, 1000 miles nearer Mel
bourne, 800 miles nearer Sydney, $500
miles nearer New Zealand and from 5000
to 1900 miles nearer the western coast of
South America, from 600 to 5000 miles
nearer than Liverpool would be to people
whose commerce last year amounted to
81 ,12O 900, 900.
Alleged Criminal Arrested.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
HYATTSVILLE, Nd, April II, 1889.
Deputy Sheriff Tighe of this county Sue
&C eded yesterday In arresting and placing