Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-06-19
=" Reciprocity"


To the Editor Of the Free Press and Times.
Your correspondent of Saturday, over the
signature of - Traxus,'' must be a queer
fellow. | would like to ask him, was he
ever in Canada ? Does he know her re-
sources; her agricultural and manufactur-
ing productions? Has he ever consulted
the statistics, Published annually, of the
trade and commerce of the Dominion of
Canada | don't believe he has, or he
never would have penned such 4 sentence
as this;
The entire products Of Canada would
not supply the city of New York alone, etc
Now | can prove by actual figures. that
there is one county alone in Canada that ex-
ports more butter, cheese, eggs. sheep,
lambs, beef and poultry per year than is
consumed IN the city Of New York for the
same period " Traxus'' and his friends
may rest assured that such braggadocia
will never influence the Canadian people
into a reciprocity treaty with this country,
unless it be upon a fair and equitable basis.
As regards the necessity of a reciprocity
treaty with the New Dominion, don't be-
lieve seven-tenths Of the people of that
country care whether they have one or not
The new ministry of Canada. having re-
putation 20 make. it seems have had Hon.
Geo. Brown. Of Toronto, IN Washington
during the past few months for the ostensi-
bic purpose of urging upon our government
the propriety Of making another reciprocal
treaty. Geo. Brown has never yet under
taken any public matter in his country but
wherein be has proved failure, and for the
credit Of Canada trust the same mi,hap
will occur in his last adventure.
Seriously speaking. | cannot see wherein
a reciprocity treaty with Canada will be of
the least benefit to the people of tina; coun-
try. Their marketing and exporting facili-
ties are equal, and in many respects supe-
rior to ours. No farmer need keep on
hand at any time Of the year, fifty cents
worth OF surplus produce; ready purchas- |
ers, railway cars and steamships are plenti- |
ful to convey it to ready and good-paying |
markets without the bounds Of the United |
States
am free TO say, and know statistics will |
bear me out, that the abrogation of the last
reciprocity treaty by this country was one
of tho best things that ever happened to
Canada. True, the reaction was felt, and
severely, too, for short time but when
her people woke to 4 proper sense Of doing
and caring for themselves. mark the change
Compare the commercial history OF Canada
of to-day and eight or ten years ago. Ten
years ago. with the exception of here and
there small Touring mill and perhaps a
saw mill all manufacturing enterprises were
IN their infancy the greater portion OF the
marine on the lakes and the Il.
Lawrence under the control of American
capitalists the immense mil privileges on
the canal>. from Montreal to Port Robinson.
on Lake Erie, were unoccupied the now
prosperous and tourishng cities of Mon
treal, Ottawa, Toronto Hamilton. and Lon
don. struggling for bare subsistence no
no commerce, no nothing. in
Fact Look at these cities to-day. See
with some Of the largest and best
establishments on the CONT
nent; see her with five lines of ocean going /
steamships centred there with no les than
fourteen vessels in one day diScharsinr goods
rom all quarters of the world and loading
with Canadian products for abroad) see
he immense mills and manufactures. as
iou 90 westward, on the canals and the
northern shore Of Lake Ontario : see the
anne in Hamilton. London, Guelph. Brant-
ord, Woodstock. and other towns in the
ear counties OF Ontario . see now with but q
ew exceptions the great fleets of steam and !
ailing vessels from Chicago to Quebec own
q and controlled by Canadian capitalists, |
With all these facts staring US in the face. i
With the unprecedented prosperity Of Cana. O
IA for the past ten wears, why should her
eople care about reciprocal treaty with
ountry of which they are in many respects
successful rival? t
\ FRIEND OF CANADA. f
Burlington, June 10, 1874. :.