The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-12-24
ANGLo-cANADiAN TRADE.
Eng1and's Gi1t-Edge Arrangement
with Canada.

with Canada.
A long article in the London Times
shows clearly the English anticipations
of future trade with Canada. also what
share of English trade the Engishman
proposes shall be captured by the Cana
dian. Whether this English arrangement
will suit Canada remains to be seen. 1t
is, in fact, that Canada shall be an ex-
elusive market for British manufacture
ers, while Canada may supply Great Brit
ain with more foodstuffs. There is GER
tainly a very liberal opportunity for Can
ada to do this because she now sells to
England only one-fourteenth of the food
that the mother country buys, or 100000.
0OO worth out of total of So11 1,OUO,oUo.
But the first trouble likely to arise, as it
seems to US, is that the buying and selling
transactions are not arranged through the
same agency. 1t is the British manufac-
turer who sells the British manufactured
goods to the Canadian who deals in them.
But the transactions in the Canadian food
products pass through an entirely differ
ent set of hands. The Canadian export
ers of wheat, cheese, butter, meat or po-
tatoes will be anxious enough to sell as
much of these products as Canadian farms
can produce at the best possible price.
Ihey will think that the English buyer
of produce should give Canadian produce
the preference in the English market be-
cause Canada discriminates in favor OF
British manufacturers. But While the
British manufacturer can sell his goods
to advantage by aid of this discrimination,
all his interest ends there, as he is not
the man who buys farm products.
When the English dealer in farm pro-
ducts makes his purchases he must bear In
mind that he has to sell them again IN
competition with thousand other deal
ers in food supplies. Sentimentally they
may favor the Canadian farm stuffs, but
sentiment is not business. and they have
to buy the best they can get at the lowest
price. United States, Australian or South
American supplies may he just as good as
the Canadian and shade cheaper. why,
then, pay Canada IA higher price just for
sentiment? Or our farm stuffs and those
to the south of US may be a shade better
in quality than those of Canada, and
| prices may be equal. Why then pay Cam
ada the same money for an inferior artl-
| Gle? 1t isn't business, says the British
dealer in farm produce. and, as he is not
selling any manufactures to Canada, he
makes the deal that will bring him the
hest results, and he buys the Australian,
United States or Argentina foodstuffs.
| How can the Canadian prevent this?
We are afraid the Canadians are la
bic to be disappointed with their end Of
the stick. The gilded handle will be held
by John Bull. The establishment of a
| complete system of cold storage for Cana
dian farm products should undoubtedly
| tend to Eelp their sale. But the class of
| goods that need cold storage will not in
| terfere with the sale of our farm supplies,
for we only send to England, and that oc-
! casionally, a little fruit in cold storage.
The new rapid steamers to run between
England and Canada, equipped with re-
frigerating machinery, will supply the
final link in carrying perishable products.
But this, if successful, will be at the ex-
pense of Australian shipments of similar
| products. The cost of freight naturally
being lower from Canada than from the
Antipodes, our northern neighbor should
stand good chance of securing fair
share of the trade in frozen meat, butter
and other pershable things, that is now
held by Australia. Beyond this we doubt
whether Canada has much prospective
gain from her tariff deal with the mother
country.