The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1903-03-26

New England Asks Free Trade for
Coal and Protection for Goldfish,
While tho Far West Objects to tho
Arrangement as Unjust. IA.

u the free trade idea, has published re
E Gently several lengthy articles favor
o Ing the removal Of all duties upon
D coal, either by direct legislation OF
/. through the negotiation Of a reciproc'
ity treaty with Canada. The point Of
this Is that Massachusetts does not
produce coal, and 1t Is believed that
II there were free entry Of Nova
Scotia coal In the mining Of which
New England capital Is largely inter.
ested, Massachusetts would profit in
two ways, by cheaper coal in her
markets and by larger profits for the
capital invested I'm mining In a for
eign country, AS a sample Of the
statements by which the Herald
backs up Its arguments, take the fol.
lowing: 1.-THE natural coal supply
Of the Pacific coast has thus far been
the coal mines Of British Columbia. :"
The natural coal supply Of the Pa
cifc coast is and has been the coal
mines Of the State Of Washington,
mines which at this time employ
5000 men, and the product Of which
reaches annually 2,690,7 S9 tons, val
ued at $5,SOO,S54.22. 1t is this indus
try Of the State Of Washington which
Massachusetts, Is prepared cheerfully
to sacrifice In order to secure some
slight local advantages. W
For the purpose Of making an argu-
ment which Massachusetts can under
stand, the coal mining industry can
be compared with the cod fishing in
dustry Of Massachusetts. There are
more men employed in the coal mines
Of Washington than in the cod fisher
les Of Massachusetts,, and the value
Of their product is greater. Canada
is more the natural source Of supply
Of cod fish on the Atlantic than Of
coal on the Pacific. The admission Of
coal free Of duty would be far more
detrimental to the interests Of the
State of Washington than the free
admission Of cod fish would be to the
interests Of the State Of Massachu-
sets. The admission Of either
would be to the advantage of Canada.
OF the two, Canada would be willing
to make far greater concessions to
secure the free entry Of her cod fish.
cries products into the United States
than to secure the free entry of coal,
If the interests of consumers in the
United States are to govern, free cod
fish would be Of infinitely greater
value and to vastly greater number
Of consumers, scattered over much
wider scope Of territory, than would
free coal.
Here is the situation then: There
Is a protected New England industry
Of not SO much commercial value as
the coal industry Of the State Of
Washington, employing fewer people
and distributing less wages, the pro.
lection Of which tends to exclude
from the markets Of the United
States a Canadian food product
which Is a common article Of diet in
the homes Of the working people Of
the United States from one end Of
the continent to the other. There
Is more valuable protected industry
In the relatively small and poor State
Of Washington, the protection upon
which operates merely to secure to
the people Of Washington a relatively
small local market and leaves IN.
affected the great mass Of the people
Of the country. Canada Is prepared
to make far greater concessions to
secure the withdrawal Of protection
from the New England Industry than
Il would make to have protection
from the Washington in
iustry, and far more American con-
,umers would profit by free cod fish
han by free coal Massachusetts, G
wants reciprocity with Canada to en-. b
arge her trade opportunities in the o
Dominion. Washington cares nothing G
or such reciprocity. t,
Under these circumstances the Il
lonest, the decent and the fair thing h
o do would be for Massachusetts II
erself to pay the price Of the reci- v
rocity which she demands and X
,hich would be largely for her bene- Il
t; not to attempt to throw the cost ia
pom q state which has less to offer th
0 Canada, which does not desire fo
and which would secure az
0 trade advantages through 1t, but 81
ather nothing but Injury. CO
Massachusetts has raised the cry Of
free coal" Washington counters TO
18th the demand for free cod fish," 81,
the Boston Herald and the Massa- iol
lusetts sentiment which 1t repre- mi
,nts are honest and sincere In their SO
,nvictions Of the advisabllity Of reci- ev
rocity arrangements with Canada, be
ICY should be prepared to sacrifice TIL
cal interests to 1t, and not cross ar,
Q continent for the purpose Of Sc,
rowing the whole burden upon the go
ate Of Washington, as they are ide
sirous Of doing-Seattle Post
telligencer.