The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-07-15
VALUE OF RECIPROCITY.

That there is something to the reci-
procity idea that James G. Blaine once
so strenuously urged is being demon
strated more emphatically each year
Commenting on one phase of 1t, The
New York Journal of Commerce says:
The statement Of the bureau of sta
tistics regarding the trade of the United
States with its mon contiguous terri
tories" furnishes tie best evidence of
the benefit Of reciprocity in trade. 1t
applies just as much to trade with 9TH
er nations as to that with lands under
American sovereignty, and the farther
the reciprocity is carried the greater
the benefit. There has never been any
obstacle to the trade with Alaska, Ha-
wall or Porto Rico since the United
States obtained possession of them, and
that TO the trade with the Philippines
has been substantially removed since
the adoption 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, inn
ports and exports, has increased from
$S5,000,000 in 1897 to $3.50, 100000 in the
y "
Hawaii antedates this period and a
large proportion of the trade in 1897
was with those islands. The most sig
nifcant comparisons are those involv-
ing 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 SIS, 900 900, an in
crease of $5,70O,OO0 over the amount
for the corresponding period year be-
fore, and the exports to that ISL nd for
the same months amounted to $24,750,-
600, an increase in a year of $780,
600. The increase in imports from the
Philippines was from 100000 to $751;
100000 and in exports to the islands
from $4,000, 900 to $15,O00,O00. This
last shows the effect of the change in
the new tariff. We do not regard ex-
port trade as OF any more importance
than import trade to any country. each
being dependent directly or indirectly
upon the other and both being of bene-
mt 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 ma
ture of the change produced in estab-
fishing reciprocity or freedom of trade.
Naturally in dealing with tropical
countries, or those whose products en-
ter more largely into consumption in
this country than our products enter
into their consumption, imports will
exceed exports and the balance will be
settled from credits with countries to
which we send an excess of exports.
We do not produce Manila hemp and
we produce much less sugar than we
consume. Hence 1t 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 9TH |
er countries do. The main point is the
large increase in trade, both import |
and export, induced by removing the
great obstacle of tariff duties at either
end of the line. To the extent that this |
obstacle is diminished or removed the
trade grows, and it would be the case
with other countries as we'll as with
our own "non-contiguous territories "
All such trade consists of an exchange |
OF products which is profitable to both
sides.