Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-04-02
INTERESTS CONFLICT
WHAT The EAST WANTS THE
WEST DOES NOT.
New England Asks Free Trade for
Coal and Protection for Goldfish,
While the Far West Objects to the
Arrangement as Unjust.

|
the free trade idea, has published re-
Gently several lengthy articles favor
ing the removal of all duties upon
coal, either by direct legislation or
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
If 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 in mining in a for
eign country. AS a sample of the
statements by which the Herald
backs up its arguments, take the fol-
lowing: "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
dfic 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 2,69O,789 tons, val
ued at S., 300, 854.22 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.
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 or 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.
II 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 a much
wider scope of territory, than would
free coal.
Here is the situation then: There
is 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 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 UNI
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
Y would make to have protection
withdrawn from the Washington in
dustry, and far more American con-
sumers would profit by free cod fish
than by free coal. Massachusetts,
wants reciprocity with Canada to en-
large her trade opportunities in the
Dominion. Washington cares nothing
for such reciprocity.
Under these circumstances the
honest, the decent and the fair thing
to do would be for Massachusetts,
herself to pay the price of the reel
procity which she demands and
which would be largely for her bene-
At; not to attempt to throw the cost
upon a state which has less to offer
to Canada, which does not desire
reciprocity and which would secure
no trade advantages through it, but
rather nothing but injury.
Massachusetts has raised the cry
of free coal" Washington counters
with the demand for free cod fish"
II the Boston Herald and the Massa-
chusetts sentiment which 1t repre-
sents are honest and sincere in their
convictions of the advisability of reci-
procity arrangements with Canada,
they should be prepared to sacrifice
local interests to 1t, and not cross
the continent for the purpose Of
throwing the whole burden upon the
State of Washington, as they are
DESTROYS OF doing.-Seattle Post
Intelllgencer.