Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-26
FINDS NO HARD TIMES
FORMER SECRETARY BLISS MAKES
SOME OBSERVATIONS.
Returns to New York From q 0,0OO-
Mile Trip Through the West
Prosperity General.


has returned to New York, bringing the It'd
ings that so far as he could discover in his
journeyings there are no hard times"
Prosperity reigns in the great west, says
Mr.. Bliss, and farmers and business men
are undsturbed by the recent Wall street
fiurries, which they regard as merely local
and incapable of causing any concern to the
commercial world at large. These furries,
Mr.. Bliss says, have aroused a natural Curl
osity throughout the west but have had no
permanent effect The curtailment OF pro-
duction in certain directions in his opinion
Is not an indication of approaching distress,
but merely an incident of business activity
No Cause for Uneasiness.
There is nothing in the business outlook
that ought to cause uneasiness, Mr.. Bliss
said. Whatever there may have been of an
alarming nature has passed away. There Is
no sign that the conditions that existed in
1895 and 1896 are to be repeated. Business
is prosperous. Mercantile collections are
good. Reports brought to me by western
merchants are to the effect that they nave
all had good year and that the outlook Is
good"
DO you think there is any need OF re-
vision of the tariff" was asked.
Il do not think tariff revision Is at all
likely" Mr. Bliss replied. AT least, not
during the present session OF Congress,
which will be too brief to permit any action
to be taken on the tariff in any event. L
don't think any one believes revision OF
the tariff is desirable at this time, except,
possibly, in a way Of reciprocity treaties.
Every revision means year or two OF agl-
alton, which is disturbing to business. Inc
people are not ready for 1t.
Tariff and Party.
do you not think that there is general
feeling that tariff revision must come sooner
or later?"
Il think the feeling exists in the republic
can party that it will be prepared to make
such revision as may be necessary When
the time does come, was Mr.. Bliss answer
The former secretary evinced great sauS-
faction at the passage of the Cuban recf-
procity treaty Il have been very strong
advocate of Cuban reciprocity from the pe.
ginning he said, land / am grained that
the agitation has resulted in success. the
history of that agitation shows how hard 1t
is to make any change in tariff regulations.
1t has taken two years to bring ABOUT the
"a LITIGATION of that treaty. 1t would be SO
with tariff revision. Any attempt at the
most reasonable revision would mean TWO
years of effort, and no Congress could UNI
dertake it on the eve of a presidential cleo
ton
Party Cannot Afford tc Bind Itself.
Mr.. Bliss does not believe the republican
party can afford to bind itself to the strict
est construction of the protective principle
and while he does not think any revision OF
the tariff possible by the present Congress
on the eve of a presidential campaign, he
has no sympathy with that rigid adherence
to protection that inspired the resistance
to the Cuban reciprocity treaty.
Mr. Bliss is greatly, interested IN the CON
struction of the Panama canal, Wh1cn ne
thinks will be of enormous beneht TO the
country. He asserted positively that ne
knew personally that this country hao notn-
ing whatever to do with the rising "hich
ended in the revolt of the state OF Panama,
and he pointed out that there were plenty Oh
precedents for the Immediate recognition OF
the new government.
Shares Mckinley Views.
Mr.. Bliss shared the views expressed IN
President McKinley's last speech, when, on
the eve of his assassination, the President
indicated his sympathy with the desire lor
less stringent tariff provisions. When MI
Bliss became president of the Union Leasue
Club, in 1902, he supported the resoi'tIol.
in favor of reciprocity with Cuoa ma No. ma
adopted by the club in February or thal
wear. The Protective Tariff League strong
ly opposed the reciprocity treaty MI MI,
Bliss one of the founders and formerly
president of the league, d d not attempt 10
conceal his opinion that the course adopted
nv the league was Shortsighted. Ihere IS
no doubt that the league VIII nght tne
proposal to place the Philippines on tne
same footing with Porto Rico and Ha"ai
as bitterly as it fought reciprocity with
Cuba.
Il believe the Philippines" he said,
SHOULD be placed on the same OASIS as
Porto Rico and Hawaii in regard to eX-
ports and imports Such move would not
injure home industries. 1t would certainly
benefit them. New markets for our enor-
nous production are what we require lnoIe
than ANYTHING else These markets can be
acquired only by reasonable reciprocity
with countries that will take our products
Sees No Danger of Overproduction.
az see no danger of overproduction at
nresent.'' he continued THE curtailment
that is going on in the steel industry, for
instance. is of no consequence. There al
ways come times when business is less ac-
tive than at other times, and men must act
accordingly This always causes a little
denression II we had the freedom or all
the markets that are ready to take our
products there would probably be no occa-
sion for cutting down production
.'Do YOU think the disturbances In wall
street are a sign of approaching depres-
sion?'
miles. which took me through Texas, Ari-
iona and New Mexico to the Pacific coast,
through California, Washington. Oregon
and back by way of the northern route: L
noticed that while the excitement in Wall
general business very little. During my
western trip 1 noticed that the railroads
seemed taxed to their utmost capacity, not
only In passenger traffic. but in freight.
This seemed to me sign of prosperous
times"
what do you think of the Panama canal
treaty."
As to the Panama Canal.
IT believe the treaty should be ratified
and the canal built Mr.. Bliss declared.
positively. ut would be of the utmost ben
eft to the south and west, and, indeed, to
the entire country.
Our government had nothing to do with
the disturbances which led to the revOlu-
ton in Panama.
Amy shrewd man must have known what
would happen when the government at Bo-
gotta rejected the treaty. This action, taken
by a central authority three weeks journey
away, robbed Panama of it's only asset.
That this would be resented by Panama
might have been foreseen.
Nor is it true that precedents were vio-
lated when we recognized the provisional
government of Panama. We did the same
thing when Dom Pedro was overthrown in
Brazil. / happened to be member of the
Pan-American congress which was in ses-
sion in Washington at the time, and 1 re-
member that the provisional government
wa w TJorr rio