Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-15
RECIPROCITY
opposition Rests Chiefly With
Eastern Canadian Manu-
featuring Interests
LAURIER's ATTITUDE GIVEN
lie Is Strongly in Favor of Reciprocity,
But Many Think His lays Are Num-
bered and His Successor Will Likely
Care Less for 1t Than He-can High
Joint Commission Meet?

| Montreal, Aug. 15.-The opposition of
eastern Canadian manufacturing inter-
ests to any agreement between Canada
and the United States whereby the
| er commercial relationship, probably
| has its center in this city, the Canad-
| ian metropolis. 1t is emf hasized IN the
daily press aud echoed by business men
generally. These men look with jealous
eyes on the efforts of the United States
to control the trade of he Canadian
northwest, which they think belongs 10
them and they will exer5 all their in
fiuence towards counterat.ting such ef
forts. AT present those interested are
behind propaganda intended to con-
vince the Canadian publis that if Cam
ada keeps up her tariff wall, and builds
1t still higher, American capital will
be compelled to invest in this country,
thus Fastening it's developments.
Lower the tariff, they say, either di-
rectly or thru a reciprocity treaty, ana
American manufacturing concerns Will
not establish large branches here. What
effect this argument viii have cannot
now be seen, but it is being presented
indnstriously.
asked one of the largest wheat and
flour exporters of Montreal yesterday
man whose company has lines of ele-
vators everywhere thru Manitoba, and
practically controls the Canadian
wheat crop of the present season, what
he thought about the outlook for j
meeting this fall of the joint high COM
mission. His firm, it should be said.
is strongly supporting the Laurier lib
eral government. He replied:
High Joint Can't Meet.
Sir Wilfrid. personally, we think, is
more strongly in favor OF reciprocity
than all the other members of the cab
met combined. 1t has come to be some
thing OF a hobby with him. but we
much doubt ii the hight joint commits
sion is to meet. Our advites from OF
tawa indicate that the LIBERAL party
win take an appeal to the country, per-
haps as early as October. on account
of the opposition which VIII grow out of
the passage of the Grand Trunk Pacific
will have his hands too full to think of
the high joint commission, or be able
10 spare any of his supporters to attend
it. / say this Independently of how
the proposed appeal to the country may
result. We don't think the commission
will meet this fall, and if not it cannot
meet for at least two years, we assume.
on account of the presidential cam
|
why will the liberal party appeal in
OCTOBER" asked. why not wait until
next spring.
Because it will be stronger in Oc-
tober than it can possibly hope to be
in the spring. October VIII be the
psychological moment, and it looks as
Ii Laurier would force the issue. OF
course, no one can tell about it just
yet but that's how it looks to us il,
Montreal today"
A prominent liberal in Montreal, not
| anfriendly to reciprocity, told me that
he had grave doubts as to whether the
high joint commission would meet this
fall. One of his reasons was the likeli-
hood of an appeal to the country in
October, and he added:
Laurier's Days Numbered.
Sir Wilfrid. in the opinion of some of
his close friends, is suffering from an
uncurable disease, supposed to be can
Ger of the stomach. He is very sensi-
tive about ii and will not permit it to
be talked about in his presence. But
the fact remains that he has failed per-
ceptibly In the past year. An appeal to
the country this fall, with the labor 1t
will involve, will well nigh finish him;
at least it will hasten the close of his
public career. Conservative estimates,
not unfriendly, give him one more year
of active leadership, unless he should
show distinct signs Of Improvement.
When he steps out he will, in all human
probability, be succeeded by a man VINO
cares less for reciprocity with the Unit
ed States than he. and the anti-recl-
proclty people viii have made their
point"
will Laurier's appeal to The coun-
try be successful?' l asked.
"Ali his friends and some OF his enc
mics think so. Personally, ] think the
contest VIII be close. There will be
three issues in the appeal Laurier's
personal popularity, his Grand Trunk
Pacific bill and the reapportionment
bill for the house of commons. Laurier
is immensely popular in the province
of Quebec, which is two thirds French.
This may offset some of the CONNER
cial opposition which he will encounter
there. The strength of his rame is
tremendous in our politics, AMI the peo-
pie would have to be convinced, almost
beyond a reasonable doubt, before they
would retire him. There is a wide and
very radical difference of opinion re-
garding the merits of the Grand Trunk
Pacific bill. Many who wouli like 10
favor it. say it Is premature, that ten
or twenty years hence will be soon
enough to spring it. The reapportion-
ment bill is, by both sides, said to be
the fairest the country has had for
many years. The conservatives call it
the sugar coating for the railway bill.
Ii the latter were standing alone
should predict the overthrow of the
liberal government; but with The other
two elements added-Lauriers personal
popularity and the reapportionment
bill - the result will probably be close,
with the chances fayorng liberal vic
tory
Grand Trunk Paramount.
1t Is; quite generally believed that
should the passage of the Grand Trunk
Pacific bll--and Montreal believes it
will pass, Notwithstanding very close
vote on the senate is promised--not re-
suit in an appeal to the country, the
high joint commission will probably
meet; or, Sir Wilfrid will begin cor
respondence with Senator Fairbank to
that end AS a matter of fact. however