Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-23

4
Ierica countries continue to be angli-
cized or Germanized. they may some
4 day say, No, thank YOU when we Offer
them our protection against Europe
A wise system of reciprocity will force
these countries TO do business with us
and 1t is to our interest'to have South
America selling it's goods in the United
States almost as much as 1T is to have
the United States selling it's products
| in South America.
Congress probably will be called up
on continued the nestor of the senate,
ito take some action regarding specific
reciprocity with Cuba. Our relations
with that island are of peculiar char
acter. You ask If we can have reci-
procity with Cuba without running
counter to the favored nation clause in
our treaties with other nations.
Conditions here and in Cuba are such
that we can readily put into operation a
| system of reciprocity which will be OF
great advantage to both countries. and
which other nations can secure under
the favored nation clause, If they see fit,
altho they may not be likely to ask for
| 1t. suggest that we could offer to Cuba,
| for instance come reduction in the tariff
on tobacco and sugar, on the condition
that the island should admit duty free
our meats and our flour.
'sThe beauty Of this is that Cuba does
not manufacture -four nor grow cattle
| gar and tobacco in limited quantities.
This reciprocity, however, carries its
benefits and its injuries. if there by any,
for the same classes.
1.-The agricultural element which
grows sugar in the Mississippi valley,
and tobacco in the south, also raises cat
tie and wheat. A slight reduction on
Cuban sugar and tobacco would not ma
terially influence our home market,
while the free entrance into Cuba of our
-four and meat would give us control OF
the food supply Of the island.
France and Germany have beet sugar
to sell, but they have been particularly
strenuous in keeping out our meat.
They could come in on the same terms
as Cuba. il they desired, but IL they did
SO, our cattle growers would have the
continent Of Europe to supply with
meat believe that in meat and -four
we have basis Of reciprocity With Cuba
which can be readily adjusted and which
European nations will not interfere with
except to make us stronger commercial
lr than before"
When reference was made to the fact
that any system of reciprocity involved
certain amount Of revision Of the tariff
the far-seeing Iowa statesman said:
do not believe the people desire any gen
eral revision OF the tariff. The country is
prosperous under present conditions. 1t
is undoubtedly true that the customs
duties on certain articles are now larger
than they should be. can readily be-
lieve for instance, that our present rate
on iron and steel is too high by so per
cent.
II say I am inclined to believe this,
however, because do not know it. !
should be unwilling to change the tarin
on those articles merely on hearsay.
Such a change should not be made ex-
cept as result of formal hearing OF
all persons interested, both for and
against the reduction.
"The difficulty under which we labor
in tariff matters il in not having re-
sponsible cabinet minister to take
charge. Secretary Gage has too many
other duties, and his department is not
organized for this purpose.
Congress ought TO have at its eom-
mand at all times accurate information
OF an official character. brought right
down to date, OF the amount of importa-
tons Of different articles and OF the re-
lations of the domestic price and the cost
OF production to the tariff. A commits
sion could not secure this information
except at second hand. department
of commerce and industry could attend
tc this matter properly.
IF President Roosevelt specifically
indorses the creation of such depart
ment. as the newspaper FAY he will do.
/ believe congress will pass the neces-
sary law, so that in the next fiscal year
at least we might expect an addition to
the number of cabinet officers.
In speaking OF the probable building
of the Nicaraguan canal, when asked as
to the method which would be adopted
to spend the money and actually dig
the ditch, Senator Allison advanced
somewhat novel idea when he said: we
have not yet studied over the exact
means by which the government Will
proceed to build the canal / should as
sumo that the engineers of the army
would have general charge Of the work,
az they do of similar projects in this
country.
THE present commission, or one like
1t, might properly be continued to act as
representative Of this government on
the ground have been much inn
pressed, however with the general be-
lief that the canal will cost a good deal
more than the estimates and also that
1t will take so long time waiting for
its opening I believe there is a way to
obviate both of these natural criticisms.
This is day Of great syndicates and
combinations OF capital / believe We
could profitably let contract to build
the canal for specified sum. and with
in a given time with heavy penalties for
non performance of the contract. AT
least it would be possible to let such
contracts for large sections of the ca
nal.
"Of course all the plans and supervis-
lon would be in the hands of the army
officers. If we attempt to do this by
days work 1t will take many years to
complete the canal. If we invite pro-
posals, just as we would do for any 9TH
err public work, 1t seems to me we could
enlist the services of men who could
command sufficient capital to carry on
the work and who would make their
profits Of scores and hundreds Of small
contracts.
II have not gone into the subject
carefully and 1t may be this is not a
wise plan, but at present it semes to be
the ona WAY to secure an absolute limit