The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-23
"HIGH JOINT"
MAY DO THINGS
Good Outlook for Accomplishing
Something in the Line Of Ca
madam Reciprocity.
Canadian Members Of the High Joint
Commission in a Mood for
a Fair Trade.
A Treaty, if Negotiated, Might Meet
New England Opposition in
the Senate.

the Senate.
From The Journal Bureau. Room IS, Post Build
ing, Washington.
washington, July 23-As the time
draws near for the propagation Of the
Canadian parliament. 1t Is easy to fore
see that there Is to be meeting OF the
joint high commission, probably In the
fall, and that efforts will be made to reach
an agreement satisfactory to each coun-
try. The commission will probably meet
In this city at the suggestion of the
Canadian members, on account of the
| lateness of the season. AS soon as par
| lament Is prorogued, about the middle OF
August, Sir Wilfred Laurier will have
personal interview with Senator Fair
! banks, at which details will be arranged. |
It may be said with authority that the
Canadian government will approach this
reconvening Of the high joint" with a !
strong desire to accomplish satisfactory |
results. It is sincerely In favor of reci- |
procity and will place nothing In the way
sides Of the line. II there ever was a |
time when Sir Wilfreds ministers were
willing to play politics" that time has
passed. The Americans have only to
meet them half way to Insure the framing |
Of convention that will have the strong |
/
persons.
| From man Of high character In close
| touch with both governments, who has
made q special study Of the reciprocity
question, learn some interesting facts
regarding the attitude of the Canadian
members Of the high joint commission.
IT, after full and free discussion It be-
comes apparent that there is some re-
luctance on the part Of the American
commissioners to grant absolute free
| trade in natural products, 1t is quite pos
| sible, to put 1t no stronger, that the
Canadians will offer, as an inducement, to
put American manufactured articles on
the same basis as those Of British origin;
that is to say, give them reduction OF
80 1-3 per cent below the stated tariff.
Such a reduction. I am reliably In
formed, would be gratefully received by
the great majority Of American manufac-
turers, many Of whom say that they want
no better opening in the Canadian mar
ket than such reduction would offer.
These manufacturers, as a class, are en-
tirely willing to have free trade between
the two countries in manufactured as
we'll as in natural products, and would
not In the least object to making the
American tariff on Canadian manufao-
tured articles the same as that Of tho
4 Canadian tariff on American manufac-
tured articles.
!. No Assurances Demanded.
Another important fact is the intention
Of the Cana dams to demand nothing in
the way Of assurances that treaty, II
prepared, will be ratified by the American
senate. For several months Americans
who have been following the reciprocity
question closely had been fearful that
such demands would be made. and know
ing that assurances could not be given,
they feared that the high joint commits
sion would not meet -
My informant says that Canadian SEN
timent, official and unofficial, has under
gone little or no change as result Of the
| proposal Of Secretary Chamberlain to
create q British preferential In favor OF
J certain colonial products. The feeling IN
} Canada seemsptto be that such prefer
entail as Canada might be able to secure
would not necessarily be incompatible with
: reciprocity with the United States. For
instance, Canadians do not believe that
Great Britain would offer a preferential
that would be Of value to the eastern and
more thickly settled portions Of the coun-
! try II 1t extended. for example, to bread
} stuffs only, the maritime provinces and
Quebec would have no interest in 1t what
. ever and Ontario but little.
.., The Gloucester Opposition.
t So far as this country is concerned, the
I | strongest opposition to Canadian reel
prooity centers In and around the New
England fishing town Of Gloucester. The
fish interests OF Massachusetts, are widely
divided In opinion regarding Canadian
I reciprocity. Those engaged In the fish
packing and distributing business are gen.
orally strongly in favor Of a reciprocity
treaty, believing that free fish would bring
) them q large increase in business. 1t must
be remembered that there Is great diff
| ference between the fresh and the salt
| fish business in the point of interest which
they have in this question. All agree that
| free fish would not injure the fresh fish
business The fresh fish business Ia rap
idly CROWN, while the salt fish business
| is on the decline.
The owners of fishing vessels at
4 Gloucester are strongly opposed to reci-
procjty with Canada, because they fear 1t
would mean free fish. The duty on fish.
however is not protective tariff as that
= | term is understood in the west, because
If it were abolished there would be no re-
duction Of wages to those engaged in fish
ing; on the contrary, wages would prob
ably be increased. The chief objection Of
these vessel owners to reciprocity with
Canada grows out OF their fear that they
l., could not secure men for their fleets
More than tho-thirds OF the men who &c
out from Gloucester are aliens and come
for the fishing season only, returning tt
Canada with their earnings. The G1ouces-
ter theory is that free fish would stimulate
the Canadian industry and furnish en-
ployment at home for these aliens, thus
= preventing their return to this country fol
le employment.
If The attitude Of the Gloucester fishers
Of is important, because any treaty will NEE,
y with the bitter opposition Of that Interest
IL and possibly secure the backing Of the
20 New England senator's This, at any rate
was the situation in the last congress.
I'LL Gloucester, however, admits that 1t can
is not forever stand in the way OF reciprocit!
to with Canada, It's leading men have sale
at recently that their interests are insignif
i'd cant when compared with those Of the
lie country as a whole, and that whenever {
in treaty was drafted making concessions o
IN duties on manufactured articles, their lit
e. tie fishing matter would be lost sight of
at Such treaty, In all human probability
IN the high joint commission will prepare a
I'd it's meeting this year.
es Altogether the friends Of reciprocity will
i'd Canada feel in better spirits than for
good many years. Canadian sentiment
a they believe, is with them, tho not s.
er, warm as formerly, and the Canadian com
lie missioners will come to Washington pre-
pared to offer propositions that ought t
n, be very attractive to the United States.
he w. w. Jermane.