Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-06-17

large, which results from the admission
OF provincial products. While the treaty
lasts we are unable to tax our own manu-
factures. Take, for instance, the lumber
trade. 1t is very large, ranking in the
censns list as third among our manu-
factures. 1t is ordinarily close busi-
ness, requiring large outlays and produc-
ing small compensation by way of per.
centage on the capital employed. The
uncertainties attending it are nearly as
great as those OF the fisheries.
But it is carried on by vigorous class
of men. The war has shown them to be
among the toughest and hardest men in
the country. Amid many discourage
ments they produce annually nearly a
hundred million dollars worth Of various
kinds of lumber. The census gives the
product of 1850 at S96,00O,0O0. This
goes into the hands of parties who can
well afford to pay the enhanced price
caused by the manufacturing tax. But
suppose the tax is laid upon it now, what
would be the result? In all cases where
the provincial lumber merchant could
reach the market at the same price Of
transportation, he would take the supply
and drive off the American manufacturer.
The difference of one or two dollars per
thousand would be fatal to our people ell.
gagged in that trade. The provinces are
celebrated for their valuable forests. 1t
forms their distinguished characteristics,
and up to this time it has been their pol
icy to encourage lumbernen by permit
ting them to operate on Government land
at small rates of compensation. On this
account our people engaged in the same
trade find these provincial operators sharp
competitors, and no interest has been so
badly damaged by the operations of the
reciprocity treaty as that of lumber
Abrogate III, treaty ard you may tax the
lumber imported from the provinces a
handsome sum. 1t amounts ordinarily to
between three and four million dollars
annually. The producer will pay his
share Of that tax Further than this you
can tax our own lumbermcn the same as
o,her manufacturers, and they can do as
other manufacturers do-get as much as
they eau out OF their customers and pay
the balance themselves. In this way 4
considerable sum can be obtained for our
depicted Treasury.
Tao same thing may be said of -four.
The orI giual internal revenue bill, in 1862
assessed a tax of ten cents 4 barrel upon
-four. This would have given revenue
Of nearly two million dollars. But it
was stricken out because of Canada com.
petition under the reciprocity treaty.
These articles lumber, fish, and the
cereas--tcrmed, in the elaborate lan-
guaec Of the negotiations that led to the
treaty, the products OF the sea, the forest
and the iarm-are the chief articles We
receive from the provinces. On an aver.
age Of years they are about two-thiTds
the whole import. One year since the
treaty they were valued at Sl5, 5,469, ,076,
and the whole import from the provinces
was but Sl9,3S3,455.
Reckoning the loss by the admission Of
articles duty free and by the forced omis.
sions to tax our own production, and the
loss to the revenue cannot be less than
Sl0,00O,000 annually so long as the
treaty shall continue in force.
OF course, if the treaty has failed in
the respects | have mentioned it must be
regarded as q business failure. 1t our
total exports have lessened since it went
into operation. and particularly if our ex-
port of manufactured articles has dimin-
ished, and if in the mean time our com.
merce has not teen benefited by addition.
al employment, if the large fishing inter-
est is anxious to pu: an end to this ar.
rangemcut because Of the detriment it
receives from it, and il the revel ue sut.
fers greatly by its continuance, then say
as commercial arrangement it has not
answe red the expectations which gave it
existence, and it should be abrogated.
On the other hand, the provinces have
very largely increased their export to us
They have run it up until the balance oI
trade has been in their favor, and We
were obliged to send them gold for the
surplus. They have increased their tar
iif, and thus added to the revenue derived
| from their connection with US. Thell
fishermen have benefited by free access
to our market, AMI their shipyards have
been busy supplying new vessels for the
American trade. In all respects they
have been the happy recipients of The
benefits of this treaty and we the unfor
tunate losers.
And still, notwithstanding this sorry
exhibit of tho results Of the workings o.
this treaty, | find there is some hesitancy
about acting. Some doubt the expcdien
cy of giving the notice required by thu
treaty for fear of the effect of such actor
on our foreign political relations.
Let us see how that is. No doub
that political considerations had grea
weight in getting up this treaty. The
free-tradc idea had impressed itself upoI
Congress. Members somehow had be
come penetrated with the notion that Gus
tom.houses were to be abolished. A smal
revenue was to be got, they did not know
how, and then we were to leave all trad
ers to enjoy unlimited liberty of action
1t was universally thought the "worl'
was governed too much"
Our immense domestic trade betweel
the different States was frequently clte'
as result following the removal OF all re
strictious. The celebrated report of Mr.
Walker, when Secretary of the Treasur.
in 1876 goes into these calculation
I,rcely. and exhibits the enormous vol