The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-12-03

enabling measure as the bill which was
 recommended by the secretary of state
 in his letter of Dec. 13, 1911. The ob-
 ject of the proposed Legislation is. in
 l brief, to enable the executive to apply,
 i as the case may require, to any or all
 | commodities. whether or not on the
 l free list from a country which discrim-
 l mates against the United States, a
 1 graduated scale of duties up to the
 l maximum of % per cent ad valorem
 i provided in the present law.
 l Flat tariffs are ont Of date. Nations
 no longer accord equal tariff treatment
 | to all other nations irrespective of the l treatment from them received. Such a 1 flexible power at the command of the 1 executive would serve to moderate any unfavorab ble tendencies on the part of 1 those countries from which the impor- l tations into the United States are sub 1 stantially confined to articles on the 1 free list as well as of the countries 1 which find a lucrative market in the I United States for their products under
 existing customs rates It is very nec- l essary that the American government 1 should be equipped with weapons of negotiation adapted to modern econom-
 ic conditions in order that we may at l all times be In a position to, gain not only technically just but actually equft- able treatment for our trade and also l for American enterprise and vested in- l terests abroad
 1 Business Secured to Our Country by Direct Official Effort.
 | As Illustrating the commercial bene- l 6ts to the nation derived from the new 1 diplomacy and it's effectiveness upon | the material as well as the more ideal | side. it may be remarked that through direct official efforts alone there have been obtained in the course of this ad- | mtntStratton contracts from foreign governments involving an expenditure l 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 l equipped to cooperate with the bus1-
 ness men of America carry the convic- ton that the gratifying increase in the l export trade of this country is in sub stantial amount due to our improved governmental methods of protecting and stimulating it
 It isfgermane to these observations to 1 remark that in the two years that have elapsed since the successful negotia- ton of our new treaty with Japan. which at the time seemed to present so many practical difficulties, our export | trade to that country has increased at fhe, rate of over S1.OOe.OOO a month. | Sur exports to Japan for the year end sl June 30. 1910. were $21 1.959.31o while for the year ended June 30. 1912. the exports were $53.47S,O46. net in- 1 crease in the sale of American products of nearly 15O per cent
 i Special Claims Arbitration With Great M ae Britain. 6
 Under the special agreement entered into between the United States and Great Britain on Aug. IS, 1910. for the arbitration of outstanding pecuniary claims. the 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 19, 1911, but in accordance with the terms of the agreement they did not go into effect until confirmed by the two gov ernments by an exchange of notes, which was done on April 26 last Negotiations are still in progress for 1 supplemental schedule of claims to be submitted to arbitration under this l agreement, and mean Esile the neces- l sary preparations for the arbitra ton Of the claims included in the first
 schedule have been undertaken and are l being carried on under the authority of an appropriation made for that purpose 1 at the last session of congress- It is i anticipated that the two governments 1 will be prepared to call upon the ar bitration tribunal, established under this agreement. to meet at Washington 1 early next year to proceed with this ar l bitration.
 Fur Seal Treaty and Need For Amend nnent of Our Statute.
 The act adopted at the last session of congress to give effect to the fur seal convention of July z, 1911, between Great Britain, Japan, Russia and the United States provided for the sus-
 pension of all land killing of seals on l the Pribilof islands for a period of l five years, and an objection has now been presented to this provision by the other parties in interest, which raises the issue as to whether or not this prohibition of land killing is incpnsist-
 ent with tEe spirit if not the letter of the treaty stipulations- The justifica- ton for esta blishing this close season 1 depends, under the terms of the con- vention, upon how far if at all it is
 necessary for protecting and preserv- 1 ing the American fur seal herd and for l increasing it's number. This is a ques- ton requiring examination of the pres | ent condition of the herd and the treat ment which it needs fin the light of ! actual experience and scientific inves- tigatfOn.
 A careful examination of the sub 1 ject is now being made, and this gov ernment will soon be in possession of a considera ble amount of new informa- ton about the American seal herd. 1 which has been secured during the pasp season and will be of great value in determining this question, and if it should appear that there is any un- certainty as to the real necessity for imposing close season at this time