The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-22
OUICKENS PULSE OF
TRADE IN THE SOUTH
Senator Simmons on the
Treaty With Cuba.
ISLANDS IMPORT TRADE
When the Treaty Goes Into Effect The South
viii Practically Supply Ths---A Word
TO the Sugar and Tobacco
Interests.

Senator Simmons returned home yes |
terday morning, and will, after a few
days rest, go to New Bern on important
law business. He is firmly of the opin-
ion that the ratification of the treaty |
with Cuba will add to Southern trade
with the islands Asked by a reporter
to explain the value of the treaty and
it's provisions, Senator Simmons said:
1.-THE concessions given us by Cuban
treaty would be of great benefit to the |
South, especially to the cotton goods and |
lumber industries of that section Gu |
ba, he said, is now using a considerable |
amount of Southern pine lumber and
paying higher prices for it. asst year she |
bought of us about 81 100000 worth Of
unpalned pine lumber BY the treaty |
Cuba agrees that during the next five |
years, and as long after as the treaty re- |
mains in force our lumber shall be ad- |
mitted to her markets free of duty. The |
next five years will doubtless be years |
of great activity in building in Cuba, for, |
leaving out of consideration the rebuild |
ing made necessary by the destruction
of war the exploitation and development |
of the sland by American and other for |
eign capital will enormously increase the
demand for building materials of all
kinds With proper effort our Southern
lumbermen ought to sell Cuba during
the next five years an average of be- |
tween SO, 000, 900 and SIS 900 900 worth of
lumber.
cuba also agrees that, during the life
fof the treaty oar cotton and WOODEN man
lufaotures shall be admitted to her mar
kets at rates of duty ranging from 25 to
50 per cent less than the rates of duty
imposed on similar articles from other
foreign countries Cuba is now buying
nearly $4,000. 900 worth of cotton per an
mum. OF this amount we only furnished
her last year about half million dollars
worth. With the return Of prosperity
on the island which now seems certain
Cuba will by an average per annum of
probably so. 900 or $4,000, 900 worth
of cotton goods during the next five
yea~~ rT7'4h a preferential tariff of from
! 25 to 40 per cent. we will undoubtedly
sell her all the cotton goods she needs.
The same is true of wooden goods, Of
which Cuba is now buying about t00O,-
600 a year, of which amount we sell only
few thousand dollars worth
"T"ha buys large amount of meo+
hams, mules, horses and cattle We sold
| her last year about $4,000. 900 worth of
these products The treaty just ratified
gives us a preferential duty upon these
articles OF 20 per cent, and in the future
we will sell her a much larger proper
| ton OF these products than in the pass
| Cuba also agrees to give us a preferen-
tial duty on flour and rice, both of which
articles she buys in large quantities, of
! 80 and 40 per cent respectively. Last
year Cuba bought from the outside world
about $4,000, 900 worth of merchandise
and products of various kinds With the
! prosperity and development which is an
| ticipated, her foreign purchases should
average at least 800, 900 900 a year dur
ing the next five years. She is now buy
| ing from us only about $2S, 600, 600 worth
| a year. When the treaty goes into eff
feet and our goods are allowed to enter
her market at rates of duty ranging from
| % to 40 per cent lower than like goods
| from other countries we will supply prac-
ticolly her whole import trade, and the
South by reason of proximity, will get
the bulk OF this trade and nearly all of
the cotton trade, because the South
makes the kind of cotton goods the Ca
bans use
'The sugar interests of the South and
West opposed the treaty because it re-
duces the duty on Cuban sugar 20 per
cent. The present duty on sugar is one
and slxty-eight on hundredths cent per
pound, which is equivalent to an ad va
loren duty of over IS per cent. The
reduction OF 20 per cent would still leave
a duty on sugar of nearly IS per cent.
The practical effect will not be 90 reduce
the price OF American sugar. for that is
fixed by the worlds price of sugar with
the duty added The only affect, in my
judgment, will be to give Cuba 20 per
cent advantage In our high price Amori-
can market over other foreign producing
countries
Some objection is also made to the
reduction of 90 per cent. on Cuban tobac-
co imported into this country. We only
bought from Cuba last year about 10
600, 900 pounds of leaf tobacco, nc much
more than is sold every year "rrsr he
markets of Winston or Upon
this tobacco we now impos tg -
per cent ad valorem. Wit the ger
cent reduction there will stu na a dutg
of over so per cent. ad valors Upon
Cuban cigars we now impose ipty OF
1914 per cent After the reduction Of Org
Iper cent. there viii lstill he p du OF
over 81 per cent There is real % 'fa-
ger of any great amount of Cuba n
bacco coming into this country, and "o1I
comes. being of different grad. wis
mot in reality compete with our tobacco.
"Some objection has been made 10 toe
J -. h. .