The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-27
IAN IMPORT DUTY
ON SILVER LEAD
Failure Of Canada to Provide One
Plunges B. G. Miners Into
Despair.
Laurier Is Arranging for Meeting
With the Commission Which
Will Boost Reciprocity.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal. -.t >9a't
New York, April 27-The silver Lead
miners Of British Columbia are In sore
straits over the refusal Of the Canadian
government to put an import duty on sill
Yer lead ores from other countries.
The silver lead mines of that province
have shut down within one week after
the reading, of the budget in the Ca
madam house. Their representatives are
very bitter. President Retallack. of the
Silver Lead Miners association, is quoted
saying that not even the proposed
provincial bounty viii put the industry on
! paying basis so long as the importation
Of silver lead from Idaho remains I'M
checked. - "@
Other representatives of the industry
do not hesitate to say that the failure of
the government in this regard is one of
the most serious mistakes that has been
made since the first refusal of the old
Mcdonald government to put an export
duty on Canadian logs. This refusal, it
will be remembered, resulted in the
shutting down of practically all Of the
great mills Of the upper lake Huron dis
trict, and gave it's first impetus to the
growth of the Michigan saw mill indus
tries, and the building up Of such cities as
Bay City and Saginaw, whose wealth was
drawn from the manufacture, Of Ameri-
can lumber from Canadian logs. The
5000, 900 now invested in the silver Lead
industry in British Columbia Will, unless
the government presently thinks better
Of It's decision. be as much dead loss as
was the $25,OOO,00O invested in lumber
plants in upper Lake Huron.
The budget provided no good reason for
the refusal to oppose this duty. It is
understood that the reason underlying the
refusal is as follows: Sir Wilfred Laurier
has been asked to arrange for another
meeting Of the joint high commission at
his convenience. He has formally ac-
cepted the invitation Of Senator Fairbanks
to meet the American senators sometime.
The object of this meeting will be to take
long step in the direction Of reciprocity.
Our senators have learned that the coun-
try Is gradually drifting into a sentiment
favorable to reciprocity with Canada.
The public at large has learned that zone
sided reciprocity with Canada is an ut
ter impossibility. Canada's preferential
duty with Britain taught that lesson.
The joint high commission will meet in
the spirit conducive to the best result.
The imposition of an import duty by the
Canadian government aimed directly at
the industry that f1ourtshes in the Occur
d'Alene at a, time when there was such
good promise or closer trade relationship
between the two countries would be a
step most impolitic. Sir Wilfred Laurier
and his advisers are politicians as shrewd
and far seeing as any in the world, and
they have declined to permit this 5lunder.
This does not say that when trade rec
iprocity is arranged between the two
countries, if it ever is, the silver lead of
British COLUMBIA will not be protected.
In point of fact. it is the next industry
that will be protected. It may be taken
for granted that on the first sign Of ad-
verse legislation at Washington the Ca
madam parliament will reply with an I'M
port duty on American lead. In the case
Of Germany Canada has shown that, she is
not afraid Of reprisaI. The people, Of the
Occur d'A1esle will probably pay in dol
lars and cents for the first legislative mis-
step in the. matter of trade relationship
with Canada.