Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-09-23

difference of opinion in the United States
upon this subject. Railways on this side
of the border which compete with the
Grand Trunk and Canadian Pacific want
the privilege abolished, so as to compel
American shippers to PatrOnize American
lines. Railways which connect with the
Canadian roads and receive business
from them, for the same selfish reasons
want the privilege continued and extend
ed. Shippers in New England and the
northwest claim that the competition of
the Canadian roads is wholesome and
beneficial to American traffic. Shippers
in the central states who cannot use
Canadian lines and stockholders in
domestic corporations attack the privilege
from patriotic grounds and declare that
American shippers should be compelled
to send their freight over American rails !;
and so the controversy extends to a
degree that makes its settlement practic-
ally impossibly. The commissioners re-
cOgnize that there are two very large
sides to this question and that they bet
ter let it alone.
Measures will be taken, however, to
secure reciprocity upon this point as well
as upon others, and the Canadian govern.
ment is prepared to grant the bonded
privilege to American fishermen in ship
ping their fish from Canadian ports to
their home markets. At present Mass
achusetts fisherman is not allowed to ship
his fish to any point either in Canada or
the United States from Canadian port.
When his boat is full he must 60 all the
way home from the Newfoundland banks
to unload, while a Canadian fisherman
can send his catch under the ordinary
transportation laws to any point in the
United States or Canada. The Canadian
authorities are willing to allow Ameri-
can fishermen to transfer their catch
from their boats to refrigerator cars in
Canadian ports and send them to the
United States in bond if this is demand
ed by the American commissioners, as it
probably will be.
They are also willing to concede that
Canadian railroads which avail them
selves of the bonded privilege shall be
governed by the laws of the United
States and regulations of the interstate
commerce commission in all transactions
with American shippers and thus be
placed upon an equality with competing
lines. 1t will doubtless be provided that
any Canadian road which violates or
evades these regulations shall forfeit the
) privilege of carrying bonded goods. Both
the Grand Trunk and the Canadian Pa
citic, which are the railways chiefly in
terested, are willing to place themselves
voluntarily under the jurisdiction of the
int IN, but 70
avoid friction in the future their rights
will be defined in a treaty.
The free use of Canadian canals by
American ships, which has been demand
ed by the Chicago board of trade and
other commercial organizations upon
the lakes, cannot be granted by the
dominion government for reasons of
economy. Fifty millions of dollars has
been expended to afford shipping facili-
ties to escape the rapids in the st.
Lawrence and other rivers upon the
Canadian side, and the tolls now collect
ed, which amount to about 100000 a
year, are scarcely sufficient to pay the
cost of maintenance and repair. The
Canadian authorities do not feel like
surrendering this revenue in the present
financial situation of the government.
If they did so other industries would
have to be taxed to make up the deficit
and they would regard it as an injustice
if they were compelled to sustain the
shipping interest of another country.
The lake fisheries offer perpexing
problem for which no solution has yet
been suggested, but the Canadian COM
missioners are not only hopeful but con-
t fident that some plan may be DEVISED by
, which all concerned may be Statistic
! Canadian fishermen complain that they
= do not enjoy the privileges granted to
their American rivals, and that their in
, ability to compete is destroying the in
, dustry on their side of the lakes. They
: complain also that the American fisher
men are invading Canadian waters out of
season.
The question of mining rights is not
expected to cause any trouble or delay.
The commissioners of Canada express
: their willingness to adopt any reasonable
! suggestions that the United States COM
! missioners may offer. They say that it
| cannot be expected that Canadian mining
| territory will be thrown open to foreign
ers upon the same terms that subjects
, enjoy. They quote the laws that have
been enacted by our congress prohibiting
aliens from holding property in the terri
p tories and other sections under federal
jurisdiction and inquire whether our gov
, eminent is willing to repeal them if our
! people are allowed free access to the gold
deposits of the Klondike. They do not
J pating in the development of Canadian
- resources, but consider 1t no more than
, common Justice for them to pay reason
able tax for the privilege and contribute
to the support of the government that
protects them.
= The discrimination of the United
States against Canadian money and
the interchange of copyright protec-