Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-26
BOOST RECIPROCITY
Still Contrary Rumors About Extra
Session.
CONSERVATIVES SCOUT THE IDEA
Close Trade Relations, It is Said,
Mean Material Gain to Both Cuba
and the United States-Mean Much
to Former.
Washington. D. C.. Aug q

Washington, D. c.. Aug 81.
The tangle over the Cuban situation
generally seems to be one of consider
able complication. 1t is now positive
that the United States will do nothing
in regard to the proposed $35, O0O, 900
loan. But on the other hand. the pro-
ject Of reciprocity with the little island
seems to have been given quite a
boost. There are still contrary rumors
concerning the proposed extra session
of the senate. I find, however, that
the more conservative ones at the cap
itol believe that there will be no extra
session.
There is much interest in the propos-
ed reciprocity when it does come.
The bitter feeling in Cuba over the
matter is regarded to have shown it
self strongly in the proposed revision
of the Cuban tariff in which strong
blow is aimed at products from the
United States. 1t is thought that this
bitterness will gradually fade away if
reciprocity legislation is once taken
up, but it will take long time for the
Cubans to get out of their heads the
idea that the delay in making trade
concessions was deliberate attempt to
force annexation through ruin. The
loss OF this years sugar crop will
weigh heavily upon the island 1t fell
$4,000 tons short Of what would have
been marketed under reciprocity.
On the whole, however, Cuba has
acted pretty well in the matter When
President Palma took hold last spring
the outgoing Americans thought sure
that considerable tariff boosting would
be the first act of the new republic.
The Cuban newspapers were demand
ing it and it is even said that one of
the American officials advised Presi.
dent Palma to do it. Raise your
schedules he said, ""and four out of
five people in the United States will
say Good for Cuba" But the Cubans
We're grateful and they did not want to
appear mean and spiteful toward the
country that had done so much for
them and from whom they really ex-
pected more. The recent proposed re-
vision which has passed the Cuban
senate shows that patience has been
exhausted. The increase is applied to
nearly all the principal articles of i'm
port and affect the total importation
for the United States by nearly $780,
100000. AS an instance of an official
comparison made of the imports into
Cuba from the United States and all
other countries shows that on wheat
flour, OF which $7,612,955 worth was
imported into Cuba last year from the
United States alone, (as compared
with $19,075 from all other countries)
an increase of 100 per cent is made on
the duty. That the changes affect the
United States almost exclusively is
SHOWN by the fact that on most com
mon articles the United States impor-
tation is almost 20 times that of all
other countries combined. Iowa is in
tereSted in an increase of 1888 per cent
on corn. Cuba has found that she has
been importing some things that she
can raise herself and she seems to be
plunging into strict protective policy.
When reciprocity actually comes, as
Stunning that President Roosevelt is
right when he says that it is as sure
as fate, it is claimed, that there will
Dc d lhol dl sam LII lilt oullSu otdlSS
and material gain to both countries.
If the treaty could be made and rat-
fed in November according to extra
session plans, it would assure the
grinding and marketing Of the full
seasons crop. Commonly, very little
of the cane is ground in December, but
if the planters are able to get credit
most of the sugar mills can be kept
busy from January till May. Reel
procity will insure credit for the plant
ers.
1t will also result in fresh American
capital going in. A pretty steady
movement of this kind had set in a
year ago and was one of the means
of keeping the island from reaching
the lowest depth of industrial depres-
sion. But when the savage attacks
were made in congress on American
Investments in Cuba the investors
halted Now they will wait and make
sure that they are not to be treated as
criminals for investing their capital in
the little country so closely allied with
the United States commercially and
politically.
AS concerns the real details of reci-
procity it may be thought that the du-
ties on manufactures will be thought
more important than those On bread
stuffs and packing house products,yet
the American producers are sure to
feel a heavy increase on the latter ar
ticles though they have the natural
advantage of nearness to market. Rice
Is an article of consumption the i'm
portation OF which can be vastly in
creased. 1t is said that Louisiana
rice can find market in Cuba that
would more than make up for any sup
posed loss on sugar cane 1t is not to
be understood that the bill which pass
ed the Cuban senate authorizing the
President to increase CUBAN duties
! from 10 to 800 per cent will become a
law in the form in which it was pass.
ed. 1t is regarded as a sort of buff
or feeler. In its present shape 1t
would defeat one of it's purposes which