The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-06-05
EDITORIAL page Of the Capital 3ournal
American Trade win Canada.

american trade WIN Canaoa'
There has been considerable discus
sion as TO the feasibility of establish
ing reciprocal trade relations with
Canada. Possibly It hay be found ad-
vantageous, some time in the future,
to do So In the meantime, however
our trade with the Dominion is get
ting along pretty we'll without the aid
Of a reciprocity treaty, and notwith
standing the fact of Canada's prefer
entlal tariff of one-third in favor Of
Great Britain.
Statistics recently issued by the
treasury department show that during
the first nine months of the current
fiscal year the increase I'm the pur-
chases from us by British North
America was larger than the in
creased purchases of any other politi-
cal division of the Western Hemi-
sphere For the first nine months of
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1900,
our sales to British North America
aggregated $69,763,595. For the cor
responding period of 1901 they were
$77, S94, 1888. And for the first nine
months of the present fiscal year they
amounted to $S0,999,O04.
This is a healthy and gratifying in
crease, especially when 1t is remem-
bered that our general exports have
decreased considerably during the
past year. Our sales to Mexico dur.
ing the first nine months of the cur
rent fiscal year increased only about
100000, while the increase of our
trade with the West Indies during the
same period amounted to only $1,000,
000 There was a decrease of some
81 100000 in our trade with South
American countries, and of 100000
with the Central American states dur
ing the same period, as compared tc
the first nine months of the preceding
year.
The steady increase of our Cana
! dian trade may be strikingly illus
trated by going back to 1S97-thC
year in which the dominion govern
ment made its first preferential tarln
reduction amounting to 1914 pei
cent? in favor Of Great Britain. AL
though this preferential was subse
quently raised to 33 1-3 per cent, II
has not been sufficient 20 check the
increase of our sales to Canada
These, for the first nine months OF
the fiscal year 1897, amounted tC
$46,752 ,95S, as compared to $50 OO4
for the corresponding period of the
present year, an increase of about 7S
per cent.
Better evidence than this Of the
world-conquering qualities of Ameri
can goods and American enterprise
could hardly be adduced The figures
above cited show that the people oi
the dominion want our products ant
will have them in spite Of preferential
tariffs or other artificial barriers
They also show, quite as clearly, thai
American enterprise will find a way
to enter the markets where our goods
are wanted, in spite Of unfavorabl,
tariff conditions.
A reciprocity treaty between
country of large population and on,
of comparatively small population
necessarily carries with it an element
of unfairness. The more populou,
country offers a correspondence
larger market. Reciprocity betweer
the United States and Canada woulC
open to the Canadians a market hav
ing nearly S0O00,OOO consumers while
IL would open to the United States {
market having only about 100000
| consumers. The onesidednass o
reciprocity on such terms is obvious
The time has evidently not yet ar
rived for making radical changes IL
our tariff relations with Canada. Blu
in the meantime, as above noted, ou
trade with the dominion is movinl
along very satisfactorily.