The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1912-12-04
concern of vital Importance to this ma.

/
established farmers should blind us to
the fact that lack of capital is prevent
ing a development of the nations agri.
cultural resources and an adequate in
crease of the land under cultivation;
that agricultural production is fast fall.
ing behind the increase in population
and that In fact, although these well
established farmers are maintained in
increasing prosperity because of the
natural increase in population, we are
not developing the industry of agricul'
/ ture.
| Advantage Of Maximum and Minimum
Tariff Provision.
The Importance which our manufac-
| lures have assumed in the commerce
of the world in competition with the
manufactures Of other countries again
draws attention to the duty of this
| government to use its utmost endeav-
ors to secure impartial treatment for
| American products in all market9
Healthy commercial rivalry in interna'
| tiOnal Intercourse Is best ~ sured -
| the possession of proper Ineans~
| protecting and promoting our fohign
| trade. 1t is natural that competitive
countries should view with some cons
cern this steady expansion of our coP-'
merce. If in some instances the meas3
ures taken by them to meet II are not
entirely equitable. remedy should be
found
In former messages haxe described
the negotiations of the bartment of
state with foreign governments for the
adjustment of the maximum and mini
mum tariff as provided in section 2 of
the tariff law of 1909 The advantages
secured by the adjustment of our trade
relations under this law have cOntin-
ued during the last year, and some ad-
ditiOnal cases of discriminatory treat
ment OF which we had feason to COM
plain nave been removed The depart
ment of state has for the first time in
the history of this country obtained
substantial mOst-favored alton treat
ment from all the countries of the
world
There are. however, other instances
which. while apparently not constitut-
ing undue discrimination n the sense
Of section ., are nevertheless eXcep-
| tions to the complete equity of tariff
/ treatment for American products that
| the department of state consistently
has sought to obtain for American
| commerce abroad
Necessity For Supplementary Legisla-
tion.
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 achieved 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 such
way as to provide 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 either
legislative or administrative measures
the financial interests abroad of Ameri. |
can citizens whose enterprises enlarge |
| the market for American commodities
| cannot too strongly recommend to
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 13. 1911. The OBJ. |
ject Of the PROPOSED legislation Is, in |
brief, to enable the executive to apply, |
as the case may require, to any or all /
accommodates. whether or not on the |
list from a country which discrim-
ina against the United States. |
graz Mated scale Of duties up to the |
max pun of 20 per cent ad valorem
provided in the present law. q,
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 a |
flexible power at the command of the |
executive would serve to moderate any |
unfavorable 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 well as of the countries |
which find n lucrative market in the
United States for their products under
existing custom rates. 1t is very neces
sary that the American government |
should be equipped with weapons of
negotiation adopted to modern econom-
ic conditions in order that we may at
all times be in position to gain moi
only technically just but actually equit.
able treatment for our trade and also
for American enterprises and vested in
terests abroad
Business Secured to Our Country by
Direct Official Effort.
As illustrating the commercial bene-
fits to the nation derived from the new
diplomacy and its effectiveness upon
the material as well as the more ideal
side, 1t may be remarked that through
direct official efforts alone there have
been obtained in the course of this
administration contracts from foreign
governments involving an expenditure
of S5O0OO0OO in the factories of the
United States.
1t is germane to these observations to
remark that in the two years that have
elapsed since the successful negotia-
tion of our new treaty with Japan, |
which at the time seemed to present so
many practical difficulties, our export
trade tO that cOuntrv has incren sod ot |