The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-08-19
NEW BRUNSWICK
EAGER FOR TREATY
Would Like Reciprocity
With United States.
Thev Relieve Home Industries Have
They Believe Home Industries Have
Been Injured by American Manu-
featuring Interests.

81 JOHN. N b. Aug lS--l1ere IN
the chief city of the largest maritime
province Of Canada the opinion is eX
pressed that the reiterated high tariT
policies of the United States have. Tor
the present at least, put an end to the
once active hopes Of New Brunswick
for reciprocity with the United States.
Next to the adopted methods OF the
United States government party as
they call Il here, the greatest hostile
influence against reciprocity or trade
unity between the two nations has come
from the manufacturing trusts Of the
United States.
The almost prohibitive effects of ex-
istng tariff arrangements between the
United States and Canada are well
known. But IL IS not so well known I'm
the United States that for the last five
years Canada has been made the dump
ing ground, so to speak, Of the surplus
products OF the giant manufacturing
corporations of the former country.
Sent to New Brunswick.
Pooled agreements on selling prices
between the various factories that are
associated IN American trusts do not
hold good in Canada. and this fact has
enabled members Of manufacturing COM
binauons TO send their goods here, pay
the Canadian tariff, and sell not only
cheaper than they do in America but
far cheaper than the competing Canad-
ian factories could manufacture SINH
lar products in their own country
In many instances such wares OF the
United States have been sold in enor
nous quantities in Canada at an actual
loss to the manufacturers who sent
them hither. The effect has been three
fold. First was the Generalization of
Canadian trade; second was the sue
cessful introduction and advertisement
of the imported product TO the dis
tinct disadvantage OF the Canadian com
peutor; and, third, most important
though least fOreseen, was the abso-
lutte and widespread hostility thus en-
gendered among Canadian manufac-
tlTers against the bumpers of the
The hostility thus originated was
really the origin of the recent revision
OF the Canadian tariff, which carries
with IL a dumping clause which en-
ables the custom house officials of the
Dominion to add 20 the duties against
American importatiOns an embargo
which is equal to the difference be-
tween the price Of the goods in America
and the invoice price TO the Canadian
importer.
The general public Of New Brunswick
Is not familiar with these inside facts
Of the international relations of the two
countries. Indeed, reciprocity or even
trade unity, with the United States Is
now as Il has been for thirty years tho
popular leaning of the majority Of New
BrUnswiclSers.
Outside Of st. John, an Intensely 10y
alist CITY. the chief Interest or the t5rOv-
ince 1ies IN Numbering and agriculture.
both of which would be immensely bene-
flied by reciprocity with the United
States.
In both the house of commons and the
senate New Brunswick IS strongly Lib
eral in its representation and Lib
erals went into power eight wears ago
largely on the free trade with America
tendencies of that party. Since then
have come the joint high commission
fizzle and the surplus unloading price
demoralizing methods Of the trusts Of
the United States. both Of which have
had the effect Of estrangfng the Liberal
government party from the reciprocity
policy and Withdrawing the public opin-
ion OF New Brunswick from n hopeful
demand that was once paramount IN the
Even now the shipping interests Of
81. John itself are pronoUncedly in favor
OF "a reciprocal treaty with the United
States. Il may astonish many TO state
upon che best authority that St John
y. b, ranks fourth among the cities of
the British empire for the number, ton
mage and size Of vessels owned.
The only places that surpaSs Il are
London. Liverpool and Glasgow. Yet
these Canadian owned vessels are nor
permitted under the existing conditions
TO engage in the COastwise traffic with thf
United States. They would Ike TO be
permitted to traffic with Boston, Port
land, New York. coming and going but
they canOt do 50 and their business IS
reduced 70 q. minimum and between two
ports. one in Canada and one in the
United States
Need Open Trade.
The fishing industry would also be
enormously benefited by open trade re-
lations with the States, and It Is because
these industries have come TO under
stand the apparent hopeIeSsness OF such
an event that the matter has become
one Of indifference to them and one OF
inactivity with their representatives In
Parliament
Meanwhile the newspapers OF st. John
naturally devoted to the mother country
and Influenced by the manufacturing
Of he
in most cases openly hostile to any
further advances toward the United
States looking toward free trade. They
are striving to educate their public to
the acceptance OF England rather Than
America as the logical and sentimental
field for commercial endeavor. and the
unloading proclivities Of manufacture
ing trusts In the United States has given
them a good opportunity.
So far as reducing tariffs is con
cerned the only effective measure put
into operation by the liberal party now
IN power AT Ottawa has been the British
preferential rebate. By which al i'm
ports from England are entitled 10 a
rebate Of . per cent OF the sche LIED
This provision was prompted both by
the Liberal party's desire 10 make good
its anti-election promises and also 20
satisfy a public desire for repTisal
against the United States on account Of
the Dingley law. But so far as New
Brunswick is concerned. II has operated
in the direction Of fostering purchases
IN England and detecting public con
slderatlOn from the essentially popular
cream OF commercial union with the
United States.
il was the Dingiey tariff that killed
the lime industry OF New Brunswick, a
business that once was the most profit
able IN the province, and one which
yielded almost as many advantages 70
the buyers Of New En@land as II yield
ed 70 the producers Of this region.
The manufa ctUrer. the merchant, the
politician the editor. the man IA the
street here will say:
Reciprocity with the United States?
Certainly; we want It: we went after II:
we failed because the United States
would have none OF US Now we are
saying nothing, doing nothing. about H.
We want II. but can't have II. Your
Congress has said so repeatedly. and
20 we are turning toward England, al
though our geographically natural mar
kets for buying and selling lie in Maine
and along the New England coast Of the
United States"
OF all the maritime provinces New
Brunswick has been the most consis-
tently favorable to- reciprocity with the
United States. OF all Canada II has
clamored loudest for the anti-dumping
clause Of the revised tariff The pOpu-
lation Of the province IS 4O0, 900. Of which
nearly 5000 1--we IN st. John.