TRADE RELATIONS WITH CUBA. CONCESSIONS NOT TO BE AT THE EXPENSE OF THIS COUNTRY'S SUGAR AND TOBACCO INTERESTS. [Washington Correspondence of the New York Tribune.] According to the leaders of public. opinion in Washington, the presence here of Señor De Abad, of Havana, as the avowed representative of certain industrial interests of Cuba, has given rise to too positive and sweeping predictions as to the character and extent of the reciprocal commercial relations to be established with that island by the next Congress. It is pointed out that, to start with, there is no certainty that any kind of reciprocity treaty can be secured at the forthcoming session of Congress, for two reasons. The first is the possibility that before the first session of the LVIIth Congress adjourns, some time next spring or summer, the Cuban government may not be fully organized and equipped. In this case reciprocity could not be established in the near future, because there would be no independent and sovereign government in Cuba with which Congress could deal. The second and more potent reason is that there appears to be considerably more opposition among the leaders in Congress to wholesale reciprocity with Cuba than is generally known. Whatever is done in the matter will not be done hastily. Cuba's two great interests, sugar and tobacco, will not be permitted to break down those interests in this country. It is this consideration that is giving the gravest concern to Cuba's best friends in Congress. At the same time, it is not doubted that if there is a Cuban government with which to treat before the first session of the new Congress adjourns, some degree of reciprocity will be granted to Cuba. This statement is based on a promise known to have been made by the late President McKinley, Secretary Root, Senator Platt of Connecticut, and others authorized to speak for the ad ministration on the occasion of the visit to Washington last May of a delegation representing the Cuban Constitutional Convention. At that time the convention at Havana was in a rather discouraging snarl over the incorporation into the organic law of Cuba of the Platt amendment defining the political relations between Cuba and the United States. It was understood perfectly well in Washington that the cause of the threatened deadlock in the convention was the desire of the Cuban constitution makers to exact from the responsible authorities here some promise of commercial concessions. Without deciding on details, the President, Secretary Root, Senator Platt and others who conferred with the visiting delegates here agreed in a general way to make, with the consent of Congress, certain concessions to Cuba at the proper time. Out of this tentative agreement has grown the confident talk both in Cuba and this country of a solemn pledge to give Cuba reciprocity. In denial of the giving of such a pledge as this, attention is called to the fact that there is a wide and important difference between "concessions" and "reciprocity." In speaking of the subject, Senator Platt of Connecticut, the leader in all Cuban legislation, always uses the word "concessions" and never "reciprocity." It is explained that "concessions" conveys an entirely different meaning from "reciprocity." For example, in this sense concession means the giving of valuable considerations without necessarily getting anything in return. On the other hand, "reciprocity" means simply concessions by both sides for mutual trade benefits. It is contended that there could be no mutual benefits in concessions on the part of this government to Cuban tobacco and sugar, because those interests in this country would suffer greatly from competition with the cheap labor and superior climatic and soil conditions of the island. Therefore it is understood that whatever notable concessions are made to Cuba will be with the view of building up other industries of the island Association made this statement, as reported by the press, with reference to Mr. Havemeyer and his associates in the "trust" cutting down the price of refined sugar "far below the cost of the raw material:" than those of sugar and tobacco, in Oxnard of the American Beet Sugar order that by thus strengthening the general productive energies of Cuba the insular republic will be better able to get its tobacco and sugar into the markets of the world and compete with the United States rather than be permitted to crush the tobacco and sugar industries of this country through free access to its ports. To this extent only will there probably be reciprocity with Cuba. AMERICAN BEETS AND FOR- was [New York Commercial.] President Havemeyer of the American Sugar Refining Company has admitted in his testimony before the United States Industrial. Commission that, with the present duties on imported sugars continued, the entire sugar consumption of the United States will "one of these days" be supplied by the sugar-beet growers-but he careful to add this proviso: "If Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines are not annexed, or their products imported free." So far, Cuba has not been annexed nor has her sugar been admitted free; Porto Rico's products are now admitted free-but the sugar that we take from her is not sufficient of itself to materially affect the beet-sugar industry; and sugars from the Philippines are still subject to duty. So, practically, the only thing that can prevent the American growers of beets from supplying, "one of these days," the whole United States with all the sugar that it requires would be the disturbance of the present rates of sugar customs duties under the Dingley law. Mr. Havemeyer has also testified that ten per cent ad valorem is all the protection that any American industry needs, and that he hasn't any beet-sugar interests "east of the Rocky Mountains." It is therefore easy enough to see why he should want the duty on raw sugar reduced and that on refined sugar kept where it is, or raised. They have placed themselves in an exceedingly poor position to go before Congress and ask for the perpetuation of their power as refiners, although they have recently arranged to increase their capi tal stock to the extent of $15,000,000, to rivet their control of the raw cane product. In view of this Congress can ill afford to inaugurate the policy of reducing the present rate of duty by reciprocity or in any other way which would have the certain effect of enriching the trust on one hand and on the other the killing of the most promising industry in the agricultural business of America. With a lot of well-intentioned but shallow Senators and Representatives "out" for the scalps of all the "trusts" at the next session, will Congress be likely to play directly into the hands of the sugar combination by reducing the tariff on raw sugar? With the beetsugar people and every farming constituency demanding a continuation of the present sugar duties, will a Republican Congress be likely to "flop" on the party's policy and "take care" of the foreign sugar planters in Cuba? RECIPROCITY IN CANADA. [Textile World.] Our Canadian neighbors are having practical experience with reciprocity. As the readers of this journal already know, the import duty on woolen goods. brought into Canada from Great Britain was reduced some years ago. Whatever may have been the effect of this change on other industries, it has given woolen manufacturing what appears to be a death blow. A prominent Canadian woolen manufacturer and a supporter of the political party that adopted the preferential tariff states publicly that "if relief is not speedily brought to bear, many of our woolen mills must soon cease to exist." From this it appears that there is reciprocity and reciprocity. Our Northern neighbors apparently have the jug handle variety. If the United States is to try reciprocity, let it be the genuine article. It is cheaper to profit by the ex In San Francisco recently, President perience of others than by our own. growers for the protection of their ber 18, at the age of nearly 83. In mutual interests. THE Massachusetts Republicans in their state convention did not endorse the Kasson reciprocity treaties, notwithstanding the earnest pleadings of the free trade press. The platform says that "a protective tariff for the protection of American labor" must not be abandoned; but it adds that reciprocity of trade with foreign countries is not incompatible with an adequate measure of protection to American industries. In fact, what the convention indorsed was reciprocity on protective lines. In a review of the tariff legislation of the past dozen years and the results, and noting the present agitation for tariff revision, "Calcutta" in the Boston Times expresses a strong fear that the American people evidently are preparing to demonstrate once more that they cannot stand prosperity, and that "well enough" should not be let alone. He says: Unless the American people are again yearning for another industrial, commercial and financial "season of humiliation and prayer"-humiliation at their own repeated folly and prayer for the return of the old republican, protective tariff conditions-they will gorern themselves accordingly. HON. SILAS M. WHEELOCK, well known as a manufacturer and business man in Worcester county for sixty years, died in Uxbridge, Octo his ninth year he began work in a woolen mill, and from that time till his death he had been constantly connected with woolen manufacturing in some form. The mills with which he had been principally connected were the Calumet and Hecla of Uxbridge, and the Harris mill in Putnam, Conn. He had been a member of the Home Market Club several years, and was much interested in its work. Mr. Wheelock was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in publican National 1900. THE New York Journal of Commerce (free trade) noting that our exports have fallen below the totals for the corresponding period last year, attributes the decline to "depression abroad and high prices and activity here" and says the same forces naturDun's Really stimulate inports. view notes that reports from all over the country agree that there has seldom, if ever, been such a vigorous prosecution of constructive "Labor is well employed at good wages, and the buying power of the people is more than sufficient to meet the advance in the cost of living of 4.6 per cent over prices prevailing a year ago." Of the iron and steel trade it says that "domestic needs are so urgent in nearly all branches of this industry that export orders are receiving scanty attention." work. THE Boston Transcript again charges that "influential Republi cans" ignore reciprocity and "have antagonized the principle upon which it is based." As the Transcript is a free trade paper, it is not difficult to construe its meaning. The "influential Republicans" to which the Transcript evidently refers have not antagonized the true principle of reciprocity which is embodied in the republican national platforms of 1896 and 1900, and which favors the exchange of dissimilar products; but they have consistently opposed the kind of reciprocity favored by the Transcript and other free trade papers which comprehends the reduction of tariff duties on many foreign products that compete with our own. Of course the free traders care nothing about the moral obligation of a political political party to sutain the principles enunciated in its national platforms; but the party must stand by its principles. In the August number of the re port of the Treasury Bureau of Statistics much space is devoted to our commerce with Mexico, Central and South America and the West Indies. The fact is pointed out that the commerce of the United States with the countries lying south of her borders does not make satisfactory progress, and that it grows worse in proportion to the distance from the United States. We supply Mexico with 40 per cent of her imports; the Central American states with 35 per cent; Colombia, 33 per cent; Venezuela, 27 per cent; the West Indies, 20 per cent; the three Guianas, an average of about 19 per cent; Brazil, 10 per cent; Uruguay and Paraguay, 7 per cent; Argentina, about 10 per cent; to the countries on the Pacific side, an average of about 10 per cent. The report says of South America's commerce as a while: "Naturally a considerable share of their exports goes direct to Europe, and to that extent it would be quite reasonable to expect that their purchases would be from that part of the world." ALL the daily papers recently printed a despatch from Washington to the effect that "President Roosevelt will urge the ratification of the reciprocity treaties with France and the West Indian and South American countries which failed of ratification last year." This is only one more of several "fakes" which the free trade literary bureau at Washington has imposed upon the public since the accession of President Roosevelt. The Washington correspondent of the New York Journal of Commerce (free trade) says: "President Roosevelt is not enthusiastic, although he is earnestly considering the subject, and will doubtless make some recommendation regarding it in his first message to Congress. He has not (as it was reported several days ago) given endorsement to the Kasson treaties, which, with the exception of those with Argentina and Trinidad, have been revived. He is likely to treat the subject in a general way in his message." The correspondent further says: "Special Commissioner Kasson, who negotiated these treaties, is again at work, endeavoring to secure for |