The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-19
CANADA AND THE ENGLISH TARIFF

Ii the English mllterS ana BAKERS nave
their way the English consumer will, after
all, pay the whole of the war tax on wheat
and -four The mil1ers are already mark
ing up the price Of flour and, despite Sir
Michael Hicks Beach's prediction to- the
contrary, some Of the bakers have added
farthing to the price of loaf. If all
the bakers follow this example the con-
sumner will not only pay the whole of the
tax, but also an added profit for the baker
and miller in every farthing thus col
lected =
| With the way thus opened it may be
expected that the average price of grain
and -four will be advanced throughout the
United Kingdom, and that the tariff will
have no present effect on American wheat
raisers and millers except as, by the
dlHerentlal in favor of wheat, the. new
tariff discriminates against the miller.
| While we have heard much about the
possible, effect of the tariff on the United
! statess weuhavesi nat Paid much attentions
to the commotien ut has caused in Cam
ada. Opinions Is ID as various there as
| AAStS' AsobSAI AsATlSuGu, pIeSlueuI VI lI0
Lake of the Woods. Milling company, de-
/ clares that from the British point of view
| the tariff is commendable as he is sure
that the future will demonstrate that the
producer, not the consumer, will pay the
| tax He thinks other foodsuffs should
be taxed and that the duty on wheat and
Hour should be higher. He admits that
= the lower tariff on wheat than on flour is
discrimination against the Canadian
miller as compared with the British mil
; Ter, but seems to see in the tariff the be-
ginning of a syst EN- of tariff preferences
for the colonials in the British markets
Alex McFee, president of the Montreal
Board of Trade, thinks the tariff will in
]ure Canada and not the United States
He says the Canadian wheat producer will
nave to pay the tariff because, having nc
home market and being at the mercy OF
the British buyer, it can be forced onto
him, whereas the American producer
having an immense home market for 81
per cent of his product, is more indie.
pendent. Mr.. McFee seems to think tina
the effect of the tariff will simply be tc
make the price of Canadian wheat Still
lower than now. Hence, he concludes tina
the British tariff is severe blow to thu
development Of the Canadian west, as i
will handicap immigration to a region
whose principal product is placed at ;
disadvantage in the English market.
On the other hand,%F W. Thompson
o1 sc III,
pany, the largest -four milling concern il
I Canada, asserts that the British consume
: will have to pay the whole tax, and point
to the advance of wheat in the American
!, markets as conclusive on that point. TIL
: tariff pleases him because he regards i
: in British markets
;, The Montreal branch of the Canada
Manufacturers association adopted reso
: buttons regretting that the tariff had no
carried with it preferential provision
AT the same time the manufacturers fee
that the tariff holds out promise of tn
? hoped-for preferential.
1t will be observed that however the
= may differ on other points, all thes
: Canadian authorities are agreed that til
> new tariff is a long step towards til
realization of their pet dream of tart
preference in the British markets. Doubt
= less the wish is father to the though
- = with them for hardly anything could /
= such blessing to the Canadians as
:, be given preference in the markets
A the cid country. Already strong sent
ment is being worked up in Canada
= take advantage of the opening now mad
o In the Canadian house on Monday, w.
Maclean, q conservative member, sa
that the Canadian government shou
: have been forehanded and secured pre-
erence in return for a Canadian col
tribution to imperial defense. Sir Wi
= frid Laurier promptly replied, in effec
- that he had no intention Of saddli1
NJ Cenada with bill for imperial defen
- in order to get preference in Il
British market.
- All of this discussion has an importal
w bearing on the question Of reciproci
= between the United States and Canad
Is it not advisable for this country
~ take steps that will keep the Canadian
~ from constantly cultivating a sentiment
- attachment to trade within the empip
k, while all the time we continue to q
. s. s. ~