Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-09-08
No Decided Action Taken by
Delegates at the Reciproc-
ity Convention.
Closer Trade Relations and a
Deep Water Way Were
Considered.

ecu'lVe committee of the convention, which
adjourned sine die soon alter l o'clock to-
day. st. Paul business men here as dele
gates and others look for much larger
convention there than the one at Grand
Forks has been, and it is confidently ex-
pected that many lake cities and the North
western states through to Washington will
have representatives present. This has en-
trenched most Of those interested more
firmly in the belief that the Grand Forks
convention marks the beginning OF a
tremendous movement toward closer trade
relations with Canada and the voicing Of
needs which the respective governments
will take cognizance OF.
Precisely what these needs are the dele
gates at this convention, it must be admit
ted, did not seem to know. All had q gen.
eral idea that trade relations were desira-
BILE; in what direction, however, and along
what lines, is n question not hal dozen
delegates were competent to grapple with.
The original plan of some OF the I.romot-
ers of the convention was to have discussed
the effec of certain tariffs specifically. This
was abandoned
| ~ aNOlU Il SLAsd
between the Canadian and American repre-
scntatives. When the convention met two
topics were decided upon for discussion
the advantages OF a deep waterway to the
seaboard and the advantages Of reciprocity.
Really the only address on the former was
made by Secretary Thompson, OF the Du-
| luth chamber of commerce. Reciprocity
was not discussed until this morning. 1t
was scarcely 10 be called discussion, how
| ever.
| The committee on resolutions, says Chair
man Snaley, originally hoped to frame
a resolution after the discussion had been
had. Instead an extremely cir'ious dela1a
ton was made before wo IL reciprocity
had been spoken. Rev. J er Conaty of
Grand Forks. in one of ! 4 est speeches
fact, for he took it that tn resolution was
| not the succinct express ~. Of we'll digested
views. He was right, but the discussion
On the resolution showed that with single
exception. none of the speakers had well
Gigested views. They spoke in general and
glowing terms Of the advantages of reci-
| procity, but when where and how seemed
unknown quantities.
DR.. Ruther ord of Portage La Prairie was
| the exception. He was the only one who
made an argument or went into detail.
He complained that the Mckinley bill had
shut out Canadian bar.ey. potatoes and
! fish from
THE AMERICAN MARKET,
dwelling particularly upon barley. Some
of the Americans might have informed
him that this was what was responsible for
the growing barley interest of the lar
| Northwest, Montana showing fields run
ming as high as s. 600, all in barley, but none of
them did. So lar as details OF where reel.
procity is needed goes, the convention has
been absolutely barren OF results. The
products OF the TWO countries have not been
considered or compared. But the result
must be to set good many people to study
ing and thinking, and the present plan IS
to hold Two conventions each year to
further this interest in reciprocity.
The convention ended to-day was simply
! in the nature of all introductory discussion
| within very limited bounds Canadians
Wed with Americans in yielding points
| that
NO DISTURBING ELEMENT
| mi ght be introduced, and this extreme
| courtesy may have been in some measure
responsible Tor the barrenness OF discu- sion.
| But the chief cause has been indicated. Tie
| reported addition Of twenty-five Winnipeg
| delegates last nigh, developed This morning
| into an actual addition OF nine. The Win
| nipeg board Of t1uue WIS not officially rep.
| resented.
Gov. Burke presided this morning fo1
the first time. In presenting the report Of
the committee on resolutions Chairman
| Smalley said the committee had been I'M
| pressed with the seriousness OF the work Of
| framing the sentiments of a Representative
| gathering which must have a far reaching
influence. He supplemented the repor. by
stating that the harmony which had pre-.
vailed in committee and convention had
been a surprise. The effort to go further
and be more specific had been abandoned
with the utmost courtesy and good feel
/ ing.
HaIyor Stevenson Of Crookston advocat-
ed resolution asking the improvem ent OF
| the lakes and streams and the forming of a
| waterway between Lake Superior and Lake
O. the Woods, along the boundary line.
Mr. Mussetter of St. Paul opposed this.
| mistake in taking up anything to divert
| from the question of deep waterway from
the head OF the lakes to the sea and reci-
| procity. His motion that the reso luton
be tabled was carried bya close vote.
! The motion to leave time and place
| to the executive committee was lost by
a vote OF 81 to 49, and after over an houl
1 spent in a ragged discussion. St. Paul was
unanimously chosen for the convention,
| the date being lett to the executive COM
mittee, with instl uctions to fix it within
six months. and the convention adjourned
The delegates ali left for home on evening
trains. Executive committee is as follows
| A. C. Frasier. Brandon. Man: 7. S. Ester
! bro K, Superior. Wis; P. II. Kelly. st. Paul
Jesse a. Gregg, st. Paul; J. S. Elise. Miupeapo
| liz; F. r. Mclver, Duluth; A. Mcdonald. Winni
| peg