Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-09-08

Quebec, Sept 3.-The joint high
commission of the United States, Can
ada, New Foundland and Great Brit
ain, after ten days work, adjourned
Friday afternoon to meet again in
this city on September 20. All the
American commissioners, excepting
Kasson, will return to their homes or
Washington.
The subcommittee and secretaries
will continue their work during the
recess. Lord Herschelk, representa-
tive from England, will go from here
to Newport.
What the commissioners have &C
complished up to this point or what
they are likely to accomplish in the
future can only be inferred from out
ward indications. Absolutely nothing
has been revealed from within the
meeting rooms of the commission.
The commissioners on both sides have
repeatedly stated that the mos friendly
relations exist on both sides and rep
resentatives of both governments
lave manifested a disposition, even
determination, to reach final adjust
ment of the questions of international
dispute before them.
But there are questions which man.
predict the commissioners will have
great difficulty in adjusting, if they
are able to adjust them at all Some
of these difficulties are foreShadOWed
In what has taken place here the past
three days. Three powerful indus
tries If the United States, by their
representatives, appeared here praying
the American members to make no
change in the duties now imposed up
on the Canadian products OF lumber
fish and pulp paper. Another power
FIJI industry vet to be heard from IS
the agricultural interests.
man closely Identified with Ihe
United States government and VINO
has followed the work OF the CONFER
ences very closely, made the follow
sag statement Friday: "The labor OF
+be American members has been
greatly increased by the attitude OF
the Canadian representatives on the
subject of reciprocity I understand
that they demand as condition
precedent to the settlement of>,the IN
ternational questions which nave
long been pending between Canada
and the United States an agreement
of some kind in reference to reel
procity. This would not be so dill
ficult of solution were it not for the
fact that from the newspapers in Can
ada and from the expressions OF pub
lie men here it is very evident that
the reciprocity which they are willing
tn enter is not the kind of reciprocity
that the American people for the past
20 years have discussed and now
unanimously favor. Since | have been
here | have carefully observed the
situation and learned that Canada
expects the United States to give 1t
aa exclusive preferential duty IN
our market while it proposes to adj
nit our goods only upon the same
condition that the products of Great
are admitted The Canadian idea is
that in our markets they are to nave
an advantage as against the rest OF
the world, while in their market they
will give us only an equal opportunity
TO compete with Great Britain. The
kind of reciprocity which the Amer
lean people favor and which the COM
mercial bodies of the United States
have been asking our commissioners
to secure is reciprocity which gives
equal advantage in the respective
markets in the countries of the pa. ties
to the agreement, and this advantage
should be exclusively enjoyed by each
country. This attitude leads me to
believe that reciprocity with Canada
is utterly out o. the question, but,
nevertheless. the American producers,
and especially those interested in the
three greatest of our national indus
tries, should take steps to convince
the American commissioners that the
Canadian policy Of reciprocity vii.
never meet the approval of the Amer
ican DaODle"