Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-15
ON CUBAN RECIPROCITY
President OF the Export Associa.
ton Replies to Colonel
Tasker Bliss.
Gives Statistics to Show Tariff
Reduction OF SO Per Cent
Is Necessary.
Would Turn Cuba's Trade This
Way and Be Great
Benefit.

New York, Feb 15.--F. b. Thurber
Association, has written a letter to the
Hon. Serene e. Payne, chairman of the
committee on ways and means, giving
the views. of that association on re-
duction of the tariff on Cuban pro-
ducts. The letter follows:
Il notice that Colonel Tasker II.
Bliss in his testimony before your
committee expressed the opinion that
la reduction of SO Il per cent in our
duties on Cuban products, with cor
responding percentage of reduction
in the Cuban tariff on our products,
would give the United States the
larger part of the Cuban trade. AS
president of the u. S. Export Associa :
ton, whose object is to widen the mar
ket for American products. have, dur
ing the past few months made u care
full study of this question, and l be-
lieve that nothing less than so per
cent will be adequate to fully accom-
plish this purpose. We want not only
their trade for our cereals, provisions,
and sugar machinery. but for the rice,
wine. shoes, textiles and a long list of
sundry manufacturing articles which
she has been getting from other coun-
tries. and it requires very consid-
cradle inducement to divert this trade.
Fashion, habit, acquaintance and long
credits which European merchants Of
fer as compared with our cash or
shorter credit system are considera-
tions which can not be overlooked.
AT present our tariff on Cuban pro
ducts averages about 100 per cent,
while the average on all other dutiable
products imported from other coun-
tries is only about 90 per cent. Cuba
present tariff on imports will average
between % and 80 per cent under the
tariff fived by our war department. Ii
will be necessary for Cuba in order to
raise revenue necessary for her gov
eminent and make a reciprocal reduce
ton to us to raise her tariff TO an av
erage of perhaps so per cent, She
could then make US reduction of one
half in her tariff and still have suf-
ficient revenue to support her govern
ment If we make a reduction of one
half in our duties on her products. we
would still be charging her as much as
the average charge on dutiable pro-
ducts Of all other countries. or, say 90
per cent while she would be charg
ing us on our products going, into Gu
ba about the same as at present or
say an average of 25 per cent | think
this would turn nearly all her trade
our way and she would soon become
one of our very best customers. for her
purchasing power would rapidly in
creases
Our domestic sugar and tobacco in
terests protest that they can not stand
such competition. but l believe they
can, except perhaps in localities un
suited to the production of these ar
ticles but the interests of other Am
erican producers lmany times more
whose products would find
an increased market in Cuba, are as
much entitled to consideration as our
domestic sugar and tobacco interests,
to say nothing of the American con-
sumner who would ultimately get in the
shape of lower prices for Cuban pro-
ducts some share of the, benefit. l
think. viewed from all sides, the
greatest good to the greatest number
would unquestionably be served by
reduction of at least so per cent in our
tariff on Cuban products and that any
reduction less than so per cent will
not give United States exports control
OF the Cuban market"