The morning call., 1893-03-23
CANADA AT SEA.

The Birmingham Chamber OF Commerce
recently adopted the following resolutions:
That as in the opinion OF this meeting the fu-
ture prosperity of British commerce must In
creasingly depend on our commercial relations
with our colonies, and recognizing tile fact that
Canada has by resolution OF her Parliament in
vited The mother country to enter into arrange
ment for recIprocay preferential duties we
hereby urge upon the Government he necessity
Of taking that invitation into their immediate
and most serious consideration.
This resolution was submitted TO
the Association of Chambers of Com
meree of the United Kingdom and voted
down. Reciprocity with Canada does not
seem more desirable to Great Britain than
to the United States. 1t is true that Cam
ada's proposition does not concern herself
solely. The Arrangement suggested was
one TO include other colonies as we'll as
Canada. But the action of the British
Chamber of CONNER is in effect reiec-
tion of the imperial federation idea. Free
trade among the colonies and between the
colonies and the mother country is an es-
sential consideration Of imperial federation.
Canada now, commercially speaking, is
at sea. She can steer for any port that
holds out signal of welcome. Up 10 the
present time her overtures have been re-
Jected for the reason that her political re-
lations with England would not permit of
discrimination against British products.
How Canadian statesmen will regard the
action of the British Chamber OF Commerce
will probably appear in a short time.
Mr.. Erastus Wiman finds a solution Of the
Canadian question IN continental reciproc-
iiy. He argues that political union be-
tween the United States and Canada is a
remote possibility. 1t would take thirty
years to effect the change in Canadian
opinions which the United States would
require as a condition OF annexation.
Meantime what is to be done? Mr.. Wiman
proposes what he calls ''coutineutal free
trade" but in discussing his proposition he
includes only Canada and the United
States. After showing that trade between
the two countries if unrestricted would
consist mainly of the importation into the
United States Of raw material from Canada
and the importation into Canada of manu-
factured goods from the United States, Mr.
Wlman says:
II, therefore, the United States desires fee
trade in which the chief element of imports
shall be iaw materials and food products, essen
tlal as The sun to her success, she needs only TO
name dozen articles of this nature which shall
be admitted without let or hindrauce. at the
same lime claiming IL exchange for ibis great
boon the fee admission into Canada OF tie
products Of the United States OF every name an
nature.
This plan is supplemented by the assump-
tiOn that Canada shall maintain a tariff 'of
uniform height around the continent"
which means doubtless the portion of the
continent for which Canada can provide
laws But MIR. Wiman avoids an encounter
with a difficulty which Mr. Blaine pointed
out TO the Canadian commissioners who
visited Washington to talk reciprocity. Has
Canada the right while maintaining her
present relations with Great Britain to enter
iuto trade relations with the United States
which would in effect exclude British man
ufactured goods from Canada? The COM
missioners who came TO Washington with
reciprocity agreement already prepared
admitted that they could not offer American
manufactured products lower duties than
were offered British products Of like char
acteT. When Mr.. Blaine had obtained this
admission he bade the commissioners a
courteous good-day. What will Mr. Cleve-
lsnd do when like proposition is made to
him?