Arizona sentinel and Yuma weekly examiner., 1912-12-05

or GQVance mas been maintained, the total domestic exports having a valu. ation approximately of $2,200,0O0,0OO, as compared with a fraction over $2,0G0, 100000 the previous year. II 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 $907,5O0,000. In the fiscal year 1912 the total was nearly $1,O22, 100000, gain of $114,000,000 Advantage of Maximum and Minimum
 Tariff Provision.
 The importance which our mapufac. 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 impartial 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. It 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 eQ2i- table, remedy should be found. h former messages 1 have described the negotiations of the department of state with foreign governments for tAe adjustment of the maximum and min imum tariff as provided in section 2 of the tariff law of 1909. The advG1- tages secured by the adjustment of cur trade relations under this law have continued during the last year, and some additional cases of discriEl- 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 moet-favored-nation treatment from all the countries of the world. There are, however, other instances which, while apparently not constituting un- 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 con- merce abroad
 Necessity for Supplementary Leigsla-
 Iaton.
 These developments confirm the opinion conveyed to you in my annual message of 1911, that while the max mum and minimum provision of the tariff law of 1909 has been fully jus tified by the success achieved in re moving previously existing undue dis criTinations against American prod. ucts, yet experience has shown that this feature of the law should be amended in such way as to prevent a 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- ria1 nj a ohrnod of 0if izens whose enterprises enlarge the | market for American commodities.
 I 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 13, | 1911. The object of the proposed leg | 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 | States, a 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 N-
 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 ard the terms of submission have been agreed l upon by the two governments, and to- gether with the special agreement were approved by the senate on July 19, 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 26 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. It is anticipated that the EC INO E1