Great Falls tribune., 1889-06-19
CANADIAN TRADE.

The senatorial committee under the
lead Of Mr.. Hoar found in st. Paul, mer-
chants, RAILROAD men and others who gave
them much practical information and ex-
pressed opinions emphatically concerning
our trade relations with Canada. Will
ham B. Dean, a hardware merchant spoke
of the large trade which St. Paul formerly
transacted with Canada and argued that
the 1000 miles Of rocky country which
seperate eastern Canada from the Cana
dian northwest divides the dominion com
mercially and renders our western states
and territories the proper market for
the interchange of Canadian products.
Mr.. Deans statement in this respect is as
true of Montana as it is of Minnesota and
it will become more evident when Mon
tana is connected directly by railroad
with the dominion. E. V.Smalley doubt
ed the vast extent of the Manitoba wheat
country contending that the cultivation Of
wheat would not succeed at more than 100
miles north of Winnipeg. He held that
Dakota has nothing to fear from Manitoba
competition. He spoke of the Sault Ste.
Marie route and said the people Of St.
Paul would look with great disfavor upon
any Legislation cripping that road Like
opinions were expressed with much force
by St. Paul and Minneapolis merchants
who made defense of the 500" route
the leading feature of their testimony.
General manager Egan spoke of annex
need not fear Canadian competition if the
inter state commerce law were so am
mended as to place them all on the same
basis. Mr.. Drake frankly owned that if
he were merchant he might favor closer
relations with Canaua but as landowner,
with lands unoccupied, he was opposed to
anything which would turn the tide of
immigration into Canadian territory. f..
Driscol of the Pioneer Press replied
warmly to Mr.. Drake, contending that
the Lest way to bring Canada under the
American flag is by attaching the people
to us by community Of commercial in
terest.
In Minneapolis the committee found
the merchants as eager for closer rela-
tions with Canada as in St. Paul. Charles
A. Pillsbury proved to be a fountain of
general information. He spoke strongly
in defense of the freedom of the $500"
route and also advocated the improvement
of the Sault canal Being asked eff the
removal of their present tariff would suit
the people of Canada" the big miller re-
piled: "It might not suit the party in
power now, but it would suit the major
ity of commercial men"
The additional testimony took wide
range. Mr.. Eliel, wholesale druggist,
said: "While not for a moment would |
favor free trade in general, l would favor
it with Canada" W. L. Petit said:
"When Canada wants closer relations with
this country let her come in as state"
Secretary Sturtevant of the chamber of
commerce rejoiced that Minneapolis was
released by the $500" route from depend
ence on Chicago. Camp, lumberman,
contended that "the great wheat raising
belt of the world lies north of the Cana
dian Pacific" .w"
The senatorial committee should now
hold a session in Montana and then pro-
coed to the Pacific coast They would find
that both protectionists and free traders
desire that the barriers to closer COM
merce with Canada shall be judicously
removed and that no shackles shall be
imposed on railroad traffic with Canada