The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-17

Canadian grain and meat n preference In
her home market in order to retain her
grasp on Gibraltar, or Malta, or Hong
Kong. In the fourth place, It Is alleged by
Mr.. Ross that a preference given to the
colonies would stimulate greatly the inter-
est Of the residents of the British islands
In colonial affairs, and would lead to a more
speedy settlement by them of the wild
lands Of the various colonies and a quicker
development Of their resources. 1t Is ques-
tionnble whether the emigration OF British
operatives to the Far West OF British
North America would be stimulated by a
rise in tho price of bread, which would
make the very name Of Canada hatefu! to
their ears.
Finally, Mr.. Ross lays down what he
assumes to be a truism, that to be safe.
guarded against the danger Of starvation In
time of war, it is important to England that
her food supply should be produced under
her own flag. Certainly, 1t was q matter of
great moment to the United Kingdom in
the Napoleonic wars that all the food need
ed by it's population was produced within
its W borders. If, on the other hand, in
time of war, the food had to be drawn
from Canada, 1t would be necessary for
Great Britain to police the North Atlantic,
and this 1t would be hard to do with the
warships available for that purpose in the
teeth of commerce destroyers. 1t would be
better, at such a crisis, for England to de-
rive her food supplies from a neutral coun-
try like the United States, 1t being ex-
tremely improbable that England's oppo-
nents would declare food contraband of
war, lest they should drive the United
States into the arms Of Great Britain.
Such are the arguments p%ropounded by
our Canadian friends, and we arc not sur
prised to see them regarded with favor by
the National Repfe o, which is the organ
of the English landowners, who are Tories
almost to q man. 1t is obvious that a duty
imposed by England on foreign food prod
ucts, although ostensibly in the interest Of
Canada, would tend equally to enhance the
value of agricultural lands in Great Britain.
The present depreciation of such lands is
traceable directly to the free trade legisla.
| tion inaugurated by Sir ROBERT PEEL.
1t is really a waste Of words for the Hon.
G.. w. Ross to perorate on this subject, and
for the National Review to pat him on the
back. II Canadian food growers cannot
BeCuT6 u preferences IN tue ChBilSu hiufkco
from the Salisbury Cabinet, they may as
we'll abandon hope, for they certainly will
never get 1t from the British Liberals.
Now we know, on the authority of the
Toronto Globe, that the Salisbury Govern
ment will never grant the desired prefer
ence, except upon conditions which Canada
herself would reject as inadmissible. The
fact is vouched for by the Globe that
the Colonial Secretary, Mr.. CHAMBER
LAIN, when the colonial Premiers were
in London, told them that he would not
touch with the tongs the proposal that
England should give a preference to her
colonies, unless the colonies, on their part,
would admit British products absolutely
duty free. Sir w. LAURIER replied-we
are again quoting from the G~lobe-that
not for a moment could he think of making
the counter concession required, inasmuch
as the whole fabric of Canadian finance and
Canadian industry was founded on customs
duties. We must dismiss, therefore, as
von ct pretcrea nihil, or. in our vernacu-
lar, wind, all of Mr.. Ross talk about Eng
land giving a preference to Canadian food
products.