The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-09-16
Continued Hearing by tho Senate
Committee on Relations With
Canada.

BOSTON, Sept. 14.-The select committee
of the United States Senate which has been
investigating the commercial relations be-
tween this country and Canada concluded
its sittings in this city this forenoon. There
were present of the committee Senators
Hoar, Pugh, Dolph and Butler:
MIR. w. .: Blaney, representing the Boston
Chamber of Commerce, said that he quite
agreed with most of the testimony given, and
declared himself in favor of annexation or
commercial union, but he felt that both cf
these are impracticable. Reciprocity seems
lishment OF closer commercial relations
between the two countries He was in favor
of free, unrestricted trade between the
United States ana Canada, and would go
farther and urge reciprocity with all the
policy for the Government to place any
restrictions upon foreign railroads. The
Grand Trunk has been to New England
what the Erie Canal has been to New York.
He thought, however, that New England has
suffered from the Interstate Commerce law,
and that 1t ought to be repealed.
Mr.. John s.. Farlowe, an old merchant of
Boston, thought annexation the best thing to
be had. Canadian people, while loyal, are
great admirers of America and American
institutions. IL annexation be out of the
question, reciprocity is the desideratum
The United States would get by far the best
of the bargain, and there would be nothing
to fear from competition.
Mr.. Isaac 2. Gragg, representing Boston
capital employed in copper mines in Nova
Scotia and Cape Breton, said that reciprocity
would benefit the shippers and smelters on
the Eastern coast for these reasons: The
copper ores of the Provinces contain great
deal of silica, which is needed as a flux for
the Western ores brought for smelling to
New York and Baltimore; the freight to this
country is one-half of that to England, and
much of that ore. with reciprocity, would
come to this country. In the second place,
the copper ore at Sudbury, Ont, owned
largely by Cleveland capital, contains a
large percentage of nickel. At present the
nickel market is supplied from one source,
the New Caledonia mine. With reciprocity,
this ore would come to this country and be
refined, and the nickel reduced, effecting a
large saving to. silver and nickel plate
Canadian prohibition tariff will result in an
increased expectation to the Provinces Of
mining machinery.
Mr.. Joseph Bennett, in business relations
with the Maritime Provinces, made COM
parisons between reciprocity and the tariff
favorable to the former condition.
Mr William IL. Sayward, for the Master
Builders Association, believed that the
builders are considerably affected by the
prevailing conditions. He instanced cases
of the. building of factories in Canada by
American capital. because the goods manu-
factured must be made there on account of
the tariff. He thought that, from the nature
OF things, the testimony of the average busi-
ness man will amount simply to my busi-
ness will be helped" or ''my business will
be injured by any proposed changes. MIR.
Sayward, trying as far as possible to view
that situation from a general rather than an
individual standpoint, gave these answers to
the two questions prOp0unded by the COM
mittee: First, the builders as class believe
that closer relations should exist between
the United States and Cada1a. Second, as a
class, they believe that the nature of these
relations should be such as will finally join
these two nations under one government.
Third, as a class, the builders are not in
juriously affected by existing conditions,
but they are very sensitive to any conditions
which cramp the general business, and they
are convinced that general business is
injured by prevailing conditions. Fourth,
they are impressed with the fact that the
question Of transportation by rail or other
wise through Canada is one of great impor-
tance, and, as existing laws restrain such
transportation, they ask if it would not be
wise for the committee to consider the
recommendation of such changes in the inter-
state law as shall definitely state that trans
portation companies in direct competition
with Canadian companies shall be relieved
from its provisions. Fifth, the builders, as
class, feel that Canada and the United
States are virtually one country and one
people, injured by artificial barriers between
the nations. A great step toward the
removal of such barriers will be the estab-
lishment OF freer commercial relations upon
plan which shall not involve the abandon
ment of the general national policy of pro-
lection. That is, the builders are free
traders so far as concerns the North Ameri-
can continent, but not beyond its borders.
Th hearing was then closed temporarily.
Senator HOar announcing that the fishing
interests would be heard at New York or
Washington about Dec. l.