The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-01
NORTHWESTERN BUSINESS GOSSIP
Canadian Lunbermen May Defeat Reciprocity Through
Fear of 'American Invason"-A Paper Railroad
Causes Town to BOOM Northwestern People In
vesting Their Money at Home

Along with threats OF retaliation to the I
thirty third degree, Canadian legislators
send a warming to America that reci-
procity with Canada must be arranged
within comparatively few years or the
Dominion will carve its way to CONNER
cial greatness and buy it's goods In an
other direction This does not cause the
northwestern lumberman sleepless nights.
1t interests the grain men and millers
who seek to coax Canadian wheat to
American terminals. It arouses the in
terest of the general manufacturer and
jobber looking for new trade fields to
conquer.
John Charlton, member of the Dominion
parliament, has introduced resolution
into that body which has revived reci-
procity agitation on both sides Of the in
ternational boundary line. It provides
that II the United States will admit the
natural products Of Canada free, Ameri-
can goods shall enter Canada on the same
basis as imports from Great Britain. If
the United States refuses to; make this
concession. the sale Of American goods in,
Canada is to be restricted further by an
increase in duties. Reports from OTTAWA
| say that the Charlton resolution is re-
ceivipg considerable support.
British goods are favored by Canadians
| with a rebate of SO 1-3 per cent of the
/
is proposed to show the same preference
| for American goods which would prac-
| tically bar Germany and all other coun-
| tries from trading with Canada. The
| northwestern manufacturer and jobber
would like to see the resolution pass. The
northwestern lumberman believes 1t can
lnot for the reason that, despite the at
titude of Mr.. Carlton and his supporters,
RECIPROCITY has already many foes on the
| Canadian side OF the boundary.
| How Canadian Lumbermen Stand.
American lumbermen have discovered
| that, Notwithstanding the efforts of many
Canadian lumbermen to secure, through
reciprocity with the United States, re-
duction or the complete elimination Of the
American duty on Canadian lumber, there
lis considerable element among the lum-
Der manufacturers of the Dominion who
fear the american invasion These men
are mostly to be found in the list OF
/ smaller manufacturers and owners OF
| stumpage. They know that the future
offers "good thing" to the Canadian
lumber manufacturer and that Canadian
sstumpage is growing in value every year
They are afraid of conditions that might
hand lumber making in Canada over tc
the men of millions, thereby crowding the
smaller manufacturer out of the business
as has been done in the United States.
The fact that most Of the stumpage IN
Minnesota is owned by few OF the
wealthiest concerns and that like con-
dition will soon obtain on the coast, has
made the smaller lumbermen of Canade
fear the coming of the big fellows from
across the line. They believe that will
Canadian lumber admitted free into the
United States, the lumber kings of Mich
gan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, with mil
lions at their command, would gather IL
all Of the remaining stumpage of Canada
: that some of them would be forced to d.
, Lit in self-defense. The small bu
: ambitious Canadian lumberman owning
limited timber supply would soon b.
forced to quit or buy of the large hold
ers at advanced prices. IT is this di
, vision in the ranks or Canadian lum
, bermen which consoles the Northwestern
maker Of boards when savage threats ar
, made to reduce or wipe out the duty o.
lumber He believes dissension in tn
, ranks on the other side of the line mean
the Spostponement or the ultimate defea
. Of the reciprocity negotiations in spite o
' the fact that Canadian legislators an
! statesmen are much in favor of the broa
principle of freer trade relations wit
the United States. At the present tim
| the western lumberman thoroughly be
lieves that there will be no further nee
: of delegations at Washington to fight rec
D iprocity, as it hits American lumber an
e will do for many years to come.
. Attitude of Prairie Settlers.
q While some of the manufacturers asso
n Citations in Canada are demanding high
+ er schedule of duties and more protectio
: against the American Invasion, the west
ern prairies of the dominion are bein
settled by people who will aggressivel
- I fron ra1otiOnS with til