New coconut oil scare: bulletin editorial

Title

Language

English

Source

The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XIII (No. 10) October 1933

Year

1933

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

New Coconut Oil Scare: Bulletin Editorial By Roy C. Bennett In the “Manila Daily Bulletin,” October 3 If the Philippines presses its case against the proposed American marketing agreement which would bar Philippine coconut oil from oleomargarine manufactured and.sold in the United States there is little chance that it ever will become effective or even receive favorable consideration by the ad ministration. However, the recurrence of unfair and dis criminatory proposals of this character is disconcerting to trade, extremely harmful to business in its present critical stage. To give favor able consideration to any such pro posal the adminis tration would have to reverse itself on the stand it has taken so far in de manding a square deal for the Phil ippines and Phil ippine products. Furthermore it would have to be tray the underlying principles in the free trade arrange ment and thereby invite a slap in the face for American products entering the Philippines. The adoption of rules such as those which the oleomar garine manufactu rers are reported to have proposed would disarm the American defenses which have with stood discrimina tory action in the Philippines against American imports. So far there is no reason to jump at the assumption that the administration will reverse itself and betray the flag. There is no more reason to assume that the proposal will be approved than there is to assume that a lot of the proposals made here for booting American goods will be enacted into law or other wise officially approved. However, if the matter is allowed to rest on the assumption that there is no danger it is possible that the proposed ban might slip through, the sponsors of it winning their point by default of Philippine representatives. No. 591.—OLEOMARGARINE: Note:—All figures In thousands of pounds. Bureau of Agricultural Economics. Department to the Commissioner of Intcrnnl Revenue for per pound: uncolored, 1/4 cent per pound. Year ended June 30 Oleomargarine prodi Total Ui 19301 Total.............. Combined animal and vegetable oil.............. Exclusively vegetable 19311 Total............ Combined animal and vegetable oil.............. Exclusively vegetable 311,755 95,876 215,879 221.953 .>6,872 165,081 6.146 3,096 2,150 Philippine coconut oil interests are perfectly right in taking immediate steps to get their case in form for presentation in imposing fashion. It should be remembered that it was an eleventh hour burst of activity which saved the coconut oil interests from a severe slap from the state of California, a slap which would have taxed oleomargarine containing Philippine oil from the mar kets of that state. Even though it is a self-evident fact that all arguments of fairness are on the side of the Philippines, notwithstanding the fact that the course of action of the administration promises support for the Philippine product in fair competition on the American markets, it is not safe to take too much for granted and leave everything to pro vidence. There ought to be some way in which concerted ac tion could bring an official pronounce ment pledging the territories under the flag a square deal, marketingquo tas or no marketing quotas, industrial recovery act or no industrial recovery act. It is time that it be known that Philippine commercial inter ests are tired of the disordering in fluence of proposals of this character. It is hardly to be expected that we should be given a blanket promise of extra liberality or generosity. That cannot be expected and is not asked. But it is reasonable to expect and only fair to ask that the principles of free trade will be applied with mutual fairness. A pronouncement which promises that should stop efforts at discriminatory measures at either end of the line, should have a definitely reassuring influence on trade on both sides of the Pacific and across the Pacific. Phoduction and Materials Used Figures for production by kind of oil used arc as reported to the — of Agriculture, while other production figures areas reported taxation purposes. Colored olcomargnrinc is taxed 10 cents 298,147 87.017 211,130 215.807 U. S. Statistical Absti i Calendar year. Source: Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Treasury Department of Agriculture. 1928 1929 1930 1931 production dv California............. Illinois................... Maryland.............. Massachusetts.. . Michigan ............ Minnesota.......... Missouri................ Ncw^Jcrscv.......... Ohio....................... Oregon.................. Rhode Island.. . . Texas..................... Wisconsin............. All other............... Total . . Olco oil................ Coconut oil.......... Cottonseed oil.. . Milk...................... Palm oil................ Peanut oil............ Salt........................ Neutral lard.. . . Olco stock............ Miscellaneous '• tract: 1932 Department, and Bureau of Agricultural Economics, 410,937 424.648 31,049 856 120.422 3,914 18.799 6,120 2,391 8,637 1,731 10,766 2,183 24,534 29,074 2,569 710 3.410 5.886 4,724

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