The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-27

prime minister of Canada, accompanied
by w. S. Fielding, the minister of finance,
and William Patterson, the minister
Of customs of the Dominion, are in Paris,
supposed to- be negOtiatig a reciprocity
treaty betwee the Canadians and France.
The cable dispatches say that Sir Will
frid has offered a reduction Of IS per
cent from the regular duties upon all
French goods, provided Canadian mer-
chandise is admitted into France at the
minimum rates, which are from IL to 25
per cent better than the maximum rates
imposed upon the products of the United
States. If France is willing to make
greater concessions, Sir Wilfrid is said
to be willing to place French imports upon
the same basis as those from England.
| 1t is also proposed to have steamship
I line direct between the French and Can
adam ports, with an annual subsidy Of
| $120000, one half to be paid. by Canada
| and the other half by France.
The attention of United States senators
| who have prevented the ratification of
| reciprocity treaties between the United
States and both Canada and France, is
respectfully called to this intelligence.
We might have a much larger market in
| France for our flour. corn meal, cotton
seed oil, bacon. ham, lard, and other pork
products, lumber agricultural implements
and machinery, electrical appliances, coal,
and various other products of the farm,
forest and factories of the United States
| If the manufacturers Of gilt jewelry in
Rhode. Island and Massachusetts. and the
manufacturers of edgings and knitted
goods in the latter state and New Jersey
had been willing to have duties now i'm
! posed upon such unimportant merchandise
reduced about 20 per cent from the pres
ent rate. But the interests Of all the
rest of the country, amounting to mill
ions upon millions were sacrificed because
of their self1shness.
We might have monopoly of the trade
| Of Canada to-day but for the stubborn
ness of the lumbermen of the northwest
ern states, who refused to conset to a
reduction in the duties imposed upon Can
adian lumber. It was only difference OF
81 thousand feet. or something like that
but they would not consent to it, and thus
all the rest Of the industries having inter-
ests in Canada were cut off. To revenge
| themselves upon us the Canadians lowered
the rates Of duty upon imports from Great
Britain and tried to induce the merchants
to- buy goods of the mother country instead
| of in the United States. But, notwith-
standing that discrimination Canadian
| trade with the United States continues tc
increase and shows what it might become
If our congress would be more liberal ir
customs duties 80 .... . E-...
| Dui IAlS last ICA IlAoilIAS NdIdud- IlctS
imported 95,372,429 in dutiable goods Of
which 8.339,870, an increase of $1,000,
026 from the corresponding period of the
previous year, came from England anG
SAB, ,104, ISL from the United States, an in.
crease Of $5,417, ,613 from the correspondents
period Of the previous year. The free
goods imported from Great Britain were
valued at s1O,99S,417 a gain of 81, 900, ,0O(
and those from the United States were
valued at $48,846.455, gain Of So, ,651, 200
/ 4 The total foreign commerce of Canada
now amounts to about $4OO, 900. 900 and W.
! ought to have nearly all Of it.