Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-10-07
!, America Connot Be Ignored in
Proposed British Policy.
The Tariff Problem is Greatly Worry
ing the English.
Cotton Manufacturers Fear Chamber
lain's Plans Mean Their Ruin.

/. adopted! 1t seems strange " oil <Aiiiei
lean to find this argument employed IN
England in opposition to the abandon
( ,nent of the present fiscal policy OF free
trade. When the United States deemed |
r. 1t advisable to alter its tariff, actloil |
was taken without reference to other
I,countries We did what we liked anu
1.-THE others could do as they pleased
about it. England has become so ac-
customed, however, to depending upoi,
our fields for her food and raw material
that she feels she must consider our
]. attitude before embarking upon any
course which might excite us to retali-
fatory measures. At least this IS the
/, opfnion of many economists OF nnu7
Tence in the empire. u,
az That there is no foundation Tor thls
1 view even Mr.. Chamberlain mas not
3 denied. Mr.. Chamberlain's project Is
q not directed against the United STATES
= he is the exponent of Amerlcanlsm III
s England. He has great admiration Tor
= the young republic of the West. But ne
: is Briton and he is working to con-
: solidate and strengthen British power;
} and he occupies the position with re-
q snect to the rest of the world that the
late Representative Dingley did with
respect to Europe when he was per-
fecting the present tariff law; that is to
sav It did not count. At the same time,
# would seem to the observer that
there is a difference, great difference
between England's position and that
-, of the United States. We are self
supporting The bulk of her food ana
!, her raw material England imports and
the greater quantity is furnished by u.s.
A few fgures-British figures-will
perhaps make this clearer. During
1902 England imported from all her
British possessions material valued at
s535,OO0,OO0. From the United States
the united kingdom received material
valued at $685. 100000, difference in
our favor of $100,000.000. 1t is worth
while to analyze these figures: or
these imports $530,0OO,O00 was the val
Tue Of the food imported. The United
States contributed $310,O00,000 of this
stuff and the British possessions SEQ
900, 900. OF raw materials. the United
States sent $245, 100000 worth; the Brit
I ish colonies $23O,O00,000. Under the
the head Of "Other or Manufactured
Articles" the colonies are credited with
exporting $S5,OO0.OOO worth to England
and the United States $S0,O00,O0O.
These figures show Englands depend
ence at present upon the United States
The question the free traders ask is:
Can the United States be ignored? Can
80 the colonies take the place of that great
producing nation? Mr. Chamberlain
holds that these questions have not
arisen, that he does not intend to ig-
more us. Whenever there is demand.
he holds. supply will come and the
United States will certainly not aban-
don its position in the English markets
without a struggle. He hopes it will
make concessions to retain it. In other
words. he wants reciprocity arrange
ment by which in return for lowe? du-
ties we will grant tariff CONCESSION
If not, there are the wheat fields of
Canada. the cotton fields of Egypt and
India and the Australian stock ranges,
with their ineXhaustible supply of beef
and sheep, to which England can turn!
English cotton manufacturers have
partially answered Mr.. Chamberlain by
emphatically urging the retention of
the free-trade system. They fear that
If the protective policy be adopted it,
may lead to the imposition of a tax on
raw cotton or that the United States
will reply to Britain's tariff by in some
way increasing the cost of the raw ma,
terial to them. Either course would
mean a serious and perhaps fatal blow
to the cotton industry here. The manu-
facturers have closely followed the de-
velopment of the CottOn-manufacturin
industry in the states. They are asi
well informed as to the number of
spindles in operation in America as we
are. and they are Wondering where
their supply of raw cotton will come
from If there should be such an increase
in American manufacturing facilities
as to cause the utilization of the greater
part of our cotton crop. 1t is estimated
that of the 100000 English spindles
35.000,00 are kept running by American
cotton. The remaining 100000 spindles
are fed by Egypt and India. The i'm
portation of American raw cotton last
year was valued at $146, 420 900.
Great quantities of food come to the
united kingdom from the United States.
In 1902 the value of these stuffs was
more than 1911 100000. The West con-
tributed largely. sending wheat, corn
and maize worth $4,000, 900. Chicago
and other meat centers shipped beef
and live animals for food purposes
valued at s13O.OO0,OoO. Maryland.
Florida and California exported to,
England fruit whose price was listed at
S,5OO.OO0. Butter, cheese lard. fish and
oil-seed cake We're among the other
food articles imported. Besides cattle
there were entered wood, petroleum,
oils, minerals. skins, ETC., valued at
about $75,000.000. Among the imports
were manufactured materials, the,
leather alone in this category being ap-
praised at almost $1S,O00,000.
There are some English economists
who hold the belief that if the United
States We're shut out of this market
its export trade would decrease and it !
would fall from second to fourth place
among commercial nations This aw-
full catastrophe may we'll appall Ameri- i
) cans,
It isA quite true that England and her
colonies take a great quantity. of
American goods, but it is equally true
that unless they did so they would be |
ruined. What would the spindles do
without American cotton? The wheat |