The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-05-06

document, accompanied by mass of
testimony, taken by the subcommittee.
1t appears from the report that the
points visited were Eastport and Calais,
Me-; Newport, Ogdensburg, Oswego and
Buffalo, N. Y; Cleveland and Toledo,
Ohio; Detroit, Mich, and cities lying
lines.
The report reads:
From the beginning to the end, all the
places visited by us in our own country
were increasing in population, while on
the other side of the line, as we were in
formed, the population everywhere was
diminishing. st. John, opposite to
Eastport, had 1000 less population in
1891 than 1881. From the testimony
| taken, it was clear that the United
States offered better markets and higher
prices for everything that Canadian farm
ers had to sell than could be obtained in
the Canadian Dominion, and the prices
there for horses, cattle and sheep, hay,
peas, beans, potatoes, butter, eggs and
poultry invariably were much below the
selling price in the United States as the
amount of duties imposed and the cost
of transportation.
When the duty on imported horses
was increased the price of horses fell in
Canada. 1t was the same with eggs and
barley. When the duty on pine lumber
was reduced 81 per 1000 feet that amount
was at once generally added to the price
of lumber in Canada, so that no advan-
tage was derived by the United States
from the reduction of the duty. So far
as the Canadian Dominion is concerned
there is no doubt they bear the entire
burden of duties imposed on their ex
ports into the United States. twas also
ascertained at Eastport from the owners
of the sardine factories, being among
the largest consumers of tin, that the
increased duties thereon had increased
the price to the amount of 81 per box,
amounting to one mill on each can of
sardines, but that it had not affected
their business nor the wages of their
workmen, and consumers were supplied
with sardines at less cost than ever.
Some of them, however, admitted that
in consequence of the much cheaper
labor elsewhere they could not sustain
their sardine business IN the absence of
protective tariff. They did not favor
the abrogated reciprocity treaty.
The report says wages were much less
in Canada than i'll the United States, the
difference amounting to from Is to 81
per cent and in some cases to so per
cent, the average difference being above
% per cent. The difference was less in
the border towns. The wages decreased
by going farther into the Dominion,
while the reverse was true in the case of
the United States. No fishing vessels
were fitted out at Eastport because the
crew could not be got to work at as low
wages as the Canadians.
The girls in sardine factories have not
had to pay any prices in consequence of
the Mckinley tariff for anything brought
in from Canada; and the business at
Eastport is three times as much as it
was before the abrogation of the Canad-
ian Reciprocity treaty, notwithstanding
the close of the Goldfish business. They
would be unable, however, to endure the
admission of sardines free of duty. The
increase of the duties on horses is said
to have resulted in advantage to the
State of Maine, as it raised the grade of
animals imported. No hay was import
ed last year as the result of the increased
duty on that staple.
The Canadian railroads were subsi-
died from first to last. The Intercolon-
ial is now run at an annual loss of from
$600, 900 to $S00,000 and does not earn
Der centre, the wages are 90 per cent
higher for common labor than in Cana
da. Skilled labor, however, taken into
Canada receive the same wages.
At Ogdensburg the subcommittee
found that the Canadian Council ap-
peared to have the power to change the
charges on timber from time to time
just as they please. the merchants at
Ogdensburg complained loudly of the
20 cents per ton charged blythe Welland
Canal, which gives the Canadian vessels
rebate of Is cents per ton paid at once.
AT this place the committee found an
attorney who asserted that duties on
| Canadian products injured American
farmers; but after hearing from the
Collector the report says there was
no doubt that Canadians bore the whole
burden of the duty imposed upon the
exports of the United States. The re-
port suggests that the only known rem
| edy for the discrimination shown by the
Canadian canals would seem to be an in
| dependent American canal on our side
of the lakes. 1t means that this discrim-
ination is a violation of the treaty and
that no equality with Canada appears
possible, even by the most solemn treaty,
''yet we still give all that was by treaty
promised, and, in addition, the use of
the Sault Ste. Marie toll free"
Touching the barley tariff the report
says it has injured Oswego, and although
the competition is really with our West
ern barley growing States, it is felt
to be a great grievance by the Min
listers of OswegO and ruinous to the cap
ital invested by worthy young men.
Sons of the American Revolution.