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 III Paris,
supposed to- be negotiatig a reciprocity
treaty betwee the Canadians and France.
The cable dispatches say that Sir Will
frid has offered 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 II 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 those from England.
: It is also proposed to have a steamship
line direct between the French and Can
adian ports, with an annual subsidy of
100000, one half to be paid. by Canada
and the other half by France.
The attention of United States senator's
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 much larger market in
France for our flour. corn meal, cotton
seed OIL bacon. ham, lard, and other pork
products, lumber. agricultural implements
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 selfshness.
We might have monopoly of the trade
of Canada to-day but for the stubborn
| ness Of the lun1bermen 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 a 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 to
| increase and shows what it might become
If our congress would be more liberal In
| customs duties. 80, -. ..-
| During the last ten months Canada has
imported $95,372,4 in dutiable goods OF
which 28,339,S70, an increase of $780,
026 from the corresponding period Of the
previous year, came from England and
$48, 1O4,781 from the United States, an in.
crease of IS, AT, 613 from the corresponding
period of the previous year. The free
| goods imported from Great Britain were
valued at $1O.99S,417, a gain Of $4,000, ,0o(
and those from the United States were
valued at $4S, ,846.455, gain Of 1851 200
/ The total foreign commerce Of Canada
now amounts to about $40o, 100000 and W.
ought to have nearly all Of it.