The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-17

for the domestic market, frequently
works a great hardship upon the i'm
porter. He purchases abroad. and pre-
Stunning that he has paid the ordinary
foreign market price. invoices at the
price he has paid, but frequently finds
himself subjected to an advance of from
10 10 20 per cent with statutory penal
ties and no relief. I do not mention this
subject in criticism of well nigh univer-
sal European practice of selling goods
abroad cheaper than at home I refer
to it as only affording difficulties in the
administration of customs laws when it
Is sought both to protect the revenues
and also TO protect the domestic com
petitive producer, ard at the same time
avoid unduly Furnishing an importer
who has lnvOiced his goods at the act
ual price he has paid.
But l must not unduly detain you in
enumerating difficulties familiar to you
all, and which are inherent. hope you
VIII pardon the suggestion, which may
not be wholly germane to a customs
congress, that, in my judgment the
commerce between the countries here
represented might be very largely in
creased and to our mutual advantage.
The United States imports a million
dollars per day of tropical and semi
tropical products. This trade consti-
tuteS very valuable prize for which
our sister republics may laudably com
pete. The countries entitled to repre-
sentation in this conference annually
import five hundred million dollars
largely food products and manufactures
For this prize the country represent
should competed with more earnestness
than it at present manifestS. The means
OF 1ntercOmmunication are very unsat-
1sfactory. To what extent this will be
improved in the near future, no one can
predict; but that they can be material
~ improved, and with very moderate
expense to any of the countries repre-
scented, must be apparent to every think
ing person. You will pardon the hope.
winch 1 venture to express, that the
time will come, and perhaps sooner than
we dream-fOr commerce is the great
leveller as well as the great civilizer and
great educator-When the peoples repre-
scented here will be spea king a common
language, and if so, then that language
Will be the most convenient language
of commerce; when these peoples will
have uniform standards of weights and
measures but If these standards shall
ever be unified, the choice must be made
of those most convenient to commerce;
when standards of value and denom1na-
tons of money shall be uniform and in
ternat1Onally lnterchangea BILE but if this
is to be realized the adopted standard
must be the best and the denomina lions
the most convenient; when standards of
wages shall be meaSureably uniform,
but If this shall ever be accomplished,
then that standard must be the highest
There is no greater blessing to any peO-
pie than high priced labor. The COM
mercial Importance of a country is
measured by the consumptive capacity
and annual income is determined by the
standard of wages. Therefore in the
hope that the acquaintance formed
here, the interchange of ideas INDUCED
here, the hopes and aspirations that may
be inspired may tend at least in some
degree to the betterment of the condi-
tons of all the peoples represented, I
again assure you. gentlemen. that you
are very welcome.