Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-09-03
HOLD OUT FOR "RECIPR0ClTY'
DEMAND MUCH AND WILL CONCEDE
VERY LITTLE.
Prospect Is That the Question VIII
BE Very Hard to settle-JOint
High Commission Takes
Recena to Septem-
her 20.

1
days work, adjourned at o'clock this aft
ernoon to meet again in this city Septem-
Der 20 at II a. IN. All of the American
| commissioners. excepting Mr.. kasson, will
| return to their homes or to Washington.
Mr.. Kasson will remain in Quebec.
The subcommittee and secretaries will
| continue their work here or at their
| homes during the recess. Lord Herschell,
| the representative from England, will go
| from here to Newport. Sir James Winter,
| the Newfoundland representative. has re-
| turned home The other Canadian COM
| missioners left to-day for their homes.
Congressman DingIey left this afternoon
| for his home in Maine. General Foster
| will go TO Washington.
| What the commissioners accomplished up
| to this point or what they are likely to
accomplish In the future can only be in
| ferred from outward indications. Abso-
lutely nothing has been revealed from
| within the meeting rooms of the commits
| sion. From the very first session until the
| adjournment, the commissioners on both
sides have repeatedly stated that the most
| friendly relations existed on both sides.
| and that the representatives of both gov
| ernments manifested a disposition, even n
determination, to reach a final adjustment
/ u
| before them. In fact, everything that has
| transpired before the public eye in con-
| nection with the conference has confirmed
these statements. But there are questions
| which many predict the commissioners will
| have great difficulty in adjusting, If they
are able to adjust them at all.
Some of these difficulties are foreshadow-
| ed in what has taken place here during the
| past three days. Three powerful industries
| of the United States. by their representa-
tives. have appeared here praying the
American members of the conference to
| make no change in the duties now imposed
upon the Canadian products Of lumber, fish
and pulp paper. The lumber interest is the
most important of the three, and it is
known that between this and the reconven-
ing of the conference active steps will be
taken by the United States lumbermen to
ferestall any action on the part of the COM
mission in the way of opening wider the
United States markets for Canadian Ium-
ber.
Another powerful industry yet to be heard
from is the agricultural interest. The farm
ers of the United States, II is known, will
oppose most vigorously any adjustment of
affairs which will involve reduction of the
duty ON Canadian agricultural products.
Yet these are some of the concessions the
high commission had nothing to do but set
tie the Bering sea question, the boundary
lines of Alaska, the fisheries or any group
or all of the twelve questions enumerated
in the protocol, no doubt they could do 1t,
but the greater question Of reciprocity has
ence. and the question will be difficult to
settle.
So far as known. the only expression
from the United States in accord with the
Canadian view Of reciprocity is that COM
Ing from the Boston chamber of commerce.
These gentlemen told the commissioners
that they favored the freest possible trade
relations with Canada, and that they
spoke for very large number of the man.
H1acturins interests of the Eastern and
came the protest of the lumbermen, who
declared that their industry alone gave en-
ployment to number of American citi..
Zens as large as the entire population of
Canada. and they desired the duty on lurl-
Der to remain as 1t is. Thus 1t may be
situation, that the joint commission has a
task of the gravest Importance, and one
that is accompanied by the greatest diff
culties.
After the adjournment to-day It was an
nounced that no more hearings of any sort
would be given, except in such cases as
the commissioners themselves required the
appearance of persons for the purpose of
giving necessary information.
A man closely identified with the United
States government and who has followed
the work of the conference very closely
made the following statement this after
noon:
the commission has been greatly increased
by the attitude of the Canadian represent
atives on the subject of reciprocity. I un-
derstand that they demand, as a condition
precedent to the settlement of the inter-
national questions which have long pended
between Canada and the United States, an
agreement of some kind in reference to
reciprocity. This would not be so difficult
or solution were II not for the fact that,
from the newspapers in Canada and from.
the impressions Of the public men here,
1t is very evident that the reciprocity
which they. are willing to enter is not the
kind Of reciprocity that the American peo-
pie for the past twenty years have dis
eussed and now unanimously favor. Since
have been here have carefully observed
ada expects the United States to give them
an exclusive preferential duty in our mar
kef: while they propose TO admit our goods
products of Great Britain are admitted.
The Canadian idea Is that In our markets
they are to have an advantage as against
the rest OF the world while in their market
they VIII give us an equal opportunity 10
compete ?lnp with Great Britain;''
,c,n me a.1d Rlhd OF reciprocity which the Amer
cial bodies of the United States have asked
our commissioners to secure is the reciproc-
ity which gives an equal advantage in the
respective markets in the countries which
are parties to the agreement and that this
advantage should be exclusively enjoyed
mercial bodies known at the time they
considered ard passed their resolutions
what Kind of reciprocity Canada wanted. it
Is doubtful II any of them, outside the
Boston Chamber of Commerce would have
favored it, or would have presented these
resolutions which are now in the hands of
the commissioners. 1t has not then known
that such great national industries in the
United States as agriculture, lumber coal
and others were to be laid on the interna-
uonal bargain counter, there to be disposed
OF in consideration of securing for a few
manufacturers in Boston and other New
England cities the poor privilege of COM
peting in the Canadian markets on an
equality with some other country where
production Is carried on alta cost far be-
low the cost OF production in our own coun-
try. 1t will readily be seen that the i3os-
ton and Canadian proposition will be of no
material benefit to American producers
I'm anticipation of the appointment of
this joint high commission, Canada some
time ago increased the preferential tariff
in favor of Great Britain 12k per cent so
that to-day In the Canadian market Amer
lean goods pay q per cent more duty than
English goods. If reciprocity between ma
tions. especially between the United States
and foreign countries. is to be secured only
in this way, then the American govern
ment should add % per cent TO its present
tariff in order that IL might make reduc-
ton corresponding to that which other
countries like Canada proposes, or. III other
words, so that it would have something
to trade on.
at is this attitude of the Canadian press
and Canada's public men that leads me TO
believe that reciprocity with Canada IS
utterly out OF the question; but, neverthe-
less. American producers. and especially
those interested in the three greatest Of
to convince the American commissioners
that the Canadian policy of reciprocity will
never meet the approval of the American
people"