Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-01-08
WAS REFERRED BACK
DtSAPPROvAL OF THE WIDE-OPEN
RECIPROCITY PLAN.
New York Chamber of Commerce
Thinks that the Importing and For
eign Shipping Interests Are Not the

Only Ones Entitled to Consideration.
The New York Chamber of Com
merce has declined to pass the follow
ing resolutions reported bv a commit
tee whose chairman is Gustav H.
Schwab, agent of foreign line of
steamships:
Resolved, That this Chamber here
by expresses its disapproval of the ac-
ton taken by the National Reciprocity
Convention at Washington as subver-
sive of all attempts to bring about
closer trade relations with our sister
nations, and to open new and wider
markets for our products; and be it fur
ther
Resolved. That the Chamber views
with apprehension the policy advocated
by the Reciprocity Convention. as like
ly TO invite hostile legislation on the
part of the other nations against this
country to the great detriment of its
commercial interests
For once the New York Chamber of
Commerce seems to have had the pres
ence of mind to recognize the fact that
1t is not wholly committed to the inter-
ests of importers and foreign freight
carriers. Present at the meeting were
two gentlemen who had served the
chamber as delegates to the recopriciay
convention. Messrs. Charles A. Schier-
en- and James Talcott demurred to the
proposed expression of disapproval,
and in this they We're supported by
Cornelius \. Bliss, who said he favored
proper system of reciprocity, but he
did not think that the chamber was
sufficiently informed to discuss or take
action at this time on Sc important a
question. The rebuke was indirect,
and all the more effective on that ae-
count Three hundred of the leading
manufacturers of the United States,
after six weeks of preparatory consid
Grafton and two days of thorough de-
bate in convention, had, with but two
dissenting votes. and one of these
delegate from the New England Free
Trade League, decided in favor of such
reciprocity as may be had without in
jury to our manufacturing commerce
AMI farming" Rightly Mr.. Bliss could
contend that snap judgment ought not
to be taken against the deliberate ac-
ton of such a body of well-informed
business men as they who made up
the reciprocity convention. So Mr.
Schwab's resolutions were referred
back" a polite euphemism for sat
down on"
The free trade New York Times, dis
pleased with this. remarks:
1--WE cannot for the life of us see why
this should have been done. They tell
the indisputable truth in a straightfor-
ward way. The action taken by the re-
ciprocity convention after its capture
and perversion by the protectionists is
undoubtedly subversive of attempts to
open new and wider markets for our
products; and the policy advocated by
that convention is just as undoubtedly
of a nature to invite retaliatory action
by other nations. As a statement of
fact, the resolutions are impeccable. "
/ Does the Times know of any policy
! so undoubtedly of a nature to invite
retalatory action by other nations" as
that of granting to one nation special
tart: concessions that are denied to
competing nations? Does it not know,
for example. that the new German tar
if now under consideration in the
Reichstag contains a clause which pro-
vides for the imposition of double du-
/ ties upon imports from any country
which grants to another nation lower
rate of duties than those imposed upon
the products of Germany? TO state
the case more explicitly. the ratification
/ of the French treaty would be instant
ly followed by such an increase in the
German schedules as would practically
! bar out all American imports. What
then? Why, similar reciprocity
treaty with Germany. of course And
! if with Germany, with all other ma
tons. always excepting Great Britain
the most liberal of all buyers of Ameri-
can exports, but which. having no tar
/ if. could not retaliate. In short, free
/ trade, or tariff war all round OF all
policies calculated to provoke reprisas
and retaliation. the special trade treaty
policy is the most provocatory. The
New York Chamber of Commerce did
well to refer back" Mr.. Schwab's res
/ olutions. Economist.