, 1879-03-17
THE CANADIAN ThHIFE,

acted now tariff for tho British North
American Provinces. This notion was the
result Of tie popular election of 1878, in
which tho country, in accomplishing
chango Of Ministry, included in tho new
policy demanded IN incroaso of tho tar'd on
imports. Thero wers severaa considerations
leading 10 This result. Tho peoplo Of Can-
ada, ma a WHOLE havo been dcsIrou, to trade
with the UnitcdStates on terms Of reciprocity.
Tie territory Of tho Dominion is interlocked
will, TINT Of tho Union+ Au imaginary line
divides the two countries, md tho frontier
invites smuggling or necessitatos . costly
md more or loRs inefficient limo OF
revenue stations. Tho rooplo Of Can-
nsln arc bound to us in nlnny
things closer than are any others. They
spoals our language; tAe newspapers Of each
country ciroulate in the other; tho local
evouts In each aro published rs nows in tho
other; tl!oro aro thousands Of Canadians
dnily whiting IN tiIa country, and NJ many
Americans in Cnnat1n; tho postal Bervice of
both countries IS common to eac}s, rs is tho
telegraph and tho railway. All tlaoir conl-
mercial md sooinl interests aro the Bame. A
systo,n of reciprocity Of trade wonld be tho
appropriate, il not indeed necessary, compile
,nent to tho other ntimato relations between
the Two countries. Such, however, Inns been
impracticablo. The War necessitated large
revenues, and this necessity afforded those
Interested The opportunity to pnt in operation
IN this country tho fatal principle Of a pro-
tectiyo tariff. Tho Canadians lad n tariff
which did not exceed m avorag1 rate OF 1t
per cent; lilo United Statos lad tariff
averaging at times rs high US 48 per cent.
OF course this wide difference rendered rec
iprocity impossible. On both sides Of
tho line thoro wera carnest and per-
sistont efforts made to bring about some
agreement whoroby reciprocal trade might
ba established generally, Or III limited
number of specified art'cloa; but, aftor yoara
of patient labor, these proved fr.litless.
Among the results Of Tho panic of 1873 WIS
tbs explosion Of the credit system aud tho
reduction of business to actual valuos. Tho
consumption Of the homo market sllrank
immensely. The exeosa Of production in
American manufactures Ind to find AT out
let, aud Cannda bccame what IL known rs
Tho alnughter.honsa Of American .uanu-
faoturoB for which there WINS no salo at home,
mud which had to 10 sold at whatever price
could bo got for tllom. OF course theao
goods were sold to CANADA at less tlnn they
could bo imported for from England, and for
less than thoY could be producod for In Can-
ada. Tho American thrift, therefore, operated
to exclude rigidly all Canadian manufactures,
mud yet American manufacturers used tho
Cnnadn market in which to unload all their
unsalablo goods.
A portion OF tho pooplo Of Canatla, under
theso circumstances, demanded "proteo-
tion ~ another mud larger portion fancied
Tint m incroaso Of tho Canadian tariff
might expedite, perhaps, some arrangement
with tho United Statos, and thcse considcra-
tions have resulted in producing tho now
Canadian tarifE, which went into operation
last Saturday. Wo have published tho now
schedule Ut rates on imports. Though tho
tariff applies e1ual!y to imports from all
nations In tho selection of articles to le
texcl and IN fixing tho rates, tho purpose is
apparent, oven if sit wore not avowol,
to bear upon those articles most likely
to bo imported from tho United
Statea THO Canadian market Is M prac-
tically closed in tlseso particulars 10 A,neri-
ca,1 goods Oh llas tho American market boon,
closed by our thrill to foreign goola. Tho
nction Of tho Canad!an Government will
hav0 tho effect Of establishing 4 sort OF 70.
c'rrocal prohibition of trade. which IL not