The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-04
MISSIONARY WORK
IS DONE BY PITT.
Former Salt Laker Working for
Free Trade With Philippine
Islands.
RETURNS TO SALT LAKE
FROM TRIP TO CAPITAL
He Is Representing the Mer.
chants Association of the
City of Manila.

Harold NJ, Pitt, a former Salt Lake
hoy. is in the city again, after an CT
tended trip TO the national capital. Mr..
Pitt is now resident Of Manila and
is in this country as the special repre-.
sentative Of the Merchants associa.
ton of Manila. working in the interest
of absolute free trade between this
country and the Philippines. While in
the east, Mr.. Pitt interviewed all the
senators at Washington and visited a
number of the leading cities of the east
and south.
Mr.. Pitts argument in behalf of
free trade with The Philippines is
most logical one. He points out that
the United States at the present time
is importing annually from S500.000, 900
to $600000.000 Of the products of tropi.
cal countries, inclusive Of South Ameri-
can countries, Mexico, Japan, India,
Java. the Straits Settlement. etc, and
that the BALANCE Of trade is against the
United States by fully S250,000, 900.
The cause of this, Mr.. Pitt points out,
is that while this country s doing the
enormous business mentioned with tho
countries referred TO, those countries
arc buying from European points, he
cause of the fact that they can buv
certain classes of goods cheaper in those
the United States, for the reason that
tn wages paid in this country will not
permit of close competition with coun-
tries where the wage scale is so much
lower than it is here.
AS an example, Mr.. Pitt points out
that foreign countries are manufacture
ing our cotton and selling tho product
10 countries from whom We buy an euor-
nous amount of stuff annually. He al.
SO adds that this will continue as long
rs the protective system Of this coun-
try remains as 1t is now.
Works Both Ways,
Mr.. Pitt next SAYS that there is moth.
ing now being bought from tropical
countries by the United States that can
not he produced In the Philippines
country that is controlled by this-and
he is urging the big interests OF this
country 10 assist the islanders In ex-
tending their trade with the United
States, as this country would be
heavy gamer thereby. and, at the same
time, would be assisting the islands.
In the same connection, Mr.. Pitt points
out that the building up of our trade
with the Philippines means that We
would also get an immense amount Of
trade from China. which is now going
TO other countries This would result
from the fact that if permanent stocks
are put IN at Manila. China could secure
shipments in five days from that port,
| instead of waiting several months, as.
is now the case, TO secure shipments
from the far-away points from which
the Chinese merchants are now securing
their supplies
Mr.. Pitt takes the ground that the
Philippines arc as important to the
United States today as Was the Louisi-
ana purchase at tho time of its ac-
-. q 1. Ii
should be done TO increase our trade
with the islands, as well as TO encourages
the islanders to extend their produc'
ton.
Some Relief Given
The Payne AldrIch bill, now being
considered by the senate. admits all
Philippine products TO this country,
free, with the exception OF tobacco,
! sugar and rice, although 150.000,000
cigars, in addition TO certain leaf tobae-
co and filters. and 800 900 tons OF sugar,
little figure AT the present. time, as
the islands are not now producing
enough for home consumption. With
tobacco and sugar. however, it is diff
fercnt, but there is no hope at the pres
ent time of those products being ad
mitted free, owing to the strength OF
the tobacco and sugar trusts in this
country. However. the islanders pro-
pose to keep hammering away upon the
proposition. believing that they will
win in time.
As heretofore stated Mr.. Pitt is a
former Salt Laker, having been born
and reared here, and, although his In
tcrests now lie elsewhere. he is still
loyal TO, and proud of, his home town
Discussing the remarkable growth of
the city, Friday, Nh Pitt said: q
have now been in almost every city OF
Importance III the west. cast and north,
west, and | can truthfully say that not
one city that | have visited is growing
anything like as rapidly as Salt Lake
is
Mr.. Pitt will leave Salt Lake on
june l. for Seattle from whirh port he
viii take passage on the Minnesota,
June 10, for Manila