New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1902-01-29
So Says Col. Taskers Bliss Before
House COMMITTEES o. Ways
and Means. s.#
HEARING on RECIPROCITY CONTINUES.
Comm erciaI Union, Cor Blfss De-
1 clares, VIII Postpone >PoIftica1
!! Union-He Tens now the United
4 States Can Secure the Bulk of
! Trade with the Island.


l3detailed as collector of customs at
Havana, was before the ways and
means committee Saturday concerning
Cuban reciprocity. In opening his
statement he disc1aimed authority as a.
sugar expert, and said his knowledge
was confined to that of an obs server for
three years in an official position deal
ing with the trade Of Cuba. This had
| led him to hope that if there was any
change in the tariff it would be such an
adjustment as would sthr COW into the
Ehands of the United States the large
amount ofsCuban trade now taken by
foreign countries. =
Speaking first Of the condition Of the
Cuban sugar industry, he said it was,
greatly depressed. The Havana banks
were refusing further credits to the
planters, and when this occurred it was
a sure evidence of the distress Of the
plantations. He roughly: estimated
the sugar industry Of the island at
100000 900, and said about three
fourths Of the people were dependent
in one way or another on the sugar in
dustry.
Chairman Payne asked Col: Bliss to
specify What advantages the United
States could gain from Cuba, and Mr..
Payne also called attention to the low,
tariff rate Cuba imposed against the
United States. :
| Can Secure Bulk of Trade.
Col. Bliss said the average ad va
loren rate was about FL per cent, and
he presented tables designed2to show
4 how tariff readjustment could throw,
practically all of the Cuban trade into
| the hands of American producers. At
present, he said, Cuba bought sec, 000,-
900, of which the United States fur
nished $2S,475,000, and the, balances Of
about $37,000,000 came from foreign
countries. On many articlesy such, as
fresh beef, railroad iron, and other
specified articles, the United States had
practical monopoly Of the trade. But
on many othersarticles, totaling, bout
$45o00,Oo0, the United States had but,
$10,000,0o0 Of the trade. 49,
"By a. reasonable modification ofFthe
Cuban tariff" said Col. Bliss, "at least
sc per cent. of this trade can be thrown
to the United Stat ,...,1 H.: .
He submitted a, list of differentia1s
on which about 33 per cent, favorable
to the United States,as against other
countries, would give us the. trade. In
reporting on this to the war departr
ment the condition had been imposed
upon him not to reduce the'revenuesof
! Cuba. Under such circumstances. he
thought it would be necessary first to
raise Cuba's tariff rates for the .pur-
pose Of revenue and thenreadjust them
with sufficient differentialt to give the
United States control of the trade.
This he put forward ,tenta lively az one
of several plans proposed to the war
department.. iii, i: >'.l,.,
Ready for Political Union. y;
The members of the committee Dues
toned Col. Bliss on the details of the
PROPOSED: REIMBURSEMENT In the5course
of the examina tion Representative
Newlands, of Nevada, 'suggestedssthat
without our political control of Cuba
there might be servi1e labor to COM
pete with American labor He added:
"Are the Cuban people prepared to come
| into political relations with the United
States"'-. '..,.
IT think a great majority of the Cubans
are ready to come ill.," Col. Bliss replied.
"As a territory or state?" asked Mr..
Newlands.
,.'They would be glad to come in as a
state, or a2territory, or under, the military
authority-almost any way in order to
come under the authority Of the United
States" - .:
eff invited to come in first as terri
tory, then as a state, would this be ac-
cepted?"
Il think it wouldps s''
A Hindrance. ,i'~~
Continuing ON this topic Col Bliss
said he thought commercial union with
Cuba would postpone political union.
Personally he~was b OF convinced of the
wisdom of annexa ton The feeling in
Cuba was one of readiness to accept
any condition the United States might
impose = 5','' :',:'.: :."- .-5.:.: I
Asked! whether there wa much pow
erty and distress auneng the Cubans
Col. Bliss said there was not. Butth
condition was like thatof a bank about
to break and The people did not know
what would become of them three
months hence! i'f-. VIA
| Col! Bliss gave The cost Of producing
raw sugar in Cuba; at about two cents
pound, The selling price in Havana
about ~ cents: s*3s,4z ~,~:so's. H. s.E.@
Not Prompted BY Sugar interests. q
Mr.. Louis Place, head Of the Cuban
delegation, made an earnest state
ment .controverting the claim that the
reciprocity movement was instigated
by the United States sugar interests,
contending that the Cubans had long
urged and expected these concessions.
Scuba is fighting its own cause onits
own merits, !" declared Mr.. Place. 0
sssAmendmentst ia. Constitutio
u Washington, Jan. 2 ~ II 7 lhets senate
committe on the Judiciary Saturday
authorizedHa favorable report SEN
tor Hoar's joint resoluti ion proposing
/ an amendment to the constitution 81