Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-03-10
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: Northwest News :
THE RECIPROCITY DISCUSSION.

ments Of One Side for Reciprocity
With Canada.
Minneapolis, Mimi, March 6.-The
speeches in congress of certain Min
nesota and Iowa congressman regard
ing reciprocity with Canada have
aroused much interest in the North
west, and no topic is now more gen.
orally discussed. 1t is probably not
realized in other parts of the country
how much interest is felt in this sub
ject in the Northwestern states. The
arguments generally given by the ad-
~vocates of reciprocity with Canada
may be summed up about as follows:
Reciprocity with Canada would
merely be a measure of that convent
ent, happy and profitable trade ar
rangement which exists between the
states and territories of the Union.
There is not a state in the Union hat
would give up the privilege of free
trade with its nsighbors. The states
along the northern boundary, having
one frontier abutting on Canada, are
in a sense deprived of the advantages
other states have in being able to
trade with their neighbors on all sides.
But even the states which do not
touch the Canadian line have their
area of trade much restricted by the
fact that this boundary is accompa-
MED by a tariff wall. The greater the
volume Of trade and traffic open to the
enjoyment of the people of the United
States the more wealth and prospect.
ty there will be.
So long, say the advocates OF reel
procity. as the Canadian West was an
Iuninhabited wilderness it didn't make
much difference to the people of the
United States what were the tariff re-
~lations between the two countries,
especially as at that time there was
little Of any kind of produce from
Canada that was wanted in this coun-
try. But now that country Is settling
up rapidly. About a hundred thousand
| new settlers went in last year, and
some so, 900 of these were Americans.
There are nearly a million people in
| Western. Canada, and their trade Is
we'll worth having. They want to
trade with us and we want to trade
| with them. Many of our m~anufactur-
ers and wholesalers have had TO estab-
lish branch warehouses and factories
in Canada in order TO get a share Of
this trade. II would be better by far
If it could be handled directly from
this side of the line. The future de-
velopment of important m~anufactur-
ing centers in Minnesota and the other
boundary states depends largely upon
| whether they are to have access 10
the markets of Western Canada. II
is well known. that great manufacture
ing centers are of much benefit to the
adjacent country.
A large share of American prosper
ity has always resulted from the fact
that new territory was being constant
Iy opened up. This increased the de-
mand for the products of the settled
| regions and gave opportunities for
| the creation of new wealth. Most OF
the u~ndeveloped country left on the
continent is in Canada, but the tariff
to a large extent prevents people liv-
ing south of the 10th parallel and the
| great lakes from sharing in the pros
perity created by the immense devel-
opment now proceeding in Western
Canada, where thousands of miles of
railway are building, settlers are pour
ing in and new towns are s%pringing up
on every hand. The benefits of reel
procity would be mutual. The tariff
forces the Western Canadians to pay
exorbitant prices for many Of their
supplies, and they would like to enjoy
the benefits of access to the American
transportation and market systems.
Then, too, there are some things that
Canada produces, lumber for instance,
that cur consumers onght to have
cheaper and could get cheaper If there
were a reduced or abolished tariff.
The point is made that reciprocity
with Canada will hasten the popula-
ton of that country and make it more
attractive for American settlers. The
fact is. about $4,000 Americans are
now going each rear into Western
Canada, and the movement cannot be
stopped. 1t is argued that the best
thing the people of the Northwest can
do is to take steps to keep the trade
Of these migrating brethren whom
they cannot keep in person.
OF cours all this is combatted by
those who oppose reciprocity, but
these arguments are making a deep
impression.