The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-29
IN FAVOR OF RECIPROCITY
Prominent Manitoban Says Interests
of Western Canada Demand It.
Winnipeg Tribune.

J. H. Haslam,>of the Haslam Land COM
pany, was interviewed by a representative
Of The Tribune on the question of reci-
procity .betewen Canada and the United
States. Mr.. Haslam said that there has
been during the last few months a very
active propaganda on the part of an Or
ganization known as the National Reel
procity League the Minnesota branch Of
which has been especially active in the
disseminating of information regarding
andsfor breaking a sentiment In favor Of
reciprocity With Canada
+ The difficulty heretofore, has been that
when a recipgdity treaty was spoken Of
between hesUnited States and Canada
the Interestingly ersely atfssted, would I'M
mediately w stHganizs i1f ppposition to 1t,
benefit would be unorganized,. the reci-
procity would be blocked, but now business
interests are rallying to- support a treaty
if one Is drawn.
.eS From Two StandpoInts. 49,.
Now, in the discussion of this matter, it
is to be looked at in two, ways; one of
them is from the standpoint of Western
Canada (and it is purely a selfish stand
poinD, and the other one is from the
| standpoint Of the whole of Canada, and
sentiment enters into the discussion. For
the present it is better for us western
Canadians to look, at the matter alto
gether from the standpoint of our own In
| terests. The people Of eastern Canada,
far outnumbering us, have great deal
| more influence, and well able to take
care Of themselves. Speaking generally,
Mr. Haslam said he is strongly in favor
| OF reciprocity with the United States,
which shall enable the producers on the
| Am erican side of the line, and on the other
Ehand will enable the consumers of western
Canada to buy as 5eheapIy as do their
american cousins. !: Western Canada for
4 Tho >panarati0r iS TO he the world q
greatest producer: Of raw food products,
and to fully reap the benefit of the success
which it deserves, its people should be en-
abled to produce such products as cheaply
as is possible, and on the other hand to-
market them to the best possible advant-
age This, however, is proposition which
is beyond gainsaytng:
Present Conditions. 81, =
Now, it is we'll to. consider the condition
| of affairs existing in the United States at
Il the present time. Any person. Who is
watching the trend of events can easily
see that the United States Is fast becom-
ing the greatest manufacturing country
in the world, and it will only be a very
short time until the consumption Of food
products will have overtaken the
production. The number of peo-
pie who have emigrated into -. the
United States during the present year Is
something enormous. 1t will reach over
the million mark. The bulk Of these peo-
pie are not going into the production of
food, but to swell the army of those, en-
gagged in industrial pursuits. The wheat
areas of the United. States are being
greatly encroached upon by mixed farm
ing, and the farmers are finding out to
their sorrow that. they cannot produce
; wheat, now, as cheaply in the cropped out
lands of Minnesota &and the Dakotas as
they did when the soil had it's virgin fertil-
ity, and so, it will not be many years be-
fore the United States, in place of being
an exporter of wheat, and wheat. products
will be requiring wheat for the use of its
, own people. AS It IS. the Quality of the
wheat in the United States lis deteriorat.
ing, and there Is a demand now for
Our Hard Varieties
by the Minneapolis mills for. mixing pur.
I. poses. But what is true now, would bt
f intensified as the. manufacturing popula
s ton increases, and what is true of wf1ea
e is doubly true of meat products, for we
i have seen during the last few years, .tht
Y price of cattle and, hogs Increase abou
d thirty five per cent; and the stock yard
q in Chicago which is the great stock mar
p ket of the country, docs notasee any in
: crease in, the number. Of CATTLE notWith
$ standing the enormous increase, in thu
e consumption of meat products If: TIL
: American markets were open to n1ea
products, there is ne>doubt but what j
= would mean to our cattle producers al
* increase in the value of their product
Il from fifteen to twenty five per cent.
Now, regarding the other end of it
e Western Canada is an enormous consume
q Of articles manufactured in the Unite,
L States, Notwithstanding the fact that tn
> facilities for distribution of Canadian
: made articles are very much more per
! feet and our people are. using vastly in
: creased quantities of American made ma
9 chinery and implements every year.
+ Cost of Machinery.
e Mr. Hasam has given considerabl
e study to the prices and has collected muc
e data on the matter, but roughly speaking
It it is fact that the settler in the Cana
1t dian northwest has to pay from 20 to 3
8 per cent more for his agricultural ma
chinery, stoves, and for implements 9
6 all kinds, than has the settler of tn
n northwest states.s Mr.. HaslaIl9as tn