The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-02-09
The American Coffee Industry
and Its Claim.


| tablished industries of the mainland
could live and prosper if free trade was
to be the order of the day. What is
good for the goose is good for the
gander, and if American mainland in
dustries live, thrive and expand
through protection, then how can we
conscientiously deny the American COT
fee industry that exists, and that is to
be, equal consideration We must
place a duty on all coffee entering our
markets from foreign countries, so as
to protect and establish on a great
scale the American coffee industry or
the Philippines, Porto Rico and Hawaii.
| The cry that it would tax 1.-The poor
mans breakfast table" is an explod-
ed hollow and deceiving phrase, and
let those croakers who are finglng
stones at hazy objects be aware that
the same missiles be not directed
against themselves, when defending
their own industries. The consumer
never realized any benefit from a low
coffee market, and he always paid good
prices for his coffee, irrespective of
market conditions of the raw beam
Can We deny them protection when
our whole fabric of greatness and pros
perity has been built on this rock? Can
we indifferently and in lukewarm
manner listen to such appeals and en-
treaties for the protection of American
coffee, when we zealously guard the
cornerstone of that measure, which
has made US the greatest industrial ma
ton of the gresent age?
If so, we are not worthy of the repu-
tation of fairness, magnanimity, and,
above all, justice, which has symbolic
ed our flag. Beware, lest we do not
transform our much boosted, our much
revered, and much respected symbol,
into one of contempt, irony and mock
cry.
We purchase annually $1OO'Ooo'oo0
worth of products from Brazil, whilst
they take from US only $10,O00,000, leav-
ing a balance of $90,000,000 in their
favor OF this s1OO, 100000, the major
part is coffee.
In 1871, Congress repealed the duty
on coffee, and it has been calculated
that the revenue lost to the United
States from Brazilian coffee since that
time is over s3OO,O0OOOO, and instead OF
gaining in trade with her, the trade
balance since that time against US has
| been more than s1,4O0, 100000.
Practically all European countries
| imposed duties on Brazilian as well as
on all other coffees. What do we be-
hold? We are confronted with the ac-
tual fact, that Brazil buys overwhelm-
ingly in Europe, whilst we get the
crumbs, and this in spite of condition
in giving them free trade in coffee,
whilst they are obliged to pay duties
in Europe.
This coffee industry in Brazil is
chiefly in the hands Of European In
terests, and is controlled and financed
by them. The same applies to most
other producing sections of the
world. It is simply paying tribute TO
foreign interests of the eastern CONT
nent, via the Brazilian route, the gains
of which never see their way back to
the United States.
When duties are placed on foreign
coffees, we shall be building up our
own possessions, and the revenues de-
rived therefrom will be expended on
| internal and national improvements
within our borders, and such revenues
will thus find their way back into the
pockets of the people through sundry
channels.
| On the present basis, we are tremen-
dous losers.
If the trade relations Of the United
States were the same with all the lead
ing commercial nations of the world
as this Brazilian exhibit. in a few years
to come, the country would be inscl-
vent.
The latest press dispatches reveal
new move proposed by Brazil to main
tain her trade. Senior Francisco Ber-
nardino, deputy in the Brazilian leg
islature, introduces a bill, providing
that the countries taking 100000 bags
of her coffee free of duty shall receive
20 per cent reduction on the import
tariff.
The situation is plainly this: If we
must reciprocate with Brazil CONNER
cially, then, it should only be on a
basis of even terms. We can grant her
| 20 per cent reduction of a duty, that
ought to be imposed on her coffee. for
giving us a preferential rate of 20 per
cent on all American goods, but to
grant her absolute free trade in coffee
should only be compensated by absolute
free trade on all American exports into
| Brazil
| There is another important phase to
/ the question. At the last session of
| Congress- the sugar and tobacco in