The record-union., 1897-12-05
OUR RELATIONS WITH CANADA

The Canadians believe that the toe
of bounding prosperity now presses
upon the Canadian threshold. They
have in the last twenty years been at
a standstill as to commercial improve
ment, increase by immigration, or busi-
ness extension by added capital. But
all that time the debt of the Dominion
has grown.
Now, with prosperity beaming in upon
them at the door, the Canadians wish
to establish better relations with the
United States for obvious reasons. Con-
cede that these include selfish reasons,
nevertheless the sincerity of the Cana
dams in their desire cannot be ques
toned They believe that the very best
way for the two great peoples of this
continent to anchor prosperity with
them is TO effect a better commercial
and social relationship-no idea of po
litically drawing nearer is entertained.
Canada would have the tariffs of the
two countries bear such a relation to
each other that there shall be the
greatest freedom Of immigration and
investment for and in both countries
without either being drawn upon at
the expense of the other. Unless this
is effected, says the brilliant Dominion
Premier immigration will aSsuredly be
away from the United States into Can
ada, and it will be of the very class
of people we Will most regret to lose.
The raising of our protection walls
higher, and the instability of our tariff
legislation, even if by the new treaty
we pierce them for Canada, tends, he
holds, TO drive Canada to seek other
markets, representing less onerous con-
ditions and presenting more Of sta
bility He adds: I'VE are finding such
a market, for instance, in Great Brit
ain for our products refused entrance
into the United States" To this is
added the statement Of the Montreal
Herald" that already British capital
has its agents in Canada arranging for
investment and manufacturing there,
which under earlier conditions would
have gone to the United States.
On top Of all this we are assured by
Sir Laurier that unless better relations
are established between the two great
representatives of Anglo Saxon civiliza-
tion on this continent, we will lose the
carrying trade Of the continent, which
Canada will wrest from us. He has
rafd that tho St ourarae &c the orraa+
natural outlet TO Europe for Canada
and the United States, and that our
course concerning the movement of the
products of the West to the Atlantic
is an unnatural one, and that we can
not afford to fight nature.
This has reference to two things, the
carrying of traffic between oceans by
Canadian roads and our action relative
to the great lakes waterways. We had
an international commission of en-
gineers a few years ago to look over
that canal proposition at the northwest
corner of the great lakes junction, and
the result was a report that we Were
10 get the small end OF everything in
the cutting Of the canal proposed by
Canada. We were to pay half the cost,
and Canada was to get about seven
tenths of the benefits of that arrange
ment.
Thereupon we dropped the scheme,
and now we have engineering reports
that waterways may be cut that Will
not fatten Canadian greed. The same
body of engineers tell us that there are
two or three other routes that the two
countries might open up by mutual
action. either one of which would give
fair division of advantages, and not
invest Canada with the lions share.
Canada. therefore, is not likely TO
frighten us much in this direction. As
for the carrying trade between oceans,
we apprehend that the disposition of
the people of the United states VIII
never be more liberal than at present
TO afford Canadian cars special ad-
vantages. We shall be very much sur
nrised If any enlargement OF present
advantages is ever conceded in that re-
spect.
Nor is it at all probable that the peo-