The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-30
.CUBANS FIGHTING HARD
FOR TARIFF REDUCTION
Statements Made to Ways and Means
Committee Which Bring Out
Peculiar Conditions.

Hast ditch, and we believe we are gain
ing recruits 1t is a hard fight-per-
haps hopeless one-but we will not
lie down.
AT the afternoon session Mr. Atkins
continued his statement, in the course
Of which he expressed strong opposition
TO any system of drawback. He stated
that the Havemeyer interests were
small and exercised no controlling in
fiuence. If present conditions contin-
ued, Cuba probably would become so
desperate as to be forced into annexa-
ton.
Mr.. Louis Place. merchant. of Ha-
vana and head of the Cuban delegation,
presented the case from the Cuban
standpoint. AT present, he said, Cuba
was buying large quantities of foreign
goods, and if reciprocity were brought
about with the United States Cuba
would buy American cotton goods,
wine, and many other articles now
bought abroad. He believed this mar
ket in Cuba would amount to $3.50, 900 600
within two years.
! Francis B. Thurber, of the United
States Expert Association, stated that
the primary consideration was one of
good faith on the part of the United
States to Cuba.
| Hugh Kelley, of New York, who has
! large sugar holdings in Cuba, said that
as an American he urged that recipro-
cal concessions be made. He believed
that If there were no reciprocity Cuba
would ask for annexation, and if this
occurred the voice of the American
people would be for admitting the ISL
and
| William R. Corwine, of the Mer-
chants Association of New York, also
favored reciprocity.
! Mr.. Mendoza, of the Cuban delega-
ton, pictured the distress if present
conditions were continued and said the
! loss on the sugar crop of the island
this year would approximate S12, 600, 900.
He strongly favored the free admission
of sugar and reciprocal concessions on
American goods entering Cuba.
Cuban reciprocity was again under
consideration Thursday, January 16. 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 produce exchange, favorable
to reciprocity, and several delegations
from the beet growing sections, opposed
to reciprocity, arrived this morning.
Evan Thomas, eX-preSident of the
New York produce exchange, presented
, the views of that organization. He
said that last year 600 of Ameri-
can food products went to Cuba, about
; 70 per cent of the business being done
| by members of the produce exchange
Continuing, he said: Should the Unit
ed States refuse to grant a reduction
of duty on the imports of the two great
| staples of Cuba (Sugar and tobacco)
we believe the result will be ruin to
, the planter, bankruptcy to the mer-
chant and great distress to the labor
ing masses of Cuba, followed by serious
industrial disturbances and disorder.
Financial and economic disaster to
Cuba will correspondence injure our
trade and materially reduce our 'ex
ports of flour, 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 result
in a loss of freight to ship owners.
This committee urges such reduction in
] the duties now levied on sugar and to-
bacco as will avert this impending dis
aster.. and thereby safeguard the in
terests we represent"
Representative Mcclellan, 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 We're accurate
and fairly impartial.
Mr.. Mcclellan remarked in this con-
nection that there was an evident pur-
pose in some quarters of preJudlcing
the cause of Cuban reciprocity by ere
ating a public impression that the trust
was behind it. whereas all the witness
IS thus far had shown that the Cuban
cause stood en- its own merits.
Char'es Rabidan and c. p. Armstrong
OF the produce exchange also spoke in
favor OF reciprocity, and were exam
ined al length by Chairman Payne and
members of the committee on the de-
tails of our export trade to the island,
and the effect of reciprocity on various
sugar interests.
Representative Robertson. of Louisi-
ana, asked series of questions tend
ing to show that the Cuban people /
had not spoken for reciprocity and that
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 it.
Mr.. Robertson sought 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 a TO the tariff re- |
Ia tons Cuba Was likely to make in |
troll of rhe market. He said the Gu
ban tariff was very low now, and /
should be raised 30 to 20 per cent, and |
after that differential granted to the |
United States sufficient to control the |
trade as against other countries. He |
favored ultimate free trade both ways, |
which he said was the only solution |
OF Cubas commercial problem.
When Repres sentative Long of Kan |
sas brought u'.t that Mr.. Place had |
fought free trade at Havana, the Gu |
ban spokesman explained amid laugh |
ter that he had yielded to the majority, |
and that by asking much it was hoped |
to get as near that as possible. He |
gave 90 to go per cent as the lowest !
conce ss:Cn which would grant relief
AS the hearings closed Representative |
Richardson CT Tennessee. the ranking |
Democrat on the committee, said: II |
notice that very prominent United |
States Senator Is quoted in todays pa
per as saying the Senate will settle |
this whole cue st'on. will make a treaty
and that we viii have nothing to do !
with it
He will find out differently before he
gets through answered Mr.. Dalzell of