Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-07-23

IA any ExfcHsi0H aud Deeei0ymeaf Of
Trade Betwsen fhe United States and
Canada Desirable


were at the present time on an equal
footing In all other respects. and such
extension OF trade would be under such
circumstances as desirable for the United
States as il now Is for Canada But,
would IL be desirable under existing con.
ditions and under the present circum-
stances of the two countries, and upon
this depends the solution OF the question
as TO whether such tariff changes as
would be necessary to develop trade
would be advantageous to the United
States or not. Now what are the pres
ent relations and conditions of the two
countries Upon reference to the map
of North America, IL will be observed
that the main continent Ii divided into
two almost equal portions which are re
spectively the Dominion of Canada and
the United States, and that the bound
AIRY between them from the Pacific
Ocean to the great lakes Is an imaginary
line, and thence to the Atlantic they are
separated by these lakes and the st
Lawrence River. To the north of this
line lies Canada partly In the temperate
and partly in the frigid zone, and TO the
south of ii the United States lying entire
ly in the most temperate portion OF
the temperate zone. An immense tract
Of fertile country rich in mineral wealth
through the middle OF which from north
to south flows theMississsippi river which
with its many branches coming in from
the east and from the west affords nat
ural means Of inland intor- communica-
tion between large proportion of the
different States OF the Union Again
the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico
afford easy intercourse between all the
coast sections of the Nation and these
natural highways supplemented by and
in connection with numerous and ex.
tensiye systems of railroads and canals
open up such ready, speedy and econom-
zeal means of communication between
the various sections that the internal or
interstate commerce OF the country Is to-
day more extensive than the combined
foreign commerce of Great Britain,
France, Germany, Russia, Austria, Hun
gary and Belgium, and the railroad
freights annually collected are more
than the railroad freightage of England,
France and Italy, added together.
In fact the country is adapted by ma
ture for ready interchange of its varied
commodities, and interstate trade be-
tween the various States of the Union Is
almost necessity of the confguration
Of the continent. In addition 10 this,
the difference OF climate In the different
sections Of our country enables us to pro-
duce within our own borders all the nee
essaries of life. and almost all the luxu-
ries, and this variety in our production
still further augments the vast interstate
trade that the topography of the CONT
nent and the free trade relations between
the States has created and fostered.
Canada, on the other hand, by its con-
figuration and topography, seems to be
debarred from interprovincial exchange
and national trade. Its rivers all run TO
the northward away from civilization,
and empty into the Arctic Ocean or the
connecting waters thereof. The more
important provinces that lie along the
Great Lakes are of easier access to the
United States than to each other. The
coast provinces are closer to the United
States than to her other provinces. and
when Canadian goods once cross the
boundary they can reach the farthest
confines OF the country more readily
than they could be sent from Manitoba to
Quebec. In fact the settled provinces of
Canada are a mere fringe upon the bor-
ders of the United States and commerce.
ally dependent upon her. AT hardly any
point does this narrow strip Of settled
Canadian territory, which is nearly three
thousand miles long, extend more than
two hundred miles away from the
United States border. and within this
narrow belt she produces little that she
uses outside of the products of the soil.
Our centers of production are compact
and In close connection with our port
of exports and centers of consumptions
Theirs are scattered and disjointed in
this respect, and they are in addition
separated by three thousand miles OF
ocean from all other sources of trade;
while they are naturally of easy access
to and geographically in juxtaposition
with the several States OF this Union
along its entire boundary line, State tc
Province, and Province to State, and
are thus by their very location COMPEL
ed to trade with us to great extent
whether they wish to or not. Again We
have sixty-tive million Of people To con.
sumo their comparatively small amount
| of surplus production; while they have
only five million to consume our. i'm
mense over production and our pOpula-
tion is actually increasing, while their
is decreasing by emigration from them t.
US. 1t is admitted by every one that ex
tension of trade between the United
States and Canada would rebound 70 the
advantage of Canada, though many deny
that 1t would Ne desirable for the United
States, at least at the present time, as Il
is conceded that such trade development
must be accomplished by letting in free
the soil produce of Canada In exchang,
for our manufactured merchandise, oi
in exchange for our soil produce, the lat
ter scheme would simply be an aid I,
Canada and loss TO us. The formei
would result 10 decreasing the profits o
our farmers and Increase the profits o.
the New England manufacturer. While
the needs OF the country at present ar,
increased, profits to the farmer abov,
aud before anything else The new tariff
aims at this object and its intention
would be defeated before the result o
its operation could be tested II the tariff
should be removed from Canadian farm
products now and the benefits of sucl
reciprocity would rebound to the advan
tage of the New England manufacturer
(others being too far away who are al
ready benefited by other provisions o
the present tariff. Further than thi
Canada has not only all her natural fac
ilities in favor of trade with the Unites
States rather than inteFprovincial trad
or international trade with any othei
country. But she does actually tradu
now under existing regulations, NOR
largely with the United States than wit
any other country not excepting
England who has subsidized steam
shin lines railroads run At n los