The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-04
st. Paul Men Declare That
Reciprocal Trade Relations
Would Be Of Mutual Ben
efit-MiIlions Are Involved
in the Opening Of Terri
tory.

N6nIlOH Was TO receive the report OIL
the advisory committee Of the Mime
sofa branch of the National Reciproc-
ity league. This was presented by
Benjamin F. Beardsley, the secretary,
who also verbally reported that the
committee had secured the services Of
Eugene G. Hay, of Minneapolis, to act
as counsel and general organizer for
the Minnesota branch, and that Mr..
Hay is now in Washington taking the
preliminary steps towards an active
educational campaign, it being the in
tention to take up the subject earnest
ly, systematically and lnteIligently
throughout the state.
The advisory board reported that it
had been decided to take up the fol-
lowing work: .
Work Taken Up.
l. To acquire exact knowledge of the
economic and fiscal aspect or the Gus
toms duties of both Canada and the
United States, and ascertain What
changes in the present laws are pos
sible and would be beneficial to Ameri-
can interests.
2. TO determine how best to bring
about these results; i. e., whether an
effort should be made to secure a rec
iprocity treaty with Canada, or by
means Of concurrent legislation, or by
some other method not yet considered.
8. To at once commence the work
of securing a list of the Industrial and
commercial interests Of the United
| States that will be directly benefited
by Canadian reciprocity, and to have
these interests visited and correspond
| ed with in order to induce them to use
| their efforts and influence with MEM
| bers Of the house of representatives
| and senators to aid in securing reel
| procity. and to ascertain what interest
| has the largest influence with each
| member and senator and endeavor to
| bring that influence to work upon him.
4. To get other states of the Union
to organize similarly.
5. To inaugurate an educational
campaign.
Boston Is in Line.
A letter was read fPem the secretary
of the Boston Chamber of Commerce
expressing the qualification of that
body at the action of Minnesota in
taking up the question Of reciprocity.
This letter also said: 81"
1--WE have temporarily suspended our
efforts for Canadian reciprocity for the
reason that the Canadians have re-
Gently assumed an attitude of indiffer-
ence, or almost hostility, to the prop
Osition, and we deemed it not wise to
agitate it further until the situation
changed somewhat. Our efforts were
directed towards securing reciprocity
| idea was that if we could obtain a
limited treaty of reciprocity, based
perhaps on coal at first, it would be a
much simpler matter to amplify it
later"
One of the most interesting addresses
during. the discussion was that of r.
A. Kirk, who said:
A Most Important Subject.
81 consider this is one Of the most
important subjects we have ever had
before us for discussion in st. Paul.
In fact [ do not know Of any subject
which more vitality concerns the inter-
ests of st. Paul than that of reciprocity
| with Canada. The fictitious line that
is drawn across the country, that no
man knows when he comes to it ex-
cept by the presence Of the customs
officers, should be removed so far as it
is a commercial barrier. The territory
to the north Of that line is going to
have, in the near future, SO much to do
with the prosperity Of the whole of this
| Northwest country in the United
States that it is today impossible for
us to conceive what great advantages
would result to st. Paul if we had an
open door. Now I really suppose it is
not possible to obtain an entire re-
| novaI of duties. We do not expect
! that, but we do think that we can sue
| ceed in obtaining such relief that our
commercial men can go in there from
| the Twin Cities and from Duluth and
do an enormous business, and we can
do the business if we are allowed to
compete on anything like fair terms
With the Canadian houses. l am sat
isfied that we would dc a great amount
of trade, a volume of trade that we
cannot today estimate. l am satisfied
it would stretch away beyond the fig
| ures suggested. Talk about million
of dollars of trade with Canada to be
gained! Why, it would run into mil
lions.
Wants Million, Anyway.
Mr.. Noyes-You want that much
yourself?
Mr. Kfrk-T should want to set
my mark fer million for our house
| alone in a few years, if that country
| were open to us. (Applause.) 1t is
| an immense country and is going to
| take lots of goods and if we can get
| access to it | am satisfied the business
| will take care of itself. But to OBJ
| tain reciprocity is going to be a heavy
undertaking. There will be opposition
| from our side. There will be tempo
| rary opposition, for instance from the
| farming industry, for at present the
| farmers do not understand the ques-
| ton. When they do, they will know
| that we in st. Paul could not afford
" eSh 1OI reciprocity, anu would not
| ask for 1t, IL for moment we thought
| it would in any way injure them, for
| that would be throwing away our best
| interests-the home market, which
| would react on US. We want to- begin
| in a conservative way. We will spend
| at first only a comparatively little
money, only what is absolutely neces-
sary for organization, but we will
| gradually educate the public sentiment
| upon the question until we can achieve
| substantial results. We did not begin
| this soon enough. We ought to have
| started last year or the year before.
| Addresses were also delivered by e.
| H. Morphy, J. w. Cooper, J. H. Has
lam and G. w. Gordon.
1t was decided to leave in the hands
| Of J. w. Cooper, of the advisory board,
| the matter Of the collection of $3.50,
which is the ST. Paul proportion of the
$4,000 fund to be raised for the pre-
| liminary work in Minnesota. Mime
apolis has already contributed $1,000,
| and Duluth $780,