New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-20
CANADIAN TRADE RELATIONS.

Representative commercial organizations In
the Pacific Coast States are urging upon the
Government the propriety OF closing the re-
Gently established sub port OF entry nj Dyea,
Alaska on the ground that Il Is OF advantage
chiefly TO Canada and that no equivalent privl-
leges are granted In the British Northwest Ter
ritory TO citizens OF the United States. In reply
the British Columbia Board OF Trade calls
upon the Dominion Government 10 protest
against such closure, and, Ia case Its protest Is
not effective 10 adopt retaliatory measures
against the United States At the same time n
representative of Canadian railroad interests
makes argument and appeal before the Board
Of General Appraisers against tho imposition
OF a 10 per cent discriminating duty upon goods
imported into this country by way of Canada,
as provided In the Dlnglcy Tariff law All Of
which raises ia an interesting form the general
question OF trade and transportation relations
between this Nation and the Dominion.
The somewhat shrill demand for retaliation
may be readily dismissed. The Canadian Gov
eminent has no conceivable cause for taking
such action 1t would not have such cause II
this Government should decline longer 10 main
tain a port which Is OF 10 value to II and which
Is Of value only to Canadians. There Is little
probability that the Canadian Government Will
| take such action. And there are the strongest
reasons for believing that II It should do so 1t
would itself be the chief sufferer. The qucs-
| ton to be considered seriously Is, on the con
| trary, whether the United States Is not already
| granting the Dominion far too many and too
| great favors and receiving far too little in re-
turn In the recent scaling negotiations Can
ada IN effect declared that unless everything
she asked were given 10 her she would Civ"
nothing at all. That same spirit seems to gov
all her dealings with this 90 uniry and to bc.
at the present time, decidedly more successful
than IS compatible with the interests Of the
| United States
The railroad bonding system IL IN old story
But II is II most important and significant fact;
Canadian railroads are indefatignbly seeking
American patronage. About GO per cent Of their
freight Is American freight, received from places
IN the United States and delivered TO other
places IN the United States Fully two-ifls
of the earnings Of the entire Canadian railroad
system come from United States business. The
remaining three -hfths are not enough to pay
operating expenses and fixed charges All the
actual profits of the roads. all the stockholders
| dividends come therefore from business which
| lcgltmately belongs to the railroads OF the
| United States and would be enjoyed by them
were II rot for the bonding system. Without
the bonding system all the Canadian trunk lines
would suffer yearly deficits and soon lapse into
insolvency. 4 moderate estimate places the
value Of the bonding system to Canada ut $50,
100000 year, for which the United States re
ceives practically nothing in return.
Apart from the desirability Of freeing United
States transportation lines from such unfair
competition there are most logical reasons
founded on analogy, for the abrogation of this
system. One Is the example Canada herself
has set. She would not allow a United States
fisherman to land his catch ut Canadian por
and ship it by rail to this country under bond
She would not allow an American ship to take
on cargo ut Halifax and convey 1t through
the Erie Canal TO some Canadian lake port oi
around the Horn TO Vancouver. Why should
Canadian railroads have privileges American
ships cannot enjoyt Another reason u the OK