Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-16
RECIPROCITY WITH CANADA
A Liberal Leaders Views to the Ways
and Means COMMITTEES.
His Party Would Make q Treaty Upon
Even Broader Lines Than
That Of 1890.

In response to invitation Edward Farrer,
one of the leaders of the liberal party in
Canada, has submitted to the House SUBJ
committee on ways and means on reciproc-
ity long statement giving the liberal view
Of a reciprocity arrangement between the
United States and Canada. Mr.. Farrer
gives at great length history of the COM
mercial relations between the republic and
the provinces since 1916, prior to which
date there was comparatively little trade
across the border, largely owing to the
existence of a system of preferential du-
ties in Canada intended to foster trade be-
tween the colonies and England, somewhat
in the line of Mr.. Chamberlain's proposed
imperial confederation scheme. Mr.. Far
rer shows by figures in what particulars he
considers that plan failed to help either
Canada or England, and how he claims it
went down under the free trade system in
ls46 He points to the remarkable growth
OF canada under the reciprocity treaty of
1854 and recounts the heroic, though vain
efforts of the Canadians, to prevent the
lapslng of that treaty.
The Blaine Treaty of 1890.
Touching the treaty negotiated by Mr..
Blaine in 1890 to bring about reciprocity
between the United States and New Found
land, which was pigeonholed by Lord Sails
bury. he alleges, because Of the Jealousy of
the Dominion authorities. Mr.. Farrer holds
that 1t contained the principles upon which
treaty might now be framed that would
be acceptable to the liberals in Canada,
seeking, as they do. to secure the COM
mercial independence Of the dominion, and
be relieved from the necessity of consulting
England in treaty making, and of the ham,
pering requirements of conceding to Eng
land the best terms offered to any foreign
country. Referring to that treaty, Mr.. Far
rer says:
These articles were selected with a
triple object: the first was, that they
should be articles of common daily use
among the people, or affect the prosecution
Of our leading industries; the second, that
they should be of such a character as to
be difficult to smuggle across the lines and
Easy OF Identification as genuine produc
ton of Canada, or the United tSates the
third. that they should be- as far as posi-
BILE, the production of branches of industry
natural to Canada or the United States
and in which a considerable inter-tratfc
between the two countries might reason
ably be expected.
"A sliding scale. by which the existing
custom duties were to be gradually re-
duced, was provided for in order to give
the manufacturers some time for prepara-
ton for the change.
One Even broader Lines.
THE liberal party should be prepared to
negotiate treaty with the United States
on somewhat similar lines II 1t should be
returned to power at the approaching cleo
items. 1t is safe to say that it would be
prepared to negotiate on even broader
lines. 1t fully realizes that the proposition
of the present government at Ottawa for a
reciprocity in natural products only is
scarcely fair to the United States, for most
OF the grain would be to Canada; that any
equitable arrangement must permit the
United States to pay in factory goods for
the natural products and raw material
coming from Canada. Moreover, such
treaty would be beneficial to the farmers,
lumbermen, fishermen and miners of Can
ada in providing them with cheaper fac
tory goods than they can now obtain in
Canada"
In further support CT a reciprocity agree
ment, Mr.. Farrer contends that it would
check the immigration of Canadians into
the United States, which has now grown to
be very formidable; that it would accord
with natural conditions and the wants of
both countries, and would place upon a
more satisfactory basis the now delicate
and dubious question of the bonded privi-
lege as exercised by Canadian railroads