New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-09
RECIPROCITY WITH CANADA.
THE DOMINION MINISTER'S MISSION AP-
PARENTLY HOPELESS


THE CONSENT OF GREAT BRITArH-A
TALK WITH SIR RICHARD CART
WRIGHT AND MIR DAVIES.
GsY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBuNEl
Washington, Feb S-Sir Richard Cartwright
md his colleague Mr.. Davies. who have come 10
WASHINGTON as representatives of the new Lp-
raj Government of the Dominion OF Canana III
the interest of freer commercial relations win
,he United States have already discovered that
one OF the bases Of international comfy ana re-
c,nrocitv-offciaI courtesy-was an easy dscov-
cry Their reception by secretary Oihey' ny
Sneaker Reed. by Chairman Hit and other lend
ing statesmen has been not only courteous Dut
cordial in the extreme. And yet they appear al
ready 10 be conscious that their mission IL even
more difficult than they had anticipated. II not
,,doed n homeless one or course. they realized
befora they started for Washington that they
would he heavily Handicapped by the disgust
nroduced by the insincere professions ana the
inst rcsentments excited by the unneighborly'
not 10 saw hostile policy Of their official prede-
cessors against the United States: but II may he
that they did no, fully realize the fact that their
own professions (Which no doubt are sincere
enough, would not be readily accepted at face
value on that very account
CANADA CANNOT ACT ALONE.
since their arrival in Washington. also, the
Canadian enyovs (whose sincerity and just in
,entions nobody ouestons) have probably been
brought TO realize another fact more clearly than
they did before which is that no Dominion Gov
eminent whether Liberal or Conservative mas
the power without the consent and approval oi
Great Britain. to enter into any reciprocal 1T
rangement with the United States which would
be of mutual and equal advantage to both In
other words any such arrangement 10 DE pihu-
tho must he in effect one between the United
States and Great Britain.
As REPRESENTATIVE Grout of Vermont, to-day
EXPRESSED It in conversation with a Tribune cor
RESPONDENT: Canada is a minor. so to speak she
cannot make any agreement with the united
States which would be binding In case her par
an, or Guardian should object and the objection
would be swiftly forthcoming II the agreement
gave to the United States the slightest CONNER
cial advantage over England. I can conceive
how commercial reciprocity between Canada and
the United States might he equal and fair. II
Canada could admit all our products, both nat
ural and manufactured. free OF duty or at pref
orential rates as against the United Kingdom
and all other countries. 1t is possible that the
United States could afford TO admit Canadian
products and manufactures on the same terms.
The suggestion Of Sir Richard Cartwright for
q to,nt commission composed of members ap-
nointed lev the Governments Of the United states
and the Dominion respectively. to investigate
the trade relations of the two countries and try
TO Law basis for a reciprocity treaty. seems TO
find little favor among members or the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES, In speaking of the suggestion
to-day a member of the Committee on Ways
and Means said: The experience of the United
tic rplaf W
Canada by means of joint commissions has been
q profitable one in only one respect, and that Is
in the warning never to try it again" So far as
can be Judged from conversations with num-
her of other Representatives on the subject this
is the prevailing opinion.
VIEWS OF THE CANADIAN ENJOYS
In an interview at the Shoreham to-day Sir
Richard and Mr.. Davies outlined the basis upon
which in their opinion, a reciprocity treaty
could be drawn In the first place" said Mr..
Davies please make it clear to the American
neople that we believe closer trade relations
should exist between the two countries and that
a commission consisting of two Americans and
two Canadians should be appointed to consider
the general subject of reciprocity and report 10
their respective Governments If a commercial
treaty be possible
1t vas suggested TO Mr.. Davies that the Amer
lean farmers along the northern frontier would
protest vigorously against any reciprocity be
tween the two countries which included an ex-
change Of the natural products Of the soil.
But" interjected Sir Richard "our people
raise the same objection. our agriculturists fear
American competition quite as strongly as the
American agriculturists fear Canadian compe-
ttion During the last three months. while our
Tariff Commission giving its hearing at OF
irde led hat
can competition would be fatal to Canadian in
terests The Canadians living In the Niagara
peninsula were most insstent that the barriers
should not be thrown down. They asserted that
the American grape and the American straw
berry would, if protection were removed, food
our country and destroy their interests Similar
| objections were made by our farmers with ref
erence to free exchange of other products.
The truth is" continued Sir Richard. "the quail
| itv of some OF articles is superior to yours
| on the other hand, the Americans raise certain
| articles which superior in quality 10 ours
For example. our wheat is better in quality, gen
| orally speaking, than that of America. Your
| corn is superior to This is true of a large
number Of articles. Those natural products
which develop better in a warmer climate are
| superior on your side Of the line TO ours. Other
products Of the soil which are more natural to
a cold climate are produced better by us. There
! is no reason why the people of both countries
should not enjoy the superior products of Canada
and America at the lowest price. instead OF pur-
chasing an inferior article for the same money"
Laying aside the question Of natural prod
ucts to what extent would the manufacturers
Of the United States be benefited by such an
! arrangement Sir Richard was asked.
The trade OF the United States with Canada, -
replied Sir Richard, would be greatly stimu-
! lated. We are to-day your best customers. We
purchase more largely per aota. in the Ameri-
can market than Great Britain does. our trade
with the United States aggregates SlOO.0oO,Opo
| annually. Of which the larger share is In favor
! Of the United States Under the stimulus Of
/ reciprocity this trade could be expanded to
/ SODOOO,WO year. with the same relative
| adXnntRge the side OF the United States