Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1902-02-04
THE COAST DIVIDED
AS TO RECIPROCITY
CalifornianS Want ConceS-
sionS Made to Fruit
Buying Countries
The Case OF Australia, Where Cali
fornia Has Lost an Immense Trade
on Account of Tariff on the Pro-
ducts Of That Country.

Wasnineton. Feb. S.-The Pacific
coast industries are not a unit in the
opposition to trade reciprocity which
comes from that section of the United
States. information has been received
in Washington TO the effect that the
canned fruit trade of the Pacific coast
is in Il bad way. owing to a lack of
friendly trade relations with some of
the countries to the west
During the year 1900 California
shipped 5000 cases of canned fruits to
Australia. During the past year this
trade almost entirely disappeared.
owing to the new Australian tariff,
which amounts % an ad valcrem import
tax of nearly 20 per cent upon canned
goods There is still good trade with
New Zealand. so the loss of Australian
trade is considered as entirely due TO
AUstralia's new tariff law.
Nc hostility is felt towards Australia
on this account. however, fer it is
realized that the United States import
duties on hides. wool and coal initiate
against Australians chief products and
that some concessions must be mace
FOR American products to obtain q
friendly foothcld. The California fruit
Gamers believe that they are entitled to
consideration from congress by reason
in the tariff on imported tin plates. The
tin cans are the chief item Of expense in
the business and the present import
duty on the material from which they
are made decreases the consumption OF
the manufactured article. They say
that It is an undisputed fact that do
inestic manufacturers are making tin
plates cheaper than their competitors in
England and that the argument for the
protection of infant industry will no
longer hold. The fruit Gamers believe
that if the republican party still insists
upon continuing the present import
duty on tin plates that the fruit can
ming industry should be given relief in
the form of reciprocity with countries
buying American canned fruits and
Offering 10 buy more if some trade con-
cessions are made by the producing
country.
The state department says that Au-
srf'aIfa never has been considered IN
The making of a reciprocity treaty. al
though there would seem TO be an ex-
cellent opportunity for work in that di-
rection- The average import duty in
the United States on all classes of goods
is. under the Dinsley law, about 80 per
cent and the average on manufactured
goods is about 30 per cent The new
Australian tariff is considerably lower
Than our own. being about 30 per cent
on manufactured goods. or ~ per cent
less than the United States average.
This average. however. does not apply
in Australia to particular instances
where especially high tariffs are i'm
posed. such as that collected from i'm
ported canend fruit.
This is but one instance OF the many
opportunities for the extension of
American trade constantly being
brought to the attention of the state
department by these Interested here
and abroad. Reciprocity. however in
the form of treaties is apparently
looked unon as q dead issue in the
senate, for time at. least, and any
tariff concessions which are made in
any direction will have to be secured
through that most difficult of all
mcthods-direct legislation.
J. D. WHELPLEY.