Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-01-23
.H(HTFOR RECIPROCITY
CUBAN TARIFF PEDUCERT
HAVE THEIR INNINGS
Claim Sugar Trust is Not Behind the
MOvement---Want Reduction
Of 50 to 50 Per-
cent.

Washington, Jan. l6.-Cuban reel.
procity was again under consideration
today by the Ways and Means Com
mittee with large representations oil
Cubans and OF the various sugar and
tobacco interests in attendance. A
delegation from the New York Prod.
uce Exchange faYoraUle to reciprocity
and several Delegations from the beet
growing sections opposed to reciproC-
ity arrived this morning.
Evan Thomas, eX.president of the
New York Produce Exchange, pre-.
scented the views Of that organization.
He said that last year $9,OO0,OOO OF
American food products went to Gu
ba, about 80 per cent OF the business
being done by members of the Prod
uCe Exchange. Continuing. he said:
Should the United States refuse to
grant reduction of duties on the i'm.
ports OF the two great staples OF Cuba
Csugar and tobaccoD we believe the re
suit will be ruin to the planters, bank.
ruptcy 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 correspondingly inJure our
trade and materially reduce our eX.
ports of -four, corn, lard. bacon. pork.
beans. peas, canned goods and other
commodities. The material reduction
OF our exports and imports to and from
Cuba followed by a corresponding de.
crease in the carrying trade. will re.
suit In loss OF freight to ship.owners.
This committee urges such reduc.
ton In the duties now levied on sugar
and tobacco as will avert this impend.
ing disaster and thereby safeguard the
interests we represent"
Representative ..cClellan of New
York called attention to circulars re-
ceived by himself and other members
of the committee, attacking the cur.
rent sugar quotations, and stating they
were Influenced by the sugar trust.
The business men present gave their
opinion that quotations were accurate
and fairly impartial.
Mr.. Mcclellan remarked in this con.
nection that there was an evident pur.
pose in some quarters Of prejudicing
the cause of Cuban reciprocity by ere.
ating public impression that tho
trust was behind ii, whereas all tho
witnesses thus far hau shown that the
Cuban cause stood on its own 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 members of the committee
on the details of our export trade to
the island and the effect OF reciprocity
on various sugar interests.
| Ranraqantntiya pnhartgpn pf I pnio
lana asked a series OF questions tend
ing to show that the Cuban people had
not spoken for reciprocity. and tina,
the movement was directed by "the
sugar people" interested in the trade
Mr.. Armstrong answered that the in
terests of all the Cuban people were
bound up with sugar production and
must stand or fall with II.
Mr.. Robertson also sought to show
that American capitalists were buying
large sugar tracts in Cuba and would
be benefited by reciprocity more than
Cuban people.
Louise Place, head of the Cuban del
egation, was heard as to the tariff re
auctions Cuba was likely to make In
order to give the United States control
OF the market. He said the Cuban tar
in was very low and should he raised
30 to 20 per cent, and after that diff
ferentlal granted to the Un.ted States
sufficient to control the trade az
against other countries. He favored
ultimate free trade, both ways, which
he said, was the only solution OF Gu
ba's commercial problem.
When Representative Long brought
out that Mr.. Place had sought free
trade at Havana the Cuban spokes
pan explained amid laughter that hi
yielded to the majority. and that by
asking much 1t was hoped to get a!
near that as possible. He gave 80 Il
60 per cent as the lowest concession
which would grant relief.
As the hearings closed Representa-
tive Richardson of Tennessee, tbs