Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-26
Jamaica Seeks a Wider Market for
Her Fruits.
AMERICA GETTING TIE BULK OF TRADE
SuppIanting Great Britain in Fur
nishing Manufactures
ENJOYS CORDIALLY MET

The representatives of the government of
jamaica who are here for the purpose of
making a reciprocity arrangement under
the Dingley tariff law have been meeting
Special Commissioner Kasson frequently.
The representatives are anxious to OBJ
tain concessions upon sugar, oranges, grape
fruit and shaddocks These are the prin-
cipai exports from the island to the United
States except bananas, cocoanuts and cof-
fee, which are already free of duty. The
President is authorized, with the consent
of the Senate, to make reductions of 20
per cent in the duties imposed upon these
or any other articles.
Ut is hoped by the Jamaica ENJOYS that
such reductions will be obtained on sugar
and oranges. They would like also to OBJ
tain modification of the drastic rule re-
garding oranges which prevents repacking
before the duty Is levied in the United
States Nearly 40 per cent of an invoice of
oranges is often spoiled ON the way to the
United States, but under the present tariff
the duty is assessed upon the full weight
in the original packages, or the entire in
voice must be abandoned. 1t is not possible
under existing law to make any concession
in this respect All that can be done is to
make the reduction of 20 per cent upon the
general duty unless a treaty making a
change in some other respect is made I'M
der the general treaty making power. The
State Department is not disposed to go so
far as this: because of the limited number
OF concessions which are offered by the
Jamaica government upon American goods
Inc Jamaica government is prohibited at
the outset from making any preferences in
FAVOR of the United States which are not
extended to the mother country Great
Britain. A practical discrimination might
be made by putting low duties on those ar
tlfaieS which come mostly from the United
states, while Keeping the rates uniform
against all countries, but this is rendered
difficult by the fact that the present duties
in Jamaica are Necessary to provide reve-
nue.. The trade of the island has been turn
ing largely in recent years in the direction
OF the United States, and the Jamaica en-
Voys believe that this tendency will be-
come more marked now that the other ISL
ands of the West Indies are largely under
American control. The efforts of the Bos-
ton Fruit Company, which is now running
four steamers week to the island have
done much to bind the two countries TO-
gether.
The sugar crop in recent years has de-
cllned, owing to the competition of sugar
from the bounty-paying countries, but the
cultivation of coffee has been on the in
crease and the production of grape fruit is
not Keeping pace with the demands of the
United States market. Great Britain
few years ago controlled most of the i'm
port trade of the island, but the United
states has been gaining ground rapidly in
manufactured goods, as well as in food
products, where her supremacy has been of
several years standing. American cotton
goods are competing on nearly equal terms
with English goods, and the work of the
Boston Fruit Company and the laying Cf
the new trolley line have introduced much
American agricultural machinery and cleo
trfcal equipment.
The Jamaica ENJOYS have come to Wash
fngton prepared to make all the conces-
sions which their revenue system will per-
nit, and encountered cordial spirit in
Special Commissioner Kasson. They are
hopeful that an arrangement under the
fourth section Of the Dingley law will be
completed within a few days and will be
promptly ratified by the Senate in Decem-
Der. Jamaica has only about 1900 eau
casians in her population of 100000, and
the proportion of Americans has been
growing since a few American capitalists
undertook the development of the great re-
sources of the island. There is no avowed
sentiment for annexation to the United
States, but the development of closer COM
mercial relations may pave the way for
demand for union when conditions are
favorable.
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