The Irish standard., 1902-10-11
of our own lawmakers. will not call
them statesmen.
Canada Has Desired Trade Union.

flcn IN products that our people want in
exchange for our own, has always been
sollcitous in the past for freer commercial
relations with the United States. This
1eellng became so strong that. in the
early fifties, leading Canadian statesmen
openly advocated political union to secure
the coveted trade opportunities. To fore
stan such a contingency and the menace
that that might prove TO the slave power,
and in part dictated by a more liberal
commercial policy, the government of the
United States in 1854 entered into treaty,
providing for the free exchange in all nat
ural products of the two countries and
removing all preferential rates for Eng
llsh manufactures in the Canadian mar
ket. The increase in trade between the
two countries during the continuance of
that treaty was phenomenal, and resulted
in the greatest benefit to both countries.
After the war, when New England inter-
ests and New England statesmen domi-
mated congress, to the exclusion of the
south and the west the treatey was ter
minated For the New Englanders gen.
orally speaking, like some gentlemen in
our own city, have always looked with
hostility on a piece of board that bore a
Canadian mark. Since the discontinuance
of that treaty, our earlier cordial rela-
tons with Canada have been frequently
interrupted by irritating controversies
about fishery rights, canal tolls and
boundaries. Our natural outlet to the sea
from the northwest lies through Canadian
territory in part both by water and by
rail. When I was in congress repeated
efforts were made and legislation was pro-
posed to cut us off from that outlet The
most earnest and efficient work that I
did, as a representative in congress from
tional amendment, it is enough to say
that many of us will be gray before the
passage of one can be accomplished. And
the state of Minnesota, was in maintain
ing this route to the seaboard free and
open against all onslaughts. This con-
troversy forced upon my attention the
whole subject of our Canadian relations,
and as long ago as 1890 introduced and
advocated in the house a joint resolution
for the appointment of a commission to
adjust these differences. Notwithstand-
ing the strained relat that have ex-
listed between us and our neighbors and
the barrier of hostile tariffs, the natural
demand for commercial intercourse and
the exchange of commodities between the
United States and Canada has been such
that in the year 1901, out of a total Cana
dian trade of s3Ss,00CO0O with ali the
world, $1S2, 100000 was with the United
States. Our imports from Canada last
year were S72,3S2,23O. Our exports to
Canada were s11O.4s5. OOS. These figures
are from Morang's Annual Register OF
Canadian Affairs, 1901.
With a trade SO immense in spite of
obstacles, we can hardly estimate it's pos
sibilities were natural conditions per-
mitted to direct it. And why Shouldn'
they? Is it a menace to our prosperity to
have thetrade of the Dakotas and of Mon
tana? If it is not, could it possibly hurt
us to gain entrance to the larger territory
to the north? But, as was suggested by
the late lamented president, in his last
speech. in international trade we must
buy as we'll as sell. Trade cannot per-
manently remain one-sided. TO get a
freer marke for natural and manufactured
products in Canada, we must make con-
cessons for theirs.
1t stands to reason that with freer trade
rela lions, relations that would encourage
the exchange of commodities rather than
discourage this trade might not only be
materially increased, but l believe that II
would be doubled, and perhaps trebled,
within the next five years to the mutual
advantage of both nations.
Free Wheat Would Not Hurt Farmer.
Wheat has been, and in the future will
continue to be, the great staple OF Ca
madam agricultural exports. canada ano
the United States are the principal com
petitors in supplying the European de-
mand So long as we export and Europe
constitutes the prlncipal market 1o'
American wheat the price that that com
modify commands in Europe will, on the
whole, regulate and fix the home price
both here and in Canada. 1t is an ele-
mentary proposition in economics that q
competition among sellers tends to lower
the price of commodity; and SO long
as our laws compel Canadian export wheat
to seek European market by separate
route and to be sold in competition against
orr own, the inevitable tendency will be
to lower the prices for all the wheat
shipped to Europe from America. With
reference to the European market, Can
ada and the United States are situated
like two farmers on adjoining farms rails
ing produce for supplying the same vii
lage or the same factory. If each farmer
takes a load of his product to the market
trying to undersell his neighbor, a less
satisfactory price will result than would
their product together, supplying only
such quantity as the market required from
time to time without undertaking each
other in ruinous competition.
The natural outlet for the grain of west
ern Canada is through this state. 1t is
the shortest route to the sea. We have
ample facilities for handling it. A large
proportion of it could be milled to advan-
tage in Minneapolis. 1t is a well estab;
lished fact that the wheat area is reced
ing northward, and that the quality which
has made the Minneapolis flour famous
the world over cannot be maintained with
out supply of hard spring wheat from
virgin soil. The extent to which the mill
ing industry of Minneapolis has tended tt
maintain a better price for our wheat has
in my judgment. never been fully realized
by the farmers of our state. If the mills
of this city should be closed down for a
year, Minneapolis would cease to be a
material factor in determining domestic
prices, and the Chicago price of western
wheat. less freight, would be the figure
The identity of our wheat would be lost
The premium that it now brings, by vir.
tue Of the reputation given it by Min.
neapolis flour, would be a thing of the
past. Hence it seems to me that it is
a matter of vital importance to our owr
farmers as we'll as to our city that the
milling industry of Minneapolis should
maintain it's prestige and command the
flour market of the world by the super.
iority of it's products. This. in my judg-
ment, can only be done by giving it ac-
cess to an adequate supply of the kind OF
wheat upon which its reputation was es-
tablished. And by this means, and this
means only, can the wheat in the south.
ern part of the state which no longer
has the quality that it had when the sol
was new. be marketed to the best ad.
vantage and command a good price.
Would Build Up Minneapolis.
But in addition to this. there are local
considerations that we should not ignore,
Inc milling and handling of a consider
able portion of Canadian wheat in this
city and Duluth would not only help the
milling industry and the wheat trade gem
orally. besides bringing more traffic to
our railroads but it would inevitably
draw the bulk of Canadian trade with it,
rms tsate would become the primary mar