The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-05-04
WE And OUR NEIGHBORS.
Maine Folks Much Better off than
the Canadians over the Line.
SENATOR MORRILL, ON SOME OF
THE EFFECTS OF THE TARIFF.


More than Their Canadian Friends
Under the Present Law, Farmers Have
the Home Market for Their Hay-Other
Sources of Prosperity.
WASHINGTON, May 3.-The Senate
committee on finance has not yet con-
sidered the tariff bills passed by the
House. The meeting this morning was
devoted to the discussion of the bill
amendatory of the direct tax act. Chair
man Morrill,, who with Senator McPher-
son composed the subcommittee to in
quire into the effect of the tariff laws on
the trade relations between this country
and Canada, was authorized to present
the report to the Senate. The report
was accordingly presented later by
Mr.. Morrill,. 1t is a voluminous docu-
ment, accompanied by a mass of testi-
mony taken by the subcommittee. The
points visited were Eastport and Calais,
in Maine; Newport, Ogdensburg, Oswego
and Buffalo, in New York; Cleveland
and Toledo, in Ohio; Detroit, Michigan.
and cities lying upon the eastern and
northern boundary lines. The report
says: ''All the places visited in our own
country are increasing inpopulation while
on the other side of the line, as we were
informed, the population is everywhere
diminishing. st. John, opposite East
port, had 1000 less population in 1891
than in 1881. From the testimony taken
it was clear that the United States offered
better markets and higher prices for
everything the Canadian farmers had to
sell than could be obtained in the Cana
dian dominions. The prices there of
horses, cattle, sheep, hay, peas, beans,
potatoes, butter, eggs and poultry were
invariably as much below the selling
price in the United States as the amount
of duties imposed and the cost of trans
horses was increased, the price of horses
fell in Canada. It was the same with
eggs and barley. When the duty on pine
lumber was reduced to 81 per 1000 feet,
that amount at once was generally added
to the price of lumber in Canada, so no
advantage was derived by the United
States from the reduction of the duty as
far as the Canadian Dominion
was concerned. There is no
doubt they bear the entire burden
of the duties imposed on their exports
| into the United States. 1t was ascer-
tanned at Eastport from the owners of
the sardine factories, they being among
the largest consumers of tin, that the in
creased duty thereon increased the prices
81 box, amounting to one mill on each
can of sardines, but it had not affected
| their business, nor the wages of their
workmen and consumers were supplied
with sardines at less cost than ever.
nf l., nd Tod 4hO+
in consequence of much cheaper labor
| elsewhere, they could not sustain the
sardine business in. the absence of the
protective tariff. They did not favor the
| abrogated reciprocity treaty.
More or less emigrants appeared to be
entering into our country from Canada
all along the border line. At some
points it was stated that large numbers
in the spring of the year, as at Newport
| 800 per day, often came in to find en-
ployment for the season and returned in
! the autumn. Others, for the same rea-
| son, came in the autumn and returned
| in the spring.
| The report says wages are much less
| in Canada than in the United States, the
average difference being above 25 per
cent No fishing vessels are fitted out at
Eastport because the crews cannot be
| got to work at as low wages as Canadi-
ans. Girls in the sardine factories have
not had to pay any higher prices in con-
sequence of the Mckinley tariff for any
thing brought in from Canada. Business
| at Eastport is three times as much as it
was before the abrogation of the Cana
| dian reciprocity treaty, Notwithstanding
| the close of the cod fish business. They
| would be unable to endure the admiss-
| ion of SardineS free of duty.
| The increase of the duties on
| horses is said to have resulted in advan-
| tage to the State of Maine as it has
| raised a greater number of animals than
| it has imported. No hay was imported
last year as result of the increased duty
on that staple. Canadian railroads are
subsidized from first to last. The Inter
colonial is run at an annual loss of from
I $500, 900 to $800,000 and does not earn it's
running expenses. AT Newport, a lum-
| ber center, wages are 25 per cent. higher
| than in Canada.
| The report suggests the only remedy
| for the discrimination shown by Canada
canals would seem to be an independent
American canal on our side of the lakes.
| 1t maintains that this discrimination is a
violation of the treaty, and that no equal
| ity with Canada appears possible even by
the most solemn treaty. sYet we still
| give them all that was by treaty promised
and in addition the use of the Sault Ste.
Marie toll free" Touching barley, the
report says it has injured Oswego.
BLOUNT'S BUGBEAR.
He Discovers a Peril for the Nation
Diplomatic Bill Passed.
WASHINGTON, May 3.-The House to-
day passed the diplomatic and consular
| appropriation bill. During it's considera-
ton, Mr.. Blount, of Georgia, in charge of
the bill, moved to strike out the appro-
priation of $65,OO0 to continue..the pre-
liminary survey for the international
railroad. This, he said, would connect
| this government with a railroad in South
America which might implicate us in a
| war of conquest He believed if this
proposition was enacted into law. the
United States would be pledged to the
| construction of the railroad.
Mr.. O'Neill, of Mississippi, expressed
the opinion that the appropriation should
be made. His appeal to the House that
it should put stop to this poor. five
l I I.