The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1912-12-05

also significant that manufactured ana
partly manufactured articles continue
to be the chief commodities forming
the volume Of our augmented exports,
the demands of our own people for
consumption requiring that an increas-
ing propc on of our abundant agri-
cultural products be kept at home. In
! the fiscal year 1911 the exports of ar
ticles In the various stages Of manu-
facture. not including foodstuffs partly
or wholly manufactured, amounted APP
proximately to $907 100000. In the
fiscal year 1912 the total was nearly
81, O22. OOO, 600, a gain Of $114.000,000.
Advantage Of Maximum and Minimum
Tariff Provision.
| The importance which our inanufac-
I lures have assumed In the commerce
Of the world In competition with he
manufactures of other countries again
draws attention to the duty of this
government to use it's utmost endeav-
ors to secure impartial treatment for
American products in all markets
Healthy commercial, rivalry In utter
national intercourse is best assured 10y
the possession Of proper means for
protecting and promoting our foreign
trade. 1t Is natural that competitive
countries should view with some con-
Germ this steady expansion OF our COM
merce. If In some instances the meas
ure taken by them to meet it are not
entirely equitable a remedy should be
found.
/ In former messages l have described
the negotiations Of the department of
state with foreign governments for the
adjustment Of the maximum and mini
mum tariff as provided In section of
the tariff law Of 1909. The advan-
tages secured by the adjustment OF
our trade relations under this law have
continued during the last year. and
some additional cases Of discrimina-
tory treatment Of which we had real
son to complain have been removed.
The department Of state has for the
first time in the history of this cotn-
try obtained substa ntial most favored
nation treat lent from all the countries
Of the world.
There are, however, other instances
which, while apparently not cOnstitut-
ing undue discrimination in the sense
Of section 2. are nevertheless excep.
tons to the complete equity Of tariff
trea tment for American products that
the department Of state consistently
has sought to obtain for American
commerce abroad
Necessity For Supplementary Legisia-
ton.
These developments confirm the Opin
ion conveyed to you in my annual mes
sage of 1911. that while the maximum
and minimum provision Of the tariff
law of 1909 has been fully justified by
the success achieyed In removing pre-.
viously existing undue determinations
against American products yet expert.
ence has shown that this feature OF
the law should be amended in suct
way as to provide a fully effective
means of meeting the varying degrees
Of discriminatory treatment of Ameri
can commerce in foreign countries still
encountered. as well as to protect
against injurious treatment on the part
Of foreign governments through ethel
legislative or administrative measures
the financial interests abroad Of Ameri
can citizens whose enterprises enlarge
the market for American commodities.
( l cannot too strongly recommend te
the congress the passage OF some such
enabling measure as the bill which was
recommended by the secretary Of state
in his letter Of Dec. IL. 1911. The OBJ
ject Of the proposed legislation is, IN
brief, to enable the executive to apply
us the case may require, to any or ali
commodities. whether or not on the
free list from a country which discrim
mates against the United States.
graduated scale Of duties up to the
maximum of 25 per cent ad valorem
provided in the present law.
Flat tariffs are out Of date. Nations
no longer accord equal tariff treatment
to all other nations irrespective Of the
treatment from them received. Such
flexible power at the command of the
executive would serve to moderate any
unfavOrabIe tendencies on the part OF
those countries from which the impOr.
tations into the United States are sub
stantially confined to articles on the
free list as we'll a. Of the countries
which find a lucrative market in the
United States for their products under
existing customs rates. 1t is very nee.
essary that the American government
should be equipped with weapons OF
negotiation adapted to modern econom.
ic conditions in order that we may at
all times he in a position to gain not
only technically Just but actually equit.
able treatment for our trade and also
for American enterprise and vested in.
terests abroad.
Business Secured to Our Country by
Direct Official EAsrt.
As ilustra ting the commercial bene.
fits to the nation derived from the new
diplomacy and its effectiveness upon
the material as well az the more ideal
side. it may be remarked that through
direct official efforts alone there have
been obtained in the course of this ad-
ministratiOn contracts from foreign
governments involving an expenditure
of $50. 100000 in the factories of the
United States. Consideration Of this
fact and some reflection upon the nec-
essary effects Of scientific tariff sys-
tenn and a foreign service alert and