The herald., 1898-11-18
BEFORE THE ANGLO-AMERICAN
COMMISSION
THE BRITISH PREFERENTIAL
The Stumbling Block in the Way OF
Reciprocity With the Citizens
of Canada
Associated Press Special Wire

/
American commission now in session here
TO adjust differences between the United
States and Canada today held lengthy
session upon the two subjects which are re-
garded as of most Importance, the North
Atlantic fisheries and reciprocity. The
fisheries question was practically taken up
for the first time and it was quite def
nitely understood that the position OF the
Canadian government was made clear as
favoring granting enlarged rights to Amer
lean fishermen in Canadian waters of the
North Atlantic if, in return, Canadian fish
are admitted free of duty to American mar
kets. 1t is expected that this will open
wide range of discussion and an immediate
adjustment is not looked for.
| Concerning reciprocity, it has now devel-
oped that while some progress is being made
in considering certain articles which will
be the basis of reciprocity, yet the Amer
lean commissioners are likely to insist, as
a preliminary to any reciprocity, that Can
ada shall wipe out that feature of her tariff
law which gives Great Britain a prefer
ence of 25 per cent on all tariff duties. II
this important concession is made by Can
ada and concurred in by Lord Herschell,
who is looking after the interests of Great
Iiildiut ttiSt IL iS CAliSNtCu u iSSiPioN'es
list probably will be agreed upon. Without
the abolition of preferential rates to Great
Britain, the opinion is very positively eX-
pressed that reciprocity treaty agreement
/ cannot be reached.
| The American commissioners feel that
| if they can succeed in having this British
preferential stopped it will be greater than
any reciprocity agreement. The debate
thus far has encouraged the American COM
missioners to believe that they will sue
ceed in having this preferential wiped out.
| The fisheries question is of long stand
| ing, and aside from its Importance to the
commerce of the New England and Cana
dian coast, it is said to give the basis for a
possible serious conflict between this coun-
try and Great Britain. Wearied by the
length of the controversy, Canada of late
has intimated that in case it remained open
recourse might be taken to the seizure Of
American fish in vessels in Canadian wa
tiers. This doubtless would lead to serious
international complications. This has been
the view of members of the commission and
as a result they are exceedingly anxious to
secure a settlement of this question. 1t is
understood that there is some likelihood of
commission of American, Canadian and
English lawyers being appointed to deter
mine the meaning of the treaty OF 1918,
which governs these fishery rights. The
suggestion OF this international body had
come, it is said, from Lord Herschell. Such
body appointed, it would do away with
the chance of any collision occurring be-
| tween the Canadian officials and American
fishing vessels during the approaching fish
ing season.
\ high Canadian official today stated the
Canadian view of the fisheries question as
follows:
''The international commission will have
a serious difficulty TO settle in the North At
lantic fisheries question. The position of the
Canadian government is not, | think, very
well understood in the United States The
treaty OF 1918 provides, roughly speaking,
that the United States fishermen shall not
have access to the inhabited coasts of the
Canadian seaboard. On those coasts Amer
| lean fishermen are not entitled to land, save
for four purposes, specifically named in the
treaty, namely, for wood, water, shelter and
repairs. The object OF the treaty was obv-
ousy to give Canadians exclusive control of
their own coasts as base of operations for
carrying on the fisheries. Such has been the
Canadian Interpretation ever since the
treaty was framed, and the United States
accepted it as the true Interpretation. In
1861 the United States purchased the right
to land on the Canadian coasts for other
than the purposes named, for American fish
ermen who wish TO buy bait in Canadian
ports, TO ship crews, to purchase supplies, in
Guiding ice, and to bond their fish, that is, to
transship them in bond either to Canadian
railroads or to steamers bound for the United
States, so that they may get rid of their
cargoes quickly and hurry back to the banks,
instead of carrying them to Boston or
Gloucester and going back empty which en-
tails loss Of time. The United States pur-
chased these privileges in 1854 by abolishing
the duties on Canadian fish. 1t purchased
them again by giving free fish in return un-
der the Washington treaty of 1871. So also
in 1883 the Bayard- Chamberlain project vir
tually granted free fish in exchange for these
privileges. That project was defeated in the
United States senate, but the modus viven-
di, which formed part Of it and is in existence
today, provides that American fishing ves-
sells which desire to have the benefit of the
privileges shall pay an annual tonnage tax
to the dominion treasury therefor.
"It will thus be seen that the United
States has all along accepted the Canadian
Interpretation. This being the case, the
United States is, think, debarred from now
claiming the bonding privilege in Canadian
ports for American fishermen as part and
parcel of the general bonding system in ex
stence between the two countries"