The Republican journal., 1903-10-08
RECIPROCITY WITH CANADA
Discussed at the Meeting of the State Board
of Trade.

| Discussed at the Meeting of the State Board
of Trade.
The State Board of Trade met in
Biddeford Sept. 3Oth with about so del
egates present Secretary Blanding
! reported that the business conditions
in Maine are satisfactory. Everything
points to exceptionally extensive lum
bering operations the coming winter.
| The summer resorts have Jared well,
and big army of gameseekers is ex-
| pected this fall. Since the advent of
the new year Sec Blanding said there
have been completed in Maine buildings
aggregating in cost approximately 81
| 3l5 200, about 40 percent of this being
residential work. There is under way
work that will approximate IS, ,057 200 t.
| OF this amount about 1922, 1000 is resi-
Dental work, including hotels, dormi-
tories, government barracks, ETC., and
about 81, ,O39, 900 for mills and factories.
The amount of work projected is found
to be about S5,S26O0 Of this amount
81 1856 600 is residential work, and 81, ,677-
900 for mills and factories.
Hon. Henry Lord of Bangor, who has
been the president for IA years, declined
to hold office longer and Hon. E. B..
Winslow of Portland was elected presl-
dent. Secretary Blanding was reelected,
as was the treasurer, G. n. Weymouth.
The program of public addresses was
then carried out. Eugene n. Foss OF
Boston spoke in favor of reciprocity
! between the United States and Canada
in part as follows:
"If it were not more than reasonably
certain that Canada is at the point of
striking a determined blow at all Amer
lean industries, agricultural as we'll as
mechanical, in the absence of reciproc-
ity, there would be less need of reci-
procity agitation in this country than
there is now.
THE trend of events is not favorable
to the growth of New England. Her
markets are being taken from her by
other communities which are nearer
their supply of raw material, and she
must enlarge her trade in some direc-
ton or curtail her product. The only
direction open to her on this continent
is toward the north, where her manu-
factures continue i'll steady demand.
continental unity is the demand OF
the hour, and | ask that the problem of
obtaining it be worked out upon broad
and statesmanlike lines. | ask that we
be permitted to assist in the develop
ment of this wonderful country to the
north of us. upon whose vast resources
we can rely for hundreds of years.
MIR. Foss was followed by Hon. AL
bert c. Clarke of Boston, secretary of
the Home Market club, who maintained
the negative side of the question OF
reciprocity, in part as follows:
Mr. Clarke began with comparison
between reciprocity in noncompeting
products, as illustrated by the Blaine e
agreement with Cuba in 1892, and ex-
changing similar products, as under
the treaty with Canada, which was
terminated by the United States in
1866. He gave figures, which showed
that the Cuban arrangement was profit
able to both coun tries, while that with
Canada involved a heavy loss to this
country.
And yet none of the Canadians -
said Mr.. Clarke, "offer us anything diff
ferent, and most of them are opposed
to any treaty whatever, because they
now favor imperial federation"
Mr.. Clarke thought it inopportune, if
not unfriendly, for this country to seek
to interfere with their domestic ar
rangements. Besides, there is no need
of it. Both countries are doing well
now, their mutual trade being more
than double what it was under the old
treaty, and there being handsome
balance in our favor.