Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-01-17
MEANS THE RUIN Of CUBA
Representatives of Cuban Interests Say
Continuation of Present Policy
Means That. X,
Economic Disaster Will Follow Refusa
of United States to Reduce
Tariffs on Goods.
House Committee Hears the Statements
ofMen Representing Business
Interests of Cuba.

washington, Jan. l7.-Cuban reel
procity was again slnder consideration
during the day by the ways and means
committee, with large representations
of Cubans and of the various sugar
and tobacco interests in attendance
A delegation from the New York Prod
uce Exchange favorable to reciprocity
and several delegations from the beet
growing sections opposed to reciproc-
ity, arrived during the morning. Evan
Thomas, ex-president of the New York
Produce Exchange, presented the
views of that organization. He said
that last year S9,000,000 of American
food products went to Cuba, about rs
per cent of the business being done by
members of the Produce Exchange.
Continuing, he said:
Should the United States refuse to
grant a reduction of duty on the i'm
ports of the two great staples of Cuba
(sugar and tobacco) we believe the
result wall be ruin to the planter, bank
rhptcy to the merchant and great dis
tress to the laboring classes of Cuba,
followed by serious industrial disturb
ances and disorder. Financial and
economic disaster to Cuba will CORE
spondingly injure our trade and mate
rally reduce our exports Of flour, corn,
lard, bacon, pork, beans, peas, canned
goods and other commodities. ~.
THE material reduction of exports
and imports to and from Cuba, fol-
lowed by a corresponding decrease in
the carrying trade, will result in loss
of freight to ship owners.
This committee should urge such
reduction in the duties now levied on
Cuban tobacco and sugar as would
thereby avert impending disaster and
safeguard the interests we represent" +"
Trying to Prejudice the Cause.
Representative Mcclellan IN. "
called attention to circulars received
by himself and other members of the
committee attacking the current sugar
quotations and claiming they were in
fluenced by the sugar trust. Business
men present gave their impression
that the quotations were fairly correct
and impartial.
Mr.. Mcclellan remarked, in this con-
nection, that there was an evident
purpose in some quarters of preju-
dicing the cause of Cuban reciprocity
by creating a public impression that
the trust was behind it, whereas all
the witnesses thus far had shown that
the Cuban cause stood on it's merits.
Charles Rabidan and c. P. Arm
strong of the Produce Exchange also
spoke in favor of reciprocity and were
examined at length by Chairman
Payne and other members of the CON-
mittee as to the effects on our trade
and sugar industries of reciprocity
with Cuba. Mr.. Robertson Ua.) asked
a number of questions tending to show
that the Cuban people had not spoken
for reciprocity and that the movement
was directed by the sugar people in
terested in the trade.
Mr.. Armstrong answered that the
interests Of all Cuban people were
bound up in the sugar trade and must
stand or fall with it.
Mr.. Robertson also attempted to
show that American capitalists were
buying large sugar tracts in Cuba and
would be benefited by reciprocity
more than the Cuban people.
Louis Place, head of the Cuban dele
cation. was heard as to the tariff re-
ductions Cuba was likely to make in
order 10 give the United States control
of the market. He said the Cuban tar
if was very low now and should be
raised so to 70 per cent and after that
a differential grantea to the United
States sufficient to S-trol the trade as
against other countries. He favored
ultimate free trade both ways, which,
he said, was the only solution of
Cuba's problem.