New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-22
CANADIAN CUSTOMS DUTIES
Tgr VIEWS FARMERS EXPRESSED I'd THE
CONTROLLERS.

&.
,vo PRODUCERS THE PROTECTIVE PEIN-
c1pIE SEEMS TO BE DEEPLY r'orEp
o..a,.. Can. Dec Il GpeciaD.-In the last Sea-
a,,, ~ the Canadian Parliament tho Premier sir
"a r,nompson. promised that during recess the
o,a,,mant would Investigate the alleged demand
.or REDUCTION OF duties by holding conventions from
-, 70 Mace with the farmers. consur'crs OF I'll
,1esas and manufacturers. with view 10 nearing
Rat they had to say on III" question mat uurirs
,ho anproa ching session the Government ihiBh' w
~ position to bring in such legislation in the
d,rec.lon OF tariff reform as IL might oe hiaue
arnorent the country wished ior'
,Ao Controllers Of Inland Revenue and customs
..,,e held ten conferences on the tariff question:
r1 in all some one hundred ana hfty witnesses
- ho,,A they being either practical farmers 'r
,osors largely interested in the farming Industry
~ evidence they gave was VOLUNTARY each corn
-, forward with his view to th" effects OF ire
,or,ff ,pon farming interests and suggesting shch
chances IL any in the existing duties as Wouid
IN his op.nion best promote these interests Inc
representative character of these Delegates was
ass,rad nv general invitations issued well In adj
,c. Of the meetings. 70 wardens reeves ana other
,o,,o, CONSERVATIVES who in most cases them
a,,.a, attended the meetings and frankly stated
go, o;-ions Politically tho delegations were
nrobshlv pretty well balanced as between "rt'
Tory ard Patron. Expression OF almost every
shode Of opinion that ii is possible to hold on
tariff matters was obtained The meetings were
made oren 70 the public early in the inquiry the
statements Of the delegates for the most part APP
nearing in the press 1t IS therefore possible 10
sum ND the result in So far. at least as inc
number of witnesses who spoke for or against
onv particular tariff theory can he @sSNmeu 10
,nd,c,t. the prepondcrance OF opinion one way or
the other Bearing in mind the TACT mat each
witness volunteered his views on Whatever items
of the tariff particularly Interested himself
a "a interesting least to see how they stood upon
the principal items affected by the tariff The
farmers nccessaries coal oil, binding twine, baroed
wire for fencing and agricultural implements. are
conceded TO be articles of consumption in the cost
OF which as affected by the tariff the farmer IS
most directly concerned In regard To the hrst
two of these the Government made a considerable
reduction in duties last session or sXtY-tWo
witnesses who mentioned the coal oil duty par
ticrary it seems the majority. thirty-siX, advised
the removal of the present duties altogether;;
duty While leaving sufficient TO protect the home
industry. Three wanted the duty on coar on on5
be satisfied with a reduction Mhie UNI ILL., ILL.,
mon binding twine only one witness of these
would be satisfied with mere TsuuetIoh VI ,- .me
TSSn,yfour of the witnesses wanted the duty
agricultural implements reduced and twelve wanted
gethei. OF seven who spoke Of stoves; nails and
hardware. only one prolessed himself satisfied ii.i
reduced Nine delegates asked reduction in iron
and steel Four were satisfied win tne u nunee
vas -" bIonrbt M by twenty-threc delegates. VINO
thought revenue should be rased on tHeSc a 81
these witnesses people who don't drink tea
or coffee Their testimony opposed by thirty
seven others who wanted tea and coffee lett on the
So much for the opinion Of the farmer as 70
delegates spoke Of the duties on farm products
whole Two Of that number would i be w IaS
to them wiped Out altogether dhlry tar,S
farmer thought it should b. increaseI SeVnnrE ,
seven favored present duty on foreign pork:
Twelve didn't care # it were T taken ro on r anH sS so
far as beef is concerned while eight delegates usca
at the least the present duty was necessary to give
the farmer adequate protect agaihst hihefJ M
present duty on corn from the United states and
two wanted it increased Thirty-two moSuy arg
III frst corn from the United states provided the
,mericans would take OF the duty on Canadian
barley Thus for protection az against free trade
in corn the opinion stood II to g. In the matter Of
grass-seeds and hops all who mentioned these items
favored the present or increased duties. OF those
VINO spoke Of fruits FIVE wanted the prPteci9s, IN
protection, and three favored the rean air dty
of so much a barrel imported pums and pears,
while TWO asked that they come into competition
VA" As to free trade sxty-three delegates vol9n.
f-ee trade and hfty-sx were opposed to it. In the
opinion OF nine delegates the country could PROB
others who spoke on the question opposed direct
taxation Forty-seyen out OF Ine iiI b SIX he WI" H
veiopment of our trade with the United Siairs IN
view: the other nine thought they shoill rave
freer trade with England. Eghty-one witnesses re-
ferred In their evidence TO the tariff as whQie
'rwenty-one OF these favored general reduction
OF all duties sixty expressed themselves as salts
fed generally with the present tarin ana havins
no complaints grievances TO state concerning
In addition to the investigation held by the two
Controllers. Minister OF Finance Foster Mnistrf
of Trade and Commerce Bowel and Minister or
Agriculture Anglers held conferences with the manu-
Iacturers to their side OF the story. Iheir
report Is not sufficiently advanced for an ANALYSIS
OF the evidence although from what can De gam,
cred there is nothing TO indicate any supstantiai
marked reduction Of tariff In fact, two OF me
members Of the Cabinet have openly slater tnal
the Government would continue the protection
policy although in two details the customs
duties might be readjusted.