The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-12-18
Reciprocity With Canada.

relations with the United States or whe-
Their she shall put up her tariff wall
against that country and become COM
ponent part of great imperial trade
federation The United States can de-
eide that the latter shall be the case
by maintaining its present tariff policy
This is paragraph from recent adj
dress delivered in Boston before the
Merchants and Bankers association by
John Charlton, member of the Cana
dian parliament.
Coupled with Mr.. Charlton's address
is that of Governor Cummins of Iowa
who shows the immediate need of sup
plementing our present tariff policy
with reciprocity. Several weeks ago
The Free Press quoted literally from The
st. Paul Pioneer Press in which it was
shown that reciprocity with Canada
would be advantageous to the northwest,
how trade and manufacture would be
stimulated through friendly business re-
lations with the buyers who are develop
inc the western section of Canada and
making of it a great country. The Plo-
ueer Press likes the tone of Governor
Cummins' address and says that the
need of reciprocity is the result not
only of our own industrial development
but of the commercial activity and the
trend of tariff legislation in other large
exporting nations. By steady adherence
to the policy of protection for many
years the industries of this country have
been so developed that there is not a
natural product which does not find with
in the borders of the United States
factories and mills to work it up into
the finished product. A broad diversiti-
cation has been attained of foreign sup
plies in nearly all lines. Almost half
of our large imports are raw or partially
manufactured products to be finished
in our shops. Twenty per cent is artl-
cles of food such as coffee, tea and sugar
which we do not produce at all or cannot
produce in sufficient quantities to sup
ply the demand. Another fourteen per
cent is luxuries such as diamonds, other
gems and special products with which
we do not compete. Only little over
seventeen per cent is articles for ordl-
nary consumption, and they are largely
important, not because the country does
not offer wares just as good, but to sup
ply the demand for special makes. There
are also in this class of products such
things as linen, which it has not been
found economical to make in this coun-
try. and for which the most generous
protection has accomplished two of its
chief aims in diversifying industry and
enabling the home demand to be suppl
ed by home production.
But in the process there has been
developed number of industries like
the steel, the boot and shoe, the agri-
cultural implement and the paper trades,
which make not only enough for the
home demand but have surplus for ex-
port. The number of these industries is
steadily growing and has increased with
special rapiditv in the last five years. In
the event of restriction of the home de-
mand an outlet for their surplus will be
essential if they are to prosper and to
keep their hands employed at good
wages. But so far congress has done
nothing to assist them in finding an out
let and as sentiment abroad is shap-
ing itself those that have surplus pro-
ducts are likely to find themselves dis
eliminated against in foreign markets.
This is the pressing logic of reciproci-
ty. To meet the tendency to retaliation
SO manifest in Europe and growing more
portentous in Canada it is necessary, un-
less our industries are to be subjected to
the wide fluctuations of the home de-
mand without relief, to open more gen.
erous sluices to carry away the accu-
mulated surplus. And the broadcast
market as we'll as the most practicable
is that of Canada. Reciprocity with
Canada is at the present juncture not
only an opportunity; it is necessity.
John Charlton, member of the Cana
dian parliament, who delivered an ad-
dress at the same meeting, did more than
confirm Governor Cummins' belief that
if the United States did not soon make
concessions to Canada that country
would raise its barriers against us. MIR.
Charlton showed that as Canadian senti-
ment'was shaping itself it was strongly
inclined, on account of our own unyield-
ing tariff policy and because of irritation
over the Alaskan boundary award, to
give support to the Chamberlain pro-
gram of an imperial zollverein, raise the
tariff against American goods and enter
into practically free trade relations
with Great Britain. Such course would
mean not only the loss of the greater
part of the present Canadian market,
which next to that with England and
Germany is the largest market we have.
but it would mean the sacrifice of what
Governor Cummins points out is mar
ket of unbounded possibilities which,
large as it is, is only in the first degree
of its development. At present Canada
stands ready to take up the subject OF
racinrocitv hut that she will NOT con.