The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-01-06

| for al exchange OF products which would be of
| mutual benefit, as great upon one side upon
| the other.
| In 1891 Cuba produced SGj,00000O worth of
sugar, and S25,0OOO0O worth of tobacco, the
| greater part OF which sold to the United
States, The prices Of that year were not high,
! but they We're high enough TO give the planters
Il fair return for their industry and investment.
| Cubas imports for that year given as SSI-
220,0l3. This represented importations OF food
| products, machinery, boots and shoes, cotton
| cloth, hats chemicals, paper, soap, candles, ami.
mails and animal products, dairy products, and all
| the minor articles useful for and necdful in the
daily life OF the people. No more than a small
part of it, possibly ten per cent, was represented
| by articles which cannot be aGYantageoupsly sup
| piled by the United States During that year the
| United States bought from Cuba merchandise to
| the value of S03,ll0ll1. Her sales to Cuba We're
affected by tariff framed in the special interest
| OF Spain, with the exception OF such articles as
We're covered by the reciprocity treaty of 1891,
Today, ii is wholly within the power of the
United States to regulate this commerce in her
own favor with thc full and Tree consent and 90.
operation Of the people of Cuba. The moral
obligation Of the United States TO establish in
Cuba that ''stabe government" which is insisted
upon as the sine qua non OF Cuban independence,
includes the obligations to establish due meas
me OF that industrial prosperity which is The
basi' of all stable government. 10 give Cuba
an opportunity for such prosperity is to fulfil
our moral obligation and at the same time to
open valuable outlet for millions Of dollars
worth oi American products,
Cuba's purchasing power is today lar beow
what 1t was in 1891, the year preceding the war
This is directly traCeabla to three causes First
the widespread destruction of the industries of
the island through the processes OF Il devastating
war; second, the great depression in the market
prices Of her principal commodities third. the
failure OF the government OF intervention to give
due aid and encouragement to the economic con.
dtions OF the island All this is capable of
speedy readjustmGnt. Ii the island be given a
market with fair margin of plohr for her pro-
ductions, her wonderful natural resources will
soon make her purchaser ot great importance
in the markets OF the United state3.
The falling OFF OF Americas trade in The island
is readily accounted tor 1t is in part due to
the general commercial stagnation resulting from
limited and Improbable industrial production
Beyond that it is attributable TO The fact that
Europe is a cheaper market than Is The United
States for many articles Of prime necessity. This
can only he offset by reciprocal trade relations
which would give Cuba a profit on her wares in
the American market. and make the United
States, via the Cuban custom house, a cheaper
seller than Europe
There are few sections Of The United States
which viii rot benefit nom an Increase of our
trade with Cuba New England Should sell her
boots and shoes, print cloths and fine cottons |
The south can sell her the eoarser grades OF
cotton. The island needs upward Of $G,OO0,OO0 |
worth of cotton cloth, aud upward Of $2, ,OOO,OO
worth OF shoes per year. We now sell her about |
~ per cent. OF her eottons, and from % to % |
per cent. OF her shoes. She wants building lu,n.
Der from the south, furniture from Michigan corn
from Illinois, wheat Hour nom lie northwest,