Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1910-07-29
RECIPROCITY.

hcCIuONNy. TIE Slcde COlhIueCClAl
plan Of James Il. Blaine, is today
more important to the American
manufacturer and wage-earner than
ever before. The United States can
not 20 on forever selling to the ma
tions of the world from behind rig
id tariff wall. Concessions must be
made to maintain friendly relations
and secure trade advantages in differ
ent portions Of the globe.
Commenting on this the New York
Journal of Commerce says:
The statement of the bureau Of sta.
tistics regarding the trade Of the init
ed States with it's nOn-cOntiguOus
territories" furnishes the best eyi.
dence of the benefit Of reciprocity in
trade. 1t applies Just as much to
trade with other nations as to that
which is under American sovereignty,
and the farther the reciprocity is car
ried the greater the benefit. There
has never been any obstacle to the
trade with Alaska. Hawaii or Porto
Rico since the United States obtained
possession OF them, and that to trade
with the Philippines has been sub
stantially removed since the adop-
ton Of the new tariff early in August
last year. The figures of the bureau
of statistics show that the total trade
with :all these possessions, imports
and exports, has increased from 49,
DOC, O0O in the fiscal year. The acqui-
sitiOn of Hawaii antedates this per-
lod and large portion of the trade
in 1897 was with those islands. The
most significant comparisons are
those involving Porto Rico and the
Philippines. and the trade with them
has been almost wholly built up
since that date.
Statistics are complete for only
eleven months of the last fiscal year.
For that period imports from Porto
Rico were valued at S2S, OOO, 900, an in
crease Of IS, 1000 over the amount
for the corresponding period a year
before, and the exports to that island
for the same months amounted to $24.-
100000, an increase in a year of S2,-
$4,000. The increase in imports from
the Philippines was from 50 ,OOO, 900 to
Sl6,OoO,OOO and in exports to the is
lands from $4,000, 900 to Sis 700 200.
This last shows the effect of the
r., 1,o To- ~
regard export trade as of any import
ance than import trade to any cOun-
try, each being dependent directly or
indirectly upon the other and both
being of benefit and necessary to the
continuation of any direct trade. But
those who find satisfaction only in
any increase Of exports will observe
that reciprocal relations contribute
to that quite as much as to increase
in imports.
This has to be qualified according
to the character of the trade and the
nature of the change produced in es-
tablishing reciprocity or freedom of
trade. Naturally in dealing with trop-
ical countries, or those whose pro-
ducts enter more largely into con-
sumption in this country than our
products enter into their consump-
ton, imports will exceed exports and
the balance will be settled from cred
it's with countries to which we send
an excess of exports. We do not pro-
duce much less sugar than we con-
sumo. Hence it is to be expected
that imports will exceed exports in
trade with Porto Rico and the Philip
pines until we can supply them with
manufactured goods as cheaply as
other countries do. The main point
is the large increase in trade, both
import and export, induced by re-
moving the great obstacle of tariff
dues at either end of the line. TO the
extent that this obstacle is diminish
ed or removed the trade grows, and
it would be the case with other cOun-
tries as we'll as with our own "nOn-
contiguous territories All such
trade consists of an exchange of pro-
ducts which is profitable to both sides.