The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1901-06-06
rs NOT RECIPROCAL.
DEFECTS OF THE SPECIAL
TRADE TREATY PLAN.
Convincing Reasons why the Proposed
Scheme of Unrestricted Reciprocity
Would Not Operate to the Advantage
of the United States

ond lecture on Economic Aspects of
Reciprocity delivered by Mr.. John
P. Young of the San Francisco Chron-
ic1e, before the College of Commerce
of the University of California, various
phases of the practical workings of the
reciprocity plan in the United States
are presented with marked clearneSs
and force. The lack of certainty in
the matter of revenue production
which attends the operation of special
trade treaties is urged important
objection to that process of charging
our trade with foreign countries The
question of revenue is held constantly
in view by congress when engaged in
the enactment of a tariff law, and the
schedules are so adjusted as to insure
with reasonable accuracy amount
of revenue which, added to that de-
rived from internal sources, will meet
the requirements of the government.
Not SO in the case of schedules altered
in miscellaneous fashion through
special commercial conventions If,
under these treaty arrangements, the
duties certain articles materi-
ally diminished, SO must be the reven-
ues. Moreover, the consequences of
this kind of tariff tinkering may
prove to be mischievous, for as Mr.
Young points out, if reduce the
duties Russian beet sugar to please
the exporters of American machinery,
how shall we deny similar reduction of
duties to other sugar producing cOun-
tries without exciting jea1ousies and
retaliation? If, in order to escape this
kind of friction, we make the reduc-
ton of sugar duties uniform with all
countries, must in the long run,
what then becomes of the revenue
from sugar duties2
Another point of the utmost import
ance is emphasized by Mr.. Young in
this nnection-namely, that while
tariff laws may easily be repealed
q a n nj n
greSS, commercial conventions consti-
| tute contracts and obligations very
! difficult to retreat from and which Of
ten continue in force long after their
workings are recognized to be in
| furious At best the process of abro-
eating commercial treaties is slow
| and tedious one, and the effect is to
| create rigidity in a direction where
| hexibility is highly desirable.
A reciprocity treaty is not necessar-
| lily reciprocal. 1t may prove to be
| quite the reverse Mr. Young cites the
| supposititious case of wine producers
and prune growers who were promised
| protection for their industry and are
as much entitled to it as are the max
| erS of machinery. We enter into
| arrangement with a foreign country
| which cOntemplates an increased pur-
| chase on our part of foreign wines
| and prunes and an increased sale on
| our part of machinery. This may or
| der the arrangement. 1t is quite pos
| sible that the foreigner will send US
| an additional quantity of wines and
pruneS without in turn taking from
| us an additional quantity of machines
! The practical workings of reciprocal
| trade arrangements may thus prove to
| be far from reciprocal Mr. Young
| raises the question whether it is not
| an economic blunder to assist our over
| grown iron concerns by means of spe-
rio To o1lyo Eai1.
| surplus product in foreign countries,
| and thus prevent the creation in unde-
| veloped lands of facilities which would
| enable the peoples of those lands to
| supply themselves with articles of
| iron, and at the same time compel the
domestic consumer in our own country
to assist in this work of spoliation by
charging him more for what he uses
of the product thus forced out than
the foreigner is compelled to pay.
Herein is suggested an aspect of the
| reciprocity idea which the trust
smashers have certainly overlooked.
OF course, so thorough and deep
| searching a student of cause and effect
in economics as Mr.. Young has shown
| himself to be would not pass by the
pertinent point concerning the true
definition of reciprocity as expounded
| in the national Republican platform
| He directs attention to the fact that
| in their platforms the Republicans
! have always insisted that true reel
procity consists in the exchange OF
non-competing products This fact
is ignored by the advocates of tariff
| tinkering by trade treaties with per
sistency that carries it out of the do
main of accident and places it in the
category of intentional suppression
The favOrite theory of British Cob
denites and Free Traders that if VIZ
wish TO trade with foreigners we car
i only hope to do SO by buying from
them as well selling to them is dis
| posed of by Mr.. Young scarcely
| worthy of serious consideration IL
| view Of the facts of commerce as dis
| closed in the statistics of our foreign
: | trade in the last four years of ade
| quate protection Such a conten
: | ton says Mr. Young scarcely de
| serves a serious answer Individual
and aggregations of individuals knows
as nations do not buy things to pleas
/ the persons purchased FROM they bu
: because they need the things bought