The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-07
Commercial War Prob able.

ItSCtl1dttOU SSEH1S III GIllS tlILS, 6NtH ulOIc%
probable than commercial union. say
without station thst The hope of reel
procity has UP to this time prevented or
postponed retaliation: but If much longer
deferred hope will be Abandoned r
At this point the report: entered into a
brief history Of the struggle for Canadian
reciprocity with a discussion Of the rea-
sons for@ the abrogation Of the treaty in
1856 for reasons which in the light of
present !, conditions are hard :! to! UNDER
| stand. Among the events which make
up the history of commercial relations
between the United States a"d Canada
Mr.. Hay mentioned the creation :-and
! work: Of the joint high commission, with
its present status following the split on
| the Alaskan boundary question: and the
probability that its living members would
reconvene Sept. 1 at Ottawa. Mr.. HAY
said Of this -reconvention:
I Senator Fairbanks, chairman Of the
American division, has written to Sir Will
| frid Laurier, chairman Of the Canadian
division, requesting to him to join in a call
for a meeting of the commission: at an
| early date, and have the most positive
and reliable assurance that this request
will be granted. We will therefore have
| I'M session within the next five months a
| tribunal to which to submit our case. If
! the commission at this sitting fails to az
| range a treaty 1t ends all prospect for
| years, in fact, so long as the present
parties exist in Canada. The reasons for
this are political Any reciprocity treaty
/ negotiated with Canada must be done with
/ the liberal party. "-.s -
1.-The joint high commission was Gre
ated so far as Canada, is concerned, by
the liberal party. This party is now in
complete power. Reciprocity with the
i United States has been one, Of the chief
articles Of faith with Sir Wilfrid Laurier,
their great leader. The joint high COM
mission was his last effort. It's first ses-
sion lasted several months without results
and added but one more failure to Sir Will
frid's efforts. Continued failure is not
conducive to continued, party triumph, and
party could survive another failure with
!. out changing front, and If the coming
meeting Of the joint high commission
shall prove fruitless, should expect to
see the. liberal party advocate higher
duties. =. -.,>..., -, .,.>.,s 2. ~ H.
"The present situation, however, in my
Judgment, presents the best prospect fol-
! Canadian reciprocity that has existed
! since the abrogation of the old treaty in
! 1866. The government at Ottawa and the
S government at Washington both favor it
e 1t should, however, in this connection, be
: borne in mind that the president has not
e that same control or influence over the
t American division of the commission ant
o the congress that must ratify any treaty
e that Is agreed upon,s that the Canadian
: prime minister and his party have ove1
d the Canadian division and. the Canadian
e parliament
e e Attitude Of Commercial Interests. r..
'In Canada the manufacturing inter
ests will oppose reciprocity. These
though rapidly growing, are not yet larg
nor a very. influential factor. The onl
:, other great commercial interest in Canad
4 that will oppose. reciprocity is the trans
9 portation interests centering at the 81
Il I Lawrence. This Is a much more. import
7 ant factor and 5wil undoubtedly, have to b
Q reckoned with in the work Of securing
= treaty The Canadian lumbermen, fisher
\ men, mine workers and farmers, to Mhic
e could be added a large share of Canada
:. tradesnen, all favor reciprocity, and thes
y constitute q very. large part of the pop11
= lation of that country. 80 2s
8 I'm the United States ltSis a little NOR
!, y difficult to classify the commercial inter
i lests that will oppose recipTocity Th
llumbermen have heretofore opposed /
and we may still count on some .oppos
tion from that source, yet 1 I;am persuade
10 not near so extensive or so vigorous q
! Heretofore There will be opposition afrol
a sonac of the fishing interests of the Altar
/ tic coast. but the strongest opposition wi
le tected industries. Not because they es
1t pect to be directly affected by the pre-
g visions Of any treaty that might be mad
q with Canada, but because they have,
1.-THE madness of their power, banded tt
ot gether to oppose every proposed chang
a in our tariff laws, and adopted as the