The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-09-06
BY JOHN RAFTERY.

! a-ticIeA
BY JOHN RAF"TERT
| REPUBLIC SPIRAL
Victoria British Columbia, Sept. b
| British Columbia IS the largest and mos,
| remote OF the Provinces OF the dominion
OF Canada
IL was settled largely by California
forty-n!ners. and In everything except
political utilization IS more American than
British. more pOlysio than any other par;
Of Canada
In order to understand and appreciate
Its situation reference to the physical
map OF North America IS more important
aonal affiliations.
1t IS infinitely apart from Old Canada,
as expressed by the commercial and po-
iiticai lie OF Ontario and Quebec.
IL Is separated from the grain and
prairie regions Of Manitoba. Asslniboia
and Saskatchewan bv ihres ranges OF
inountains-ths SeIkirks. the Golden range
and the Canadian Rockies.
ALLIED TO SAN FRANCISCO.
British Columbia. 50 far as social inter
course and trade unity IS concerned. IS
as much allied 10 San Francisco as are
the American cities OF Puget Sound and
the trade ceaters o: Washington. ore
gOa and California
The tariH walls remain Tn obstacle be
tween the Two countries as they adioin
on the Pacific Coast, but the separation
remains a EIndrance which Is not inS1r-
naountable.
The customs embsrsoes. high as they
are. are not equal TO preventing inteEna-
tioual trade and shunting commerce over
the Intervening stretches OF mountain and
wilderness which SEPARATES British Column
bia from the great gran. regions OF the
Canadian! Northwest
Thus victoria. British Columbia. does
more business with Seattle and san iran
cisco than IL does or can do with "4nnl-
peg and ali OF the other Canadian CEN
tiers combined
This business is circumsribed and
ments, bat patriotic motives and Cana
dian interprovincial free trade TO the
contrary notwithstanding. British Column
bia is trading more and more with The
The coionIzation settlement o. the r,
Kfon II becoming more and more American
people are. therefore. Constantly becoming
more American
The acquisition and development, OF
Alaska have coairslied 10 tae 1naet,cai'
and the mining and agriculture! erlerg ..
OF the country are largely In the hands OF
Americans.
THREE FOREMOST ENTERPRISES
Mining. numbering and farming, IA the
order named. are now the three foremost
enterprises OF British Columbia The tarif.
scarcity Of labor and the lack Of Amer
!can-made coutriyances for sna-t and eco
noTnical manufacture are the grand oosia-
cIes TO the progression OF British Column
b,an industries. The result Is PLAN anB in
escaDatle.
The terms OF the tariff law o. the Uni
ted States perni. unsawcd lumber to
come into Washington. for instance, free
Of duty.
There. with plenty Of skilled labor. the
finest OF modern machinery. and the low
est cost OF milling. logs are p!aned on
one side and SO sawn within the require
ments OF the Canadian tarIn that tbsy
can be sent back into the Dominion! as
unrnanufactured at a price with which
tho British Columbian lu.nbernan ana
sawyer cannot compete
EAGER FOR RECIPROCITY.
1t IL easy to geo that, under existing
conditions. the manufacture. the whole
sailor. the retailer ano the consumer OF
British Columbia are almost unanimously
for free trade with the United States.
Senator Templeman OF Victoria. q LIB
eral IN the upper house at Ottawa, pub
Usher Of a Newspaper. formerly tramp
q man thoroughly familiar with sentiment
N the United States AZ well as IN Canada
said TO me:
at seems queer TO have anyone ask. Do
British ColuInbIanS favor reciprocity of
course. they do. but they may have dii-
ferent notion Of what reciprocity means
stand. our people are certainly getting the
worst Of the deal
Nothing that England can do ia the
vay OF reta!;stiye tariffs and colonial pref
as they now exist We are too remote from
British markets. We are, physically. too
distant from even Canadian centers o.
trade.
LOOK TO AMERICAN MARKET.
Photographed conditions - mountains.
rivers and extent OF Intervening wastes
compel US TO look for trade to the Western
Coss: States OF the United states
Here We find the American tariff hog
ging everything for the United States.
with a Canadian tariff tina. Is ia effective
In its terms and almost uniformly favor
able 10 our American competitors
We canont hold even our latorins
classes in the lumber Industry. they 20
across into the States. where steady work
uistions. which favor the American mills
and factories
Naturally. under the circumstances We
buy as little as possible from the States
but that little IL vastly greater thar our
purchases In the same lines from CANADA
or England.
Government, even in its most selfish atti-
tude to maintain the existing tarsH
against us. But. like all other Canadians.
we find ourselves In no position to resume
agitation In favor OF reciprocity
We are building UP vast trade with |
the countries Of the Orient. but we need
an open access 10 American markets more
than any other section of Canada
But what IL the Use Of talking about !
what British Columbia neets2 From tire |
United States We have failed &c get what |
We need. and. OF course. we want what |
We need. Some classified interests In the |
United States are getting far and away
the best Of US, and I can understand why I
they wish to maintain existing condl- |
tons.
We have Joined freely and generously
In every move that has been made for a |
reciprocal treaty with the United States
but we have always failed. and now We
are al the end OF all 3ignlfled resources
IMPERIALISM NOT IN ISLE