The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-19
OUR TRADE WITH CANADA
OSBORNE HOwEs, OF BOSTON, AD-
DRESSES BUSINESS MEN.
New Reciprocal Treaty Urged-ResuIt
of the Tariff on Eggs and
Timber.


the latter. last night, on the subject of ex-
tending and strengthening the trade
relations between Canada and the
United States. III. L. Kinney, for
mer president of the Board of Trade; pre-
scented Mr.. Howes to the audience made up
OF representatives of the two organizations
and other business men interested in the
extension of trade relations with other coun-
tries. Mr.. Howes came as a representa-
tive or the Boston Chamber Of Commerce.
he is acting chairman of a committee ap-
pointed some nine months ago to consider
this subject While Mr.. Howes admits
that the United States cannot hope to gain
much in the way of market for agricultural
products, he expresses the belief that there
should be larger market in that country
for manufactured articles. particularly ma
chinery His idea is that If the United
States were TO establish more liberal traf-
nc on horses, eggs, oats, barley, hay and
potatoes from that country Canada would
reciprocate by reducing tariffs on manu-
featured articles and would buy less from
England and more from this country.
Speaking of the single article Of bicycles,
Mr.. Howes asserted that the United States
manufacturers had already succeeded in
driving England out. In answer to the OBJ
lection of farmers that to reduce the tariff
on Canadian products would be to bring
them in competition with the United States
agriculturists, Mr. Howes asserts that while
the United States has sent $50, 100000 year
of products to Canada that country has sent
but $40 900 worth to this country, so that
the advantage has been on the side of the
United States, according to his calculation.
THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA.
In the course of his address Mr.. Howes
said:
THE sales of American merchandise in
Canada during the last recorded fiscal year
represented purchases by them the equiva-
lent of $11.5O for every man, woman and
child living in the Dominion. There is no
other country that reaches this in the gen.
erous patronage of American markets. The
nearest approach is Great Britain, which
has in the last year or two bought Amer
lean products to the value of S11.5O per cap
ita; but when these two countries are
thrown out of the count the record UNDER
goes a very decided decline. Thus Germany
has bought of us in recent years goods to
the value of $3.50 per capita; France goods
to the value of SIPS per capita; Mexico's
purchases are approximately $1.S5 per cap
ita; Venezuela buys of us SLIGO for each head
of population; the Argentine Republic $l15,
lea ST.
1T will be seen from this showing that the
countries of the world, where we have APP
as, for example, the South American repub-
lies, by pan-American congresses and the
Ike are not large purchasers Of american an
stimulated, but as a matter of fact one rea-
son why it cannot grow to large dimensions
America do not have the needs of a highly
civilized people. They neither purchase
largely of us nor of any other nation when
fan faop Af fol- int
count. The average Canadian, like the aver
age American, consumes in a year probably
ten and perhaps twenty times the value OF
the goods consumed by the average inhabl-
tant Of South and Central America and it is
this demand that constitutes the basis of
large trade.
I'm 1854 treaty for reciprocal trade was
arranged between Canada and the United
States. The effect of the treaty was more
than in what it directly aimed at. The Ca
madam dealers i'll grains, vegetables, dairy
supplies, fish, hides, etc., coming to the
United States for the purpose of arranging
for the sale of their goods, found here many
opportunities for purchasing goods of our
manufacture which were before unknown TO
treaty they never would have discovered
Our dealers in furniture, hardware, textile
fabrics and the like found during that time
a great many customers that they never
had before, and many that they lost when
the reciprocity treaty was Cancelled. AT the
present time we have, as | have said, a
might be readily increased and one which,
If we do not take the means needed to pre-
serve it, is likely, to quite an extent, to de-
part from u.s.
ENGLISH SALES FALL OFF.
'Up to last year our trade in Canada was
steadily growing at the expense of our Eu-
glish competitors. In the interval between
the fiscal years 1898 and 1897, English sales
in Canada fell off by more than 80 per cent,
while during the same time the sales of
American goods in Canada increased more
than per cent, the loss of England and
the gain of the United States being chiefly
in the line of manufactured goods. In what
may be called diversified manufacture we
have in the last few years been crowding
the English manufactures out of the Ca
madam market for, as both English and
American dealers had to pay the same duty,
our nearness to the market, our knowledge
of Canadian wants, and the Canadian llklng
for our wares, and in a. number or cases the
better price at which our goods could be
furnished, all tended to give us decided
advantage. If this development, could nave
been cultivated it would have been OF I'M
mense advantage to this country, but I'M
fortunately there have been a number of OBJ
stacleS in the way.
in this country, and because when potatoes
and eggs have been on the free list CANA
dian farmers have sold In year some nun
dreds of thousands worth of the articles IN
this country, therefore, a market In Whlcn
we have been annually selling nearly $6O,0O0-
600 worth Of American goods is placed In
jeopardy.
rs it not time to have arrangements
made to settle all of these vexed questions
now in dispute, and to moreover arrange
for reciprocal trade treaty, even upon the
simplest lines? This reciprocal treaty might
go no further or be no more inclusive than
the reciprocity treaty of 1854 but if it were
enacted and ratified it would at least Sc
cure for the United States in the markets
of Canada those trade advantages which the
English manufacturers and dealers are now
obtaining, or are to obtain in the imme-
date future.
Gentlemen of the Indianapolis CONNER
cial Club, you represent community which
has not only made great advances in the
past, but which has in it the possibilities Of
large commercial growth in the future. AS
is the case with all well-grown cities of this
country, a part Of this future trade and
commercial development you must seek be-
yond the borders of this country. Nowhere
are larger and better possibilities held out
to you than across the border line in
Canada, where millions of people live with
in relatively easy reach of your market If
the trade of our whole country is increased
you, of necessity, must share in the COM
mon gain, and it is for this reason that
ask you to do all that you can both locally
and by such influence as you can bring to
bear upon Congress to aid in the success