Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-12-10

fiscal year 1912 SHOWS tina: this rate
| Of advance has been maintained, the
total domestic exports having a vaiu-
| alton approximately of $4,000, 900 900,
as compared with a fraction over
S2,000,000,000 the previous year. 1t
IS also significant that manufactured
and partly manufactured articles con-
tinue to be the chief commodities form
ing the volume of our augmented ex-
ports, the demands of our own people
for consumption requiring that an in
creasing proportion of our abundant
agricultural products be kept at home.
/ In the fiscal year 1911 the exports of
articles in the various stages of man
ufacture. not including foodstuffs part
| ly or wholly manufactured, amounted
approximately to S907, 50O,0 900. In the
fiscal year 1912 the total was nearly
| S1.022 100000, 4 gain of s114,000, 900.
| 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 it's utmost endeav-
ors to secure impartiaI treatment for
| American products in all markets.
| Healthy commercial rivalry in inter
national intercourse is best assured
| by the possession of proper means
] for protecting and promoting our
| foreign trade. 1t is natural that
| competitive countries should view
with some concern this steady
| expansion of our commerce. If in
| some instances the measure taken by
| them to meet it are not entirely equi-
lItable a remedy should be found In
former messages have described the
| negotiations of the department OF
| state with foreign governments for the
| adjustment of the maximum and min
| imum tariff as provided in section 2
| 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 discrim-
inatory treatment of which we had
| reason to complain have been re-
moved. The department of state has
| for the first time in the history of
! this country obtained substantial
| INSTRUMENTATION treatment from
| all the countries Of the world. There
| are, however, other instances which,
| while apparently not constituting I'M
| due discrimination in the sense of
| section 2, are nevertheless exceptions
| to the complete equity of tariff treat
| ment for American products that the
| department of state consistently has
| sought to obtain for American COM
! merce abroad
Necessity for Supplementary LeIgsIa-
lation.
These developments confirm the
opinion conveyed to you in my annual
message of 1911, that while the max
imum and minimum provision of the
tariff law of 1909 has been fully JUS
titled by the success achieved in re
moving previously existing undue dis
| ordinations against American prod
ucts, yet experience has shown that
| this feature of the law should be
amended in such way as to prevent
fully effective means of meeting
| the varying degrees of discriminatory
treatment Of American commerce in
foreign countries still encountered, as
we'll as to protect against injurious
treatment on the part of foreign gov
ernments, through either legislative
of administrative measures, the finan-
cial interests abroad of American cit
liens whose enterprises enlarge the
market for American commodities.
/ can not too strongly recommend
to congress the passage of some such
enabling measure as the bill which
was recommended by the secretary
of state in his letter of December 10,
! 1911. The object Of the proposed leg
1 islation is, in brief, to en-
able the executive to apply,
as the case may require, to any
or all commodities, whether or not on
the free list from a country which
discriminates against the United
up to the maximum Of % per cent. ad
valorem provided in the present law.
Flat tariffs are out of date. "
Special Claims Arbitration With Great
Britain.
The special agreement entered into
| between the United States and Great
Britain on August IS, 1910, for the ar
bitration of outstanding pecuniary
claims, a schedule of claims and the
terms of submission have been agreed
upon by the two governments, and to-
gether with the special agreement
were approved by the senate on July
10, 1911, but in accordance with the
terms of the agreement they did not
go into effect until confirmed by the
two governments by an exchange of
notes, which was done on April 20
| last. Negotiations are still in prog
ress for a supplemental schedule of
claims to be submitted to arbitration
under this agreement, and meanwhile
the necessary preparations for the ar
bitration of the claims included in the
first schedule have been undertaken
and are being carried on under the
authority of an appropriation made for
that purpose at the last session of
congress. 1t is anticipated that the
two governments will be prepared to
call upon the arbitration tribunal, es-
tablished under this agreement, to
meet at Washington early next year
to proceed with this arbitration.
Fur Seal Treaty and Need for Amend
ment of Our Statute.
The act adopted at the last session
of Congress to give effect to the fur
seal convention of July 1, 1911, be-
tween Great Britain, Japan, Russia
| and the United States, provided for
the suspension Of all land killing OF
seals on the Pribilof islands for a pc
riod of FIVE years, and an objection
has now been presented to this pro-
| vision by the other parties in inter