New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-28

permissive provisions of law and OF treaty. an
almost uutrammelled reciprocity OF transportation
facilities commonly known as "Ihe Transit
Trade.p The railroads Of Canada engaged IN TINS
trade east of the meridian of Sault Ste marie
ox,end only one-fourth the distance across the
continent, They are self-sustaning, or are 10
Gated upon lines where the development Of local
traffic is possible; they also form connecting
links between American lines, and thus suoserve
both the through and local traMc
interests Of those lines ana Tue
commercial interests of important sections
of this country. The transit trade
over these lines is therefore characterized by con-
ditions of true reciprocity. But the very re-
verse is the case in regard to the great pontlcal
railroad Of Canada west of the meridian OF sauit
Ste Marie That line covers three-fourths OF the
distance across the continent: instead OF beng
sclf-sustaining it is sustained by the enormous
subsidy Of 81 80 900, 000-suficient for its entire
construction-providedb by the Dominion Govern
mcnt and by the annual subsidy Of 100000 to its
steamer line connection to China and JAPAN pro-
yided by the Dominion and British Governments !;
it is located for the most part through an IRE
claimable. desert it is in no sense a connecting
link between American lines of railway; it serves
no local traffic interests in the United States. and
lne utleHlpt is I1duc ny tuC Ndhuuioh w
grasp important branches Of the terminal and the
foreign commerce of the United States, with almost
absolutely nothing to offer in return. The Cana
dian lines engaged in the transit trade" east OF
the meridian of Sault Ste Marie are favorable to
American association and commerce, while the
Canadian Pacific line west of that meridian is at
all points antagonistic to American interests, and
was built for the promotion of mad polltlcaI
scheme inimical to the United States. And this
violent attempt to wrest American commerce from
American steamer lines, American seaports ana
American railroads by the overwhelming force OF
unprecedented subsidies, is reinforced by the
moral influence Of formidable military works AT
Esquimault and Port Moody Those works do not
stand as symbols Of peace and mutually bene-
fetal commerce between adjacent countries. Inc
case is clear-cut and incsive 1t requires no as
tute craftsmanship to explain its meaning The
ordinary American mind can grasp II, and appre-
cjate it for all il represents and for all II suggests
The proposition is here submitted that Congress
ought at once to respond to the attempt OF tne
Canadian Government to divert the Asiatlc com
merce of the United States by a discriminating
duty of at least 40 per cent on all imports from
foreign countries by the way OF the CANADIAN
Pacific Railway, and to respond to the attempt 10
divert the internal commerce Of the United States
over that line by duty of at least 80 per CENT
on all goods transported: and the lmposIoon
of such duties ought to be considered ASIDE rom
| any ordinary view Of tariff policy. Inc ac,
Of July % $50, in regard to the transit IrYoe
| on ght also to be amended, and Article AALA oi
| the Treaty of Washington ought to be aDrosated
| at the earliest practical moment. ,,,o I'D
| ~Huntington, Long Island, n. Y. May rs, 1855